Non-native invasive species: Successes in progress

Part of being responsible stewards of the land is ensuring native species have the resources to flourish. Sometimes, that means breaking out the tools and combatting non-native plants that invade the area, choking out native life. Director of Land Management Casey Jones and crew give us an update on two non-native invasive species projects going ...

Eating (non-native, invasive) greens: ACRES to purchase forestry mulcher

ACRES will soon purchase a forestry mulcher, pictured above, to “chew” or shred through dense patches of nonnative invasive shrubs and brush, instead of using hand tools to tackle these sometimes overwhelming jobs. How overwhelming? Watch this video to see a forestry mulcher in action, “eating” dense patches of overgrown Autumn Olive amid a tree planting on the Tom and Jane Dustin ...

22 Things ACRES Supporters Made Possible in 2022

Thanks to ACRES supporters — members, volunteers, land donors and many others — we were able to achieve so much in 2022! As this year comes to an end, we want to share 22 things our supporters made possible in 2022. 1. We protected and cared for over 7,400 acres of natural and working lands ...

Into the thick of it

By Reena Ramos, ACRES Outreach Manager Each step into the bog meant a full commitment for leg muscles. It was like walking through brownie batter. Pausing to look up could mean a face full of sphagnum moss for those who didn’t watch their footing. I scanned the landscape of dark water with its clumps of ...

Making a Difference in Your Own Backyard

By ACRES Stewardship Director Evan Hill Each year, the ACRES stewardship crew conducts invasive species management on more than 260 acres. Most of the year, the field crew consists of two to three experienced staff members. From May to August, during the summer intern season, the field crew doubles. Although we may be most productive ...

A Look Back at ACRES in 2021

Thanks to ACRES supporters, we were able to achieve so much in 2021! From building our capacity to protect more local land to offering fun and inspiring programs, you keep our mission moving forward. Thank you! Here are some highlights and accomplishments from the last year: A more accessible office We renovated the ACRES office ...

Students document life at one preserve

By Reena Ramos, ACRES Outreach Manager Although ACRES protects many preserves with notable features like waterfalls and other unique formations, every ACRES preserve holds hidden gems sometimes seen only through closer inspection. In 2019, a group of students from Purdue University Fort Wayne set out to conduct an ecological and floristic survey of Little Wabash ...

Thank you, summer interns!

As ACRES summer interns get ready to head back to school, we want to share our appreciation for these hard workers. From wrangling non-native, invasive species to researching the communities we serve, our summer interns greatly contributed to some major projects while gaining experience in their fields of study. Land management interns Connor Havens is ...

Celebrate Earth Day by restoring local land

“Restore Our Earth” is the theme of Earth Day 2021, and you have an opportunity to do just that here in your community! Together with our members, ACRES Land Trust protects more than 7,200 acres of natural and working land in northeast Indiana, northwest Ohio and southern Michigan. From planting trees to removing non-native, invasive ...

Our Team