The Zionsville Parks Foundation was proud to take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Carpenter Nature Preserve! On May 21, the Foundation and our supporters joined the Town of Zionsville, the Zionsville Parks Board, the Zionsville Department of Parks and Recreation, and other stakeholders to celebrate this milestone for the nature preserve, which will open to the public in mid-June. 

What began with a visit by Nancy and Jim Carpenter with former Zionsville Mayor Emily Styron in the summer of 2020 has culminated in a conservation legacy for future generations. The 215-acre property along Eagle Creek at the southwest intersection of US 421 and State Road 32 was formerly the Wolf Run Golf Course. When the course closed in 2017, nature began to reclaim the fairways, the greens and the cart paths. After redevelopment plans were unsuccessful, the Carpenters stepped in to purchase the property. From their first visit, they recognized its potential – how the green space, diverse habitats and native wildlife could become a nature sanctuary for Zionsville and its citizens for years to come.

A multi-year collaboration followed as the Carpenters, the Zionsville Parks Board, and the Zionsville Parks and Recreation Department studied feasibility and secured broad private and public support. The project received a $3 million grant from Indiana’s Next Level Conservation Trust and a $500,000 grant from its Land and Water Conservation Fund. In October of 2023, the Carpenters sold the property to the Town of Zionsville for $1.5 million below market value. Since Nancy founded the Zionsville Parks Foundation in 2020, we have connected over $800,000 in private philanthropy to the Preserve. 

Under the direction of Park Superintendent Jarod Logsdon, Mattcon General Contractors, Inc. led the construction and conservation work, adding roads, trails, native trees and plantings, and essential infrastructure. Thanks to generous Foundation donors and corporate partners, the Preserve now features amenities for visitors of all ages, including  a pavillon, an amphitheater, a naturescape playground, an outdoor classroom and a wildlife blind. Special thanks to named donors David and Rose Means, Duke Energy Foundation and Eli Lilly & Company.

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Future plans for the Carpenter Nature Preserve include a nature education center, a tree canopy walk and treehouse experiences, wetland overlook and boardwalk features, additional outdoor classrooms and playgrounds, expanded trails and added acreage of habitat restoration. The Zionsville Parks Foundation will continue partnering with the Zionsville Parks Department to seek funding for future capital projects.

To commemorate the event, local artisan Yale Martin created a limited edition set of decorative acorns made from felled oak and hickory trees from the Preserve which were shared with the team behind the project, corporate sponsors, and significant Foundation donors.