By Olivia Bautch

You don’t have to travel very far outside of the Marion County core, with its tree-covered old-town neighborhoods, before the canopy dwindles and the houses look the same. Take Michigan or Meridian north and the mature trees give way to agricultural lands, and the agricultural lands give way to virgin tracts of townhome sprawl. While boasting amenities for family life and professional ladder-climbing, something is found too few and far between: acreage of primitive landscapes and natural enjoyment.

Readers and members of Amos Butler know this well- your support has driven many a restoration project in the region. So when a new project arises, we want to bring it to your attention. And this one is big.

Reclaimed by Nature

Jarod Logsdon is the Superintendent of Zionsville Parks and Recreation. He recalls the parks departments’ initial visits to the abandoned golf course, which had sat vacant of human activity for three years. At the intersection of Highway 421 and State Road 32, the plot had still evaded the expansions of Whitestown, Westfield, and neighboring communities. 

“Despite this perceived dormancy, it was abundantly apparent just how quickly nature had begun to reclaim the site. Dozens of species that had been held at bay for years had taken foothold to the former greens, sand traps, bridges, and cart paths. The former golf course infrastructure was fading into a mosaic of vegetation, both native and invasive.”

Logsdon paints an unkempt reclaiming of Indiana’s wildlands over a space once manipulated by human settlement. A second settlement was almost the case for the property, as noted by Jan Hornaday of the Zionsville Parks Foundation.

“From 1987 to 2017, the site was home to the Wolf Run Golf Club. After its closure, the owner attempted to rezone the property for development, but the effort failed.” After the Mayor and then-Deputy Mayor of Zionsville walked through the 215-acre site in the summer of 2020, they called on bird champions Jim and Nancy Carpenter, founder and co-owners of Wild Birds Unlimited, to devise protections for the land.

Championing Birds

“Large natural areas don’t come up for sale very often, especially in growing areas like Zionsville,” explains town Naturalist Rachel Felling. “We were especially excited about it given that it is along Eagle Creek, like many of our parks.” The natural area was to become a preserve for Zionsville Parks and Recreation- the largest in its history- due to the Carpenters’ $5.5 million purchase. It has since been purchased by the town.

Aside from Wild Birds Unlimited, Jim and Nancy’s portfolio includes names like Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and The Nature Conservancy, as well as projects such as the pollinator meadow at Newfields in Indianapolis.

As a legacy of the couple, the park is called Carpenter Nature Preserve, and like their retail empire, the development is keeping in mind birds, their habitats, and sustainable human enjoyment of it all. The Zionsville Parks Foundation, dedicated to gathering “friends and funds” for the town’s parks, raised $800,000 towards the preserve and stewards the Carpenter’s $500,000 Habitat Restoration Fund. Additionally, Hornaday mentions that support from the community has always been, and remains, positive. 

If You Plant It, They Will Come

Because of this support, habitat restoration and invasive removal initiated by the couple has been continued by the town’s Natural Resources team and volunteers recruited by the Foundation.  “Under the guidance of Zionsville Parks naturalists, volunteers have conducted two ‘Bioblitz’ events to establish baseline ecological data,” shares Hornaday. “Groups such as Indiana Master Naturalists, Indiana Master Gardeners, the Boone County Invasives Cooperative, and local FFA chapters have joined in restoration efforts, including Weed Wrangle events to remove invasive species.”

Logsdon reports the latest on restoration- “at this time we are working to restore plant communities based on the findings of the Ecological assessment of the site. Within this report, specific bird habitat types (grassland, shrubland, and woodland) are identified and desired.

“But as they say, if you build it (or plant it), they will come. We are beginning to formalize a partnership with Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever to further those conservation efforts with hopes of seeing those ambassadors return to the preserve.” In this assessment, grassland and shrubland birds- consistently sensitive to disruption- are managed for. Bobolink, Henslow’s Sparrow, Prairie Warbler, and Eastern Towhee are tipping point species targeted by restoration. Also targeted are the state endangered Ruffed Grouse and Sedge Wren, and state special concern species American Woodcock, Hooded Warbler, and Northern Bobwhite.

Over 60 species of birds were recorded in the parks’ Bioblitz of 2024, and dozens more have been reported by the Carpenters since acquiring the 30-some distinct ecosystems along Eagle Creek. Even Felling, a birder herself, has observed warblers, raptors, ducks, and woodpeckers. “We even spotted Blue Grosbeaks once, which was a really cool find.”

Space for Education

“Ever since this area was proposed as a park for Zionsville, our goal has been to use it as a space for people to enjoy and learn about our local ecosystems.”

In all of the conversion from wild spaces to commercial zones, Carpenter Nature Preserve is a unique story of the opposite effect, taking the momentum, and running with it. Felling and the Zionsville team want the public to find their own oasis in the space, sustainably of course. The over 200 acres appear to roll on forever, and any amenities within, such as bird blinds, canopies, and buildings, will be constructed with the latest innovations in bird-safe measures and sustainable design. Just as important to the campus are spaces for education. 

Felling, as the full-time Naturalist for Zionsville Parks, currently presents programs across the town and at the Zionsville Nature Center, housed inside of the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library, where she admits is “very limited on space.” Phase Two of the preserve aims to bring the Nature Center to its own building on the property. “At Carpenter, we will have more classroom spaces which will allow us to offer more programming for all ages from adults, to school groups, to summer camps.  We have also discussed someday opening a nature-based preschool at the new facility.”  She shares that programming will likely include various types of bird walks.

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Phase one of Carpenter Nature Preserve- trails, pavilions and other natural amenities- is slated for public visitation in spring of 2026. The nature center will be constructed at the site as part of a future phase. But for all components, Hornaday assures the Carpenter’s “bird-centered perspective has shaped [the] focus.” 

“For birders, it promises to be a destination where every season offers new sightings—and for families, it will be a place to connect with nature, learn, and be inspired.”