The Mackel Family Nature Preserve

One thing we see over and over again with new land donors is the connections they have with other conservationists. For Jerry Mackel, his approach to land protection was deeply influenced by his neighbors and his father, Fred. “I kind of patterned what I did on what they did,” he explains.

Growing up next to the Barrett family, who donated the James M. & Patricia D. Barrett Oak Hill Nature Preserve, and watching his father donate the original Mackel Nature Preserve, led him to follow in their footsteps.

This isn’t the first time Jerry has protected land with ACRES. In the late 1990s, Jerry protected the Little Cedar Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, dedicating it to his late wife, Molly, and late son, William. Over 20 years later, Jerry has decided that the rest of the property will now be protected forever.

When asked why now, Jerry’s answer was simple: “The fact is that I enjoy seeing that happen while I’m still living, and it’s nice.”

A Critical Link in the Cedar Creek Corridor

The 28-acre Mackel Family Nature Preserve adds significant connectivity to forever-protected natural areas within the Cedar Creek corridor. Most of the preserve consists of wooded floodplain along Little Cedar Creek, with the remainder comprising early-successional upland and a higher-quality oak-hickory ridge.

“I grew up wandering through the property in the wetlands and the fields and the creek, and got really attached to the way of nature,” Jerry recalls.

The Mackel Family Nature Preserve stands as a testament to what happens when love of land meets commitment to forever. While closed to public access to protect its sensitive habitats, the preserve ensures that the wetlands, floodplains and oak-hickory ridges Jerry cherished will continue to thrive for generations to come.