Leatherman Family Natural Area

ACRES is always looking for opportunities to add to existing preserves since larger contiguous properties provide better support systems for plants and animals. The newly-protected Leatherman Family Natural Area does just that while securing the health of water resources within a local community.

Expanding the Richman Tipton Preserve at Little Lake

Just outside downtown Albion, Indiana, ACRES protects Little Lake, its shoreline and surrounding woodlands thanks to two families who donated the land in 2018. This donation created the 24-acre Richman Tipton Preserve at Little Lake.

So when the preserve’s neighbor, Keith Leatherman, reached out with interest in donating an additional 6.7 acres of connective wetland to the east that flows into Little Lake, it provided a wonderful opportunity to increase protection of local wetlands and actively support water health in the area.

Why the Leatherman Family Natural Area Matters to Neighbors

The generous donation of the Leatherman Family Natural Area is a reminder of the importance and impact of neighbors. Leatherman owning property directly adjacent to an ACRES preserve allowed him to watch the work we do over the course of years, which gave him confidence that this was the best choice for ensuring his wetlands are preserved in perpetuity. This protection guarantees that neighboring residents will continue to benefit from the important role this ecosystem plays in the community.

How Protected Wetlands Benefit Local Communities

These benefits come into play in several important ways in more urbanized environments. By protecting wetlands adjacent to these communities, we are better able to conserve natural hydrology, which helps mitigate seasonal flooding and erosion, provide replenishment of groundwater and ensure that conversations about necessary work include opportunities to soften its impacts on surrounding natural resources.

Leatherman Family Natural Area provides additional support for the plants and animals that already call Little Lake home, allowing a point of retreat amid suburban pressures. Less than a mile away is Lloyd W. Bender Memorial Forest.

The Leatherman Family Natural Area is closed to the public to protect this sensitive habitat.