September/October 2024
In May 2021, Zionsville Monthly featured Zionsville residents and Carpenter Nature Preserve namesakes Jim and Nancy Carpenter on the cover.
With a commitment to preserving the land for future generations, the Carpenters purchased the former Wolf Run Golf Course property in 2021. As interim owners, they meticulously cared for the land, maintaining old golf cart trails, installing bluebird boxes and experimenting with pollinator gardens. During this period, the Carpenters collaborated with the parks and recreation department, landscape architects and ecological consultants to develop the Carpenter Nature Preserve Master Plan. They also sought valuable community input.
The master plan envisions the preserve as a public sanctuary, enhancing wetlands, woodlands and prairies while incorporating boardwalks, a nature-inspired playground and overlooks of Eagle Creek. It also designates Carpenter Nature Preserve as the future home of the Zionsville Nature Center.
We sat down with Nancy Carpenter and Zionsville Parks Foundation Administrative Coordinator Jan Hornaday to learn more about the current status of the preserve and the foundation’s current and upcoming fundraisers.
Zionsville Parks Foundation
In November 2021, the Carpenters announced the formation of a nonprofit, Zionsville Parks Foundation, which champions the preservation of and access to parks and green spaces in Zionsville.
The foundation has been collaborating with parks and rec on several purpose-driven initiatives for the nature preserve in preparation for its grand opening in 2026.
“We have helped with many projects that are in the pipeline,” Carpenter shared. “We have been very fortunate to have received great community support, and once people come into the park [in 2026], the enthusiasm will only grow.”
Hornaday added, “It’s exciting because the parks department has released the conceptual drawings [detailing the first phase] of the 215-acre nature preserve, so now there’s a vision to see, and we’ve displayed these graphics at the farmers market and Fall Festival. We also sent out a newsletter that highlighted some of those as well. We are having conversations with folks about naming rights opportunities and funding different things [at the preserve]. We are really proud of the success that we’ve already had.”
Carpenter and Hornaday shared that the foundation is fundraising for a nature playground featuring boulders, water and sand elements at the nature preserve. The foundation is committed to raising $75,000 for this playscape that will engage kids and families in the future.
“We want to restore the grasslands and forests, and there are opportunities for naming rights in certain areas,” Carpenter stated. “We have a prairie pavilion, which will be a focal point where the nature playground will be located, and we’re hoping to find a donor that will be excited about funding this at the nature preserve.”
The Zionsville Parks Foundation is offering the opportunity to honor loved ones with memorial benches at Carpenter Nature Preserve. These benches not only provide a peaceful spot for visitors to rest and enjoy nature but also serve as a lasting tribute, featuring a personalized memorial plaque in remembrance of your loved one.
There are limited opportunities for memorial benches at Carpenter Nature Preserve, which are available for $2,000 a bench. Please contact info@zparksfoundation.org or 317-769-1025 for more information about memorial bench donations.
Save the Date!
The Zionsville Parks Foundation will host its first fundraising event, Parks & Pastries, on October 25 at 8 a.m. at Zionsville Town Hall. The foundation is thrilled to present Martha Hoover, Founder and President of the Board of the Patachou Foundation, as the keynote speaker.
“This event is our first major fundraiser,” Carpenter said. “It is a breakfast event, and we will be sharing what our foundation is doing. There are opportunities to buy tables, and there are sponsorship opportunities. It will be a lot of fun and a wonderful opportunity for the community to learn more about what the foundation is doing.”
For more information, to sign up for the newsletter, or to purchase your seats/tables for Parks & Pastries, visit zparksfoundation.org. Be sure to follow Zionsville Parks Foundation on Facebook @Zionsville Parks Foundation and on Instagram @zparksfoundation.
