Q and A with Cindy Cifuentes, Outgoing Director of Natural Resources and Research
Q&A with Cindy Cifuentes
We couldn’t miss an opportunity to talk to our current Director of Natural Resources and Research, Cindy Cifuentes, before she leaves us for the Yale School of the Environment.
Read more about Cindy’s time here in our question & answer session with her below.
What is one of the coolest things you learned about the forest?
I am constantly in awe of this forest. We have trees over 300 years old that have survived timber harvest and constant pressure from urbanization. Wildlife are still finding ways to utilize this ecosystem despite the surrounding habitat fragmentation.
It is resisting invasive species in ways other forests cannot. On top of all that, it is fighting climate change for us. Providing oxygen to us, sequestering our carbon, filtering our water… the list goes on. This forest is unfathomably resilient and we need it more than it needs us.
The more I learn about the forest at Wesselman Woods, the more I realize how truly amazing and irreplaceable it is! I don’t know that I have given this forest as much as it has given me.
What is your favorite tree in WW?
Bur Oak Photo by Bill Seaman
I discovered a Bur Oak off East Trail last summer and realized it may be my favorite tree on the preserve. The best part about them are those crazy-looking giant acorns with a “fur coat.”
Favorite flower of WW?
There is a large patch of bloodroot on Boonville Trail in the springtime and I love walking the trail in the mornings and watching their petals open up in slow-motion with the sun.
Favorite animal in the forest?
I’m torn between coyotes and salamanders. I’ll never forget the day I came across a coyote on the trails and thought how beautifully fierce they are. Then again, have you seen those little salamander faces? Tough call.
Coolest Wildlife Watch photo?
There’s been a lot of really cool camera trap shots. Between all the deer selfies, mischievous raccoons, playful coyote pups, and intimidating turkey flocks, I was most excited to see a resident bobcat on the preserve.
Most-hated invasive species?
Multi-flora rose. 100%. If you know, you know.
Editor’s Note: If you don’t know, consider volunteering at one of our Weed Wrangles!
What is an unexpected skill you learned?
I did not expect to learn how to drive a Bobcat or use a chainsaw within the first couple months on the job.
Cindy inside the gates of Wesselman Woods after a flooding of one section of the property.
What is your proudest moment during your time here?
I’ve poured literal blood, lots of sweat, and many tears into restoring the prairie at Howell Wetlands. After the endless hours spent bush-hogging, cutting saplings, seeding, and treating for invasive species… I am so proud to see the work paying off.
Although it is still a work in progress, that prairie is now habitat for so many species of insects, birds, and reptiles.
I want to extend a big “thank you” to all the volunteers that donated their time to help make this project a reality!
Wednesday Work Crew volunteer, Lisa, seeds the future prairie at Howell Wetlands.
Who is the most impactful person/people you met in your time here?
This is going to sound so cliché, but every person I have collaborated with during my time here has truly made an impact on me. However, there is one person who has been my cheerleader since day 1.
Without a phenomenal boss, mentor, and friend, I would not be where I am today. Thank you, Zach, for pushing me to the limit and seeing what I could not see in myself.
It would also be amiss if I didn’t mention my partner-in-crime, George. He has taken such an interest in natural resource management and has been dedicated to protecting this forest with me. Thank you, George, for instinctively lending a hand and spending countless hours fighting for this forest. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Cindy, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Zach after a jaunt through the forest.
Cindy and George at the Wednesday Work Crew Potluck.
What opportunities do you see for the future of Wesselman Woods?
Staff, board members, and City officials on the site of the former Par 3 golf course. This property was gifted to Wesselman Woods in June 2023.
I am so excited for the future of Wesselman Woods. It’s so bittersweet because I won’t be around to see so many great things in the works, but I am most excited to see how the newly acquired land will become reforested. This is going to provide a great research platform for forest regeneration and urban ecology.
With such a unique landscape, I foresee Wesselman Woods being an urban management resource for other parks and preserves restoring land in the region. As the Evansville Parks 5-year plan comes to fruition alongside our reforestation project, Wesselman Woods and Wesselman Park is going to be a huge destination for conservation, research, education, and recreation. I can’t wait to see what that looks like.
What is your favorite memory during your time at Wesselman Woods?
Cindy stands next to one of the many windthrown trees after a major storm in August 2022.
I will never forget the time Joe Buck, a renowned dendrochronologist, visited Wesselman Woods to core 100 trees with us.
On our last day, we had two trees left to core; the champion sweet gum and serviceberry. On the way there, the tornado sirens started going off and the sky turned black in a matter of minutes. Joe, George, and I were hiding out in the nature center as we heard thunder and trees falling left and right.
When we emerged from the nature center, we were greeted by the biggest storm damage Wesselman Woods has ever seen. Thus, the August 1st storm of 2022 will forever remain in my brain.
