Amos W. Butler Birding Trail

Connecting History, Nature, and Community

 Told by Mick Wilz

In 1998, I traveled to the Indiana Statehouse to meet with leaders from the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation under the Department of Natural Resources. This division at that time was overseen by John Davis. At that meeting, we discussed creating a trail for hiking and biking along the historic Whitewater Canal, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The vision was for the trail to run from Brookville to Metamora and eventually extend to the Laurel Feeder Dam.

By 2004, this vision took form with the creation of Whitewater Canal Trail, Inc. Twenty years later, the organization has completed 11 miles of trail. During those two decades, I served on the board—several terms as president—while working to build strong relationships with adjoining landowners. Many of these landowners had concerns about a trail passing near their property, and I worked to address their questions and needs.

In some cases, landowners expressed interest in selling their property—much of it in the floodplain of the West Fork of the Whitewater River. Over time, the Wilz family purchased nearly 600 acres adjoining the trail and river, with about four miles of total frontage. This makes our family the largest landowner with property directly connected to the trail.

In 2024, I stepped off the Whitewater Canal Trail board to focus on how best to use this land for conservation, recreation, and education. Currently, two major projects are underway:

1. Boundary Hill Pass – A Third Place for Wildlife

David Russell, of the Avian Research and Education Institute and a Miami University faculty member for over 25 years, is leading a study of this 35-acre historic site. He teaches courses in Biology, Ornithology, and Entomology. The project focuses on habitat restoration, avian research, and community engagement.

2. Trail Extension Through Boundary Hill Pass

Plans are in motion to extend the Whitewater Canal Trail by an additional 1.5 miles, bringing it closer than ever to Brookville. This section will pass through the historic cut at Boundary Hill Pass and will be built primarily on privately owned Wilz family land.

This new section of the Whitewater Canal Trail will be named the Amos W. Butler Birding Trail, honoring one of Brookville’s most notable citizens. Amos W. Butler (1860–1937) was the grandson of Amos Butler Sr., a founding father of Brookville in the early 1800s. In 1890, Butler published his landmark book, The Birds of Indiana, much of which was based on studies conducted in and around Brookville and Franklin County. Today, his legacy lives on through the Amos Butler Audubon Society of Indiana.

The Amos W. Butler Birding Trail will connect visitors not only to stunning natural habitats and birdwatching opportunities but also to a deep history of conservation and community pride rooted right here in Brookville.

Note: This is a shovel-ready project. HWC Engineering has completed the design drawings, and Phase One archaeological study has been conducted by Ball State University on a significant portion of the proposed trail.

Shovel-ready is a phrase used to describe a construction project that is considered to be at an advanced enough stage of development for building to begin soon.