Meet Brien Holsapple, Ranger of the New DePauw Nature Park

December 2, 2003

December 2, 2003, Greencastle, Ind. - "When I heard about DePauw acquiring the property, I was really enthused about it. I love the outdoors, and the Nature Park is truly special," says Brien Holsapple, who has been hired as the ranger of the DePauw University Nature Park. Holsapple, a lifelong resident of Putnam County, brings a strong resume to his new position, including service to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Putnam County Sheriff's Department, Cloverdale Police Department, and most recently, the Putnam County Health Department. He will oversee the nearly 480-acre property a third of a mile west of campus which feature as many as four trails for walking, jogging, hiking and biking; arboretums; a canoe launch; and outdoor classrooms.

Hanson Aggregates mined a limestone quarry on the Nature Park site. With the quarry dormant for decades, Hanson agreed to donate 280 acres of the land and lease the remaining 178 acres to the University for $1 annually for ninety-nine years. DePauw acquired 23 acres of adjacent property to increase the total to 481 acres. Crews are developing the trails and preparing the site for its new use. The Park is expected to be officially open by spring.

Holsapple says his initial goals include working to establish property lines so that hunters are aware where the Nature Park's borders begin and end. The Park is off limits to hunters, but there has been evidence that some have ventured on to the property. [DOWNLOAD AUDIO: "Governing the Park" 224KB] "Most hunters are responsible and I don't think it's a malicious 'Hey, let's go over here and do some hunting' type of situation. Property lines can get lost and we need to establish those property lines and then go from there."

The new ranger says visitors to the Nature Park are in for a rare treat. [DOWNLOAD AUDIO: "The Site" 643KB] "The property is so old, even with a lot of the past quarrying... a lot of the rocks have weathered, they're mossy, there's vegetation growing up in [the land] that's hiding a lot of it. Basically, when I walked on that property the first thing that caught my eye was, it looks like a different state... there's rough terrain, something you would see in some of your western states. It's just a really neat piece of property with a whole lot of potential," Holsapple adds.

Maintaining the natural beauty of the site and preserving the habitat of the many species who call the Nature Park home are responsibilities that Holsapple looks forward to sharing in. [DOWNLOAD AUDIO: "Natural Resources" 170KB] "I think our wildlife resources are a very important part of the balance of everyday life. You know, we need them and they need us."

At the September 10 ceremony announcing the DePauw Nature Park, President Robert G. Bottoms said the Park [DOWNLOAD AUDIO: "Free to Dream" 121KB] "ought to appeal to our students and should be a great assistance to the town as well." Noting that negotiations to acquire the property took several years, Dr. Bottoms called on all members of the DePauw community to give thought to potential uses for the site. "Now that the gift is complete, we're free to dream," he said, adding, "This only adds to the uniqueness of what DePauw offers.”