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Land Acquisition Gains Momentum

We’re excited to report that 2023 will be a record-breaking year for land protection! Recent and upcoming land acquisitions total 752 acres, meaning the amount of land ACRES owns and protects is about to increase by 10 percent. These acquisitions include eight properties that are valued at $7 million. Thanks to the full donation and ...

  • 03/09/2023
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Research Update: How One Wildflower Responds to Environmental Change

In 2021, we shared the story of Emma Boehm, a doctoral student at Indiana University, who was beginning research on blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna). She wanted to learn how populations of the wildflower respond to environmental changes. Her research included studying a phenomenon called “phenotypic plasticity,” an ability to quickly change traits without changing the ...

  • 02/28/2023
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Planting and Nurturing Future Forests

By Ben Taylor, ACRES Project Manager Our restoration efforts are my favorite projects to coordinate at ACRES, particularly tree plantings. Since the turn of the century, ACRES has planted roughly 300,000 trees on 600 acres of land! LAYING THE GROUNDWORK Much effort goes into planning and preparing before planting. We typically plant trees in areas ...

  • 02/23/2023
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Mimicking Succession

By Reena Ramos, ACRES Outreach Manager ACRES protects more than natural areas. Working lands, such as agriculture fields in production, are also protected. ACRES currently protects about 500 acres of farmland, and some of this land will be restored to forest or wetland. This year, the ACRES Land Management team will use a different strategy ...

  • 11/04/2020
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ACRES Research: Endangered Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake

By Reena Ramos, ACRES Outreach Manager ACRES lets nature take its course on the preserves, with the exception of eradicating invasive species. Normally, an endangered or threatened species found on an ACRES property is recorded but not actively managed. This year ACRES is working to develop a management plan based solely around one specific, scaly ...

  • 09/24/2020
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A Growing Community of People Who Care About Land

Membership has been a cornerstone of ACRES since we organized as an official nonprofit in 1960. It took five years to top 200 members; we hit 1,000 in 2004, and today, our membership has grown to nearly 1,800 individuals, families and businesses. We remain grateful to each and every one. Our 12 founders kicked things ...

  • 09/08/2020
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Protecting Habitats in Indiana: State Dedicated Preserves

Indiana’s system of dedicated Nature Preserves was created when an ACRES founder, Jim Barrett III, wrote the 1967 Indiana Nature Preserves Act, providing permanent protection for significant natural areas across the state, including ACRES properties. The Act states: As part of the continuing growth of population and the development of the economy of Indiana, it ...

  • 08/31/2020
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Fantastic Fireflies

Fluttering white-fire insects! Wavering small-fire beasts! Wave little stars about my bed! Weave little stars into my sleep! — Ojibway chant Sunlight fades, midsummer stars appear. The air fills with small insects, soft-winged beetles, creatures of grace harming no one, bringing delight and joy to children, to adults. Many of us have childhood memories of ...

  • 06/30/2020
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Summer Solstice 2020: Staff Outing

For staff development, relationship building … and fun! …  the ACRES staff enjoys seasonal outings for each equinox or solstice. We aim to stay close to the land and the communities we serve, so we take these days out, closing the office and hitting the road. We meet regional partners, businesses, educators, farmers, or other ...

  • 06/22/2020
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Kauffman Nature Sanctuary: ACRES First Michigan Property

ACRES Land Trust recently acquired 78 acres of rolling Hillsdale County land for permanent protection. Kauffman Nature Sanctuary is ACRES first Michigan property, bringing ACRES permanently protected land in the tri-state area to a total of 7,230 acres. ACRES will open trails on the preserve this fall. by Janet Kauffman Decades ago, when my family ...

  • 06/16/2020
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