You are cordially invited to a
wine and cheese reception at CILTI's new headquarters,on the evening of
Thursday, Feb. 28 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.
324 West Morris Street, Suite 210
Indianapolis, IN 46225
The office is housed in the historic former Emrich's Furniture manufacturing building, the oldest wooden commercial building in Indianapolis. It is easily accessible from the West St. exit off I-70 on the southwest side of Indianapolis. CILTI will have as neighbor tenants other nonprofit organizations. The building is being refurbished as part of a community restoration and development project.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
According to an old Greek proverb, A civilization flourishes only when people
plant trees under which they will never sit. For over a decade, CILTI
volunteers, with a variety of skills and a shared desire to protect our natural
resources, have planted trees for future generations through their land
protection efforts. In fact, until a few months ago, CILTI flourished
solely due to the diligent efforts of many dedicated volunteers. These
volunteers performed all organizational and land protection functions including
land assessments, real estate negotiations, property stewardship, fundraising,
database management and outreach. Volunteers have tirelessly assisted in
cleanups and property workdays, recruited members, published newsletters,
monitored the mail at our post office box, checked for voice mail messages,
stuffed envelopes and more.
Now that CILTI has evolved into an organization with paid staff, our need for
volunteers has not diminished. While the hiring of an executive director
and the opening of an office has greatly increased our ability to protect land,
volunteers will continue to build our capacity even further. Whether you
prefer to work independently or with a group, are looking for a special project
or a regularly scheduled, ongoing assignment, indoors or out of doors, CILTI has
tasks to meet your schedule. From general office work to data entry to
hands on land stewardship activities, if you have a few hours or a few days per
month to offer, we want you! Contact the CILTI office at 631-LAND. Your
efforts will have a lasting impact on the future generations of Hoosiers who
will sit under the trees you help to plant and protect.
Clare T. Oskay
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My time is nearly
over. Even now the grinding and tearing of machines is reducing my
splendor to pulp and mud. I have stood here for centuries, my enormous
trees towering over the earth, providing shade and shelter for all who passed
through. Just a couple of hundred years ago (barely a blink of an eye by
Natureıs calendar) I stood among miles and miles of forest, as vast as an
ocean. Iıve witnessed bear and bobcat ply through my foliage. Iıve
seen millions of birds stop for rest, build their nests, and find refuge from
storms among my branches.
A thousand spring times have burst forth on my
forest floor with a carpet of flowers bringing life to a cold earth.
Things are different now. The forests all
around me have been cleared a hundred years ago, and I have stood as a remnant
of
what was, the artistry of God.
Man has placed his so-called ownership on the land
and has reaped the bounty from the earth for his survival and sustenance. But
man has gone too far now. Man is leaving nothing for the future. People
are clearing and cutting every last tree for short-term gain without regard for
the future of the earth. Soon there will be no place at all for the
animals to rest or for beauty and tranquility to be found.
People have pleaded to see me saved. People
say that I was an exceptionally wonderful and irreplaceable forest remnant.
But sadly I will soon be just a memory. My lush forest floor will be
asphalt and my trees, whatıs left of them, will wither in the heat from roof
tops. Precious rain will not reach the roots of these last giants that
will soon follow me in my death, never to return. The animals that require
the forest bounty for their lives will die out.
As all forests, I am a living breathing organism.
Are there people out there witnessing my destruction who can stand by
without feeling remorse for the loss of wonder and majesty? Are there
people out there who just might feel the urge to prevent this from happening
again?
Please think about it. One hundred years
from now what will really be important, lasting, and meaningful? More
monotonous rows of houses to decay, or a bit of sanctuary from the chaotic world
that man has created for himself?
Nancy Carpenter
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR....
I am happy to report that CILTI's new office was formally opened for operation
on January 15th, 2002. In the few weeks that have passed since our opening
day, we have succeeded in centralizing and strengthening our base of operations,
and the office is already serving a vital role in helping us reach higher levels
of efficiency. One of the benefits of having an office is that we
are now able to communicate better and more efficiently with you, our members.
I would like to cordially invite each and every one of you to attend our
open house on February 28th as we open our doors to you, your family, and your
friends. Even if you cannot attend the open house, I welcome you to
contact me directly. I would be grateful to hear your thoughts about CILTI and
to discuss the various ways in which you might become more involved with our
organization.
Members are among our most valuable assets, and vital to our success in land
protection activities. In addition to greatly needed and appreciated
financial support, members help us care for and maintain our properties. We
will be hosting a series of site visits and workdays this spring that I
encourage you to attend; along with the need for stewardship, workdays provide a
wonderful oppor-tunity to see and experience the land that we are working to
preserve. There are many other ways in which you as members can help us protect
more natural areas. You might know about specific parcels of land that
CILTI could potentially acquire and preserve, you might have friends who would
enjoy becoming members of CILTI, or perhaps you are part of a community group
that we would benefit from partnering with.
These are just some of the many ways that members are able to help us achieve
our goals. The more we can utilize all of our strengths, the more we will
be able to grow and develop as an organization. I welcome your input and
involvement with CILTI, and hope that our new office will serve as an impetus
for increased communication between members, partners, landowners, and others in
our community. We are now in the exciting position of exploring a variety
of new opportunities in land protection, and I expect that with your help we
will be able to reach the high goals that we have set for ourselves.
There is power in involvement. As Norman Myers, author of Gaia:
An Atlas of Planet Management noted:
"We now have within our grasp the tools and the ability to make the
transition to a stable, sustainable society, one not of shadows, but of light,
and promise. The more people who join in that journey the more surely a
foundation for the future is put in place." Your active involvement and
support of CILTI is part of that promise.
Marissa Codey
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USING DEMUTUALIZATION TO PROTECT THE LAND
Many central Indiana residents received an unexpected holiday gift in late
December when shares of stock in Anthem, Inc. arrived in their mailboxes as a
result of the company's demutualization. Anthem policy holders received
their share of company ownership in the form of common stock in a newly formed
publicly traded company. Because this stock has a zero cost basis for tax
purposes, all proceeds on its sale are fully taxable as capital gain. One
way to avoid this capital gains tax is by donating the stock to a charity such
as CILTI. Donating the stock directly to a charity results in a
tax-deductible charitable contribution for the full fair market value of the
stock and avoids any tax on the capital gain. So, if you have received an
unexpected windfall in the form of stock in Anthem or one of the many other
large mutual insurance companies which have recently demutualized, such as Met
Life, John Hancock and, soon, Prudential, consider using some or all of it to
protect natural areas and greenspace in Central Indiana. For more
information on how you can use demutualization to protect the land, call
631-LAND (631-5263).
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Visits to CILTI properties to enjoy the habitats
and do light cleanup.No experience needed! Work at your own
pace. Enjoy the sunshine, wildlife sightings, or blooming plants.
| Mar. 30: Glick Nature Preserve |
|
| Apr. 20: Sanctuary Oaks |
|
| May 4: Burnett
Woods (Hendricks Co.) |
|
| June 1: Sunman Woods (Ripley Co.) |
|
Anyone can come and in one morning make a
difference on our landholdings that will keep them thriving. CILTI
acquired these sites to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities
that call this space ³home². Assisting in stewardship actively contributes to
the ongoing protection of these habitats from threats such as invasive
species, dumping, and other trespasses. Without this ongoing protection, we
would assuredly lose the very habitat we acquired the site to protect.
Click here
to see more information about CILTI events.
Wear work shoes and bring work gloves. You might want to bring a camera or binoculars, along with a trash bag or two! Questions? Call CILTI office at 631-LAND (631-5263).
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LAND
TRUST ALLIANCE NAMES NEW PRESIDENT
The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) Board of Directors has named Rand Wentworth, vice
president of the Trust for Public Land, as its new president. LTA, of which
CILTI is a member, is the nation's leading organization for 1,263 private,
nonprofit land trusts. American land trusts have over a million supporters
in 50 states and have protected more than 6.2 million acres of natural lands.
Mr. Wentworth will take LTA's reins on March 18.
Mr. Wentworth was the founding director of the Georgia office of the Trust for
Public Land (TPL), where he launched a 160-mile greenway along the Chattahoochee
River, Atlanta's primary source of drinking water. Since 1990, Mr.
Wentworth has worked with TPL to protect mountains, rivers, and farmland
throughout Georgia. Under his leadership, TPL tripled the size of the national
park honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Wentworth is a graduate of
Yale University and holds an MBA in finance from Cornell University.
"The Land Trust Alliance is extremely pleased to have Rand Wentworth
succeed Jean Hocker who served as LTA president for the past 14 years. He
brings a wealth of talent and extraordinary energy to our mission,² and ³a
clear and ambitious vision for the future of land conservation in America"
noted LTA Board Chair Robert Bowers.
"Land trusts have protected many of our finest natural treasures, but we
are losing 3 million acres to development each year," according to Mr.
Wentworth, "LTA aspires to dramatically expand the pace of land
conservation in America. We have no time to spare: The land we protect over the
next 20 years will define the American landscape for all time."
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE CILTI 2002 ANNUAL MEETING
Fri., April 26
6:30 - 8:45 pm
Additional details to be announced.
We will convene in Johnson County and expect to have some exciting announcements. There will be a slide presentation, food, and opportunity to meet Board and other members who share your love for Indiana land & wildlife.
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