Newfields is honored to be the 2024 recipient of The Exceptional Commitment to Watershed Protection Award for our work in The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. The White River Alliance distributes the annual award to honor the work of an individual or organization who has demonstrated a strong commitment to water resources and/or watershed protection.  

Image caption: Newfields, Friends of the White River, and Frank’s Livery put the parking lot to good use before a river clean up event on Saturday, May 11, 2024.  

Newfields received the award for a new 82-spot parking lot in The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park which drains into a large bioretention rain garden at the center.  

“Parking lots aren’t always looked at as models of watershed protection or resource conservation,” noted Jonathan Wright, Ruth Lilly Director of Natural Resources and Fairbanks Park at Newfields, “However, Newfields is committed to responsibly upgrading our physical spaces to meet the needs of our guests in an environmentally conscientious way, even down to our parking lots. This project allows us to host more guests than ever before and will support revitalized efforts in outdoor education, programming, and art installations like the recently opened Home Again.” 

Image caption: Lisa Milton pictured with Victoria Veach, President of The White River Alliance Executive Board of Directors, accepting the award on August 24, 2024. 

“Newfields has a passion and responsibility to be a role model for sustainable development in Indianapolis,” said Lisa Milton, Director of Natural Resources at Newfields, “It is critical to the health and longevity of our city that we consider the impact of our actions on the natural environment in the planning and development of each construction project. Sustainable options often have a higher upfront cost, but they will save us in the long run, and the conservation of our water resources must be a priority for everyone. We are proud to work with The White River Alliance on this effort and are grateful for this award.” 

We are proud to accept this award and look forward to continuing our commitment to protecting our water resources. To learn more about Newfields conservation and sustainability efforts, visit discovernewfields.org.  

The project was designed by HWC Engineering and constructed by Powers & Sons Construction Co. Special thanks to the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and the Indianapolis Garden Club for their stewardship in this project. 

Image Credit: 

Jeppe Hein (Danish, b. 1974), Bench Around the Lake (detail), 2010, galvanized steel, yellow paint, various dimensions. The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields, Commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Jane Weldon Myers Acquisition Fund, Waller Fine Art Purchase Fund, Roger G. Wolcott Fund, Mrs. Pierre F. Goodrich Endowed Art Fund, Alice and Kirk McKinney Fund, 2014.103A-O © Jeppe Hein, Courtesy of Johann König, Berlin, and 303 Gallery, New York.