Land Management

Photo by Cathie Rowand “What did the fish say when he was swimming upstream and hit concrete?” “Dam!” ACRES Land Trust intern Carman Draves. left, helped Jerry Sweeten, right sample aquatic life in Cedar Creek as part of the land trust’s low-head removal process. Dr. Jerry Sweeten, ACRES board member, retired Manchester University biology professor …

To keep pace with our growing acreage, ACRES has invested more time and resources in managing, restoring and enhancing land. In late winter and early spring, we put our new forestry mulcher to work shredding acres of non-native invasive autumn olive. The forestry mulcher, a barrel-like roller attachment for a skid steer, crunches up the …

ACRES sends “preserve postcard” announcements to members to thank them for support in acquiring new land for permanent protection. Each time ACRES acquires a new property, we send “preserve postcards” to our members. Like birth announcements, the postcards welcome new land to our trust and thank our members for making this work possible. It’s a …

Many thanks to the Olive B. Cole Foundation and the Lilly Endowment internship support through Manchester University for supporting the ACRES summer land management program. ACRES staff look forward to this annual influx of energy and support. We get much more accomplished with the boost to the workforce and we gain the satisfaction of supporting …

HUNTERTOWN, Ind., May 15, 2019 – This spring, ACRES Land Trust reforested 106 acres of marginal farmland, planting 55,000 native hardwood saplings on three of its regional nature preserves, setting a new pace in the nonprofit’s land management. Since 2016, the nonprofit has reforested 165 acres, planting nearly 100,000 trees on six preserves during a …

ACRES Land Trust is seeking applications for summer land management interns, matching students with expert mentors in protecting, acquiring and managing working and natural lands. The program, in its ninth year, helps ACRES care for our growing number of permanently protected places. ACRES is seeking grant funding for the internship program. “Going to Grass Lake with …

ACRES Land Trust’s land management efforts are growing. With your support, new heavy equipment is at work in the preserves – pulverizing non-native invasive plants and boosting our restoration and enhancement work. An end-of-year match provided by The Cairn Foundation boosted fundraising efforts to pay off equipment costs and purchase a new, stronger truck to …

This semester, Trine University students enrolled in a Conservation course will help ACRES Land Trust as part of a land management immersion, focused on caring for the Beechwood, Foster and Majneri Nature Preserves, adjacent to Pokagon State Park. Students will work at the preserve 8-10 weeks, battling non-native invasive species, learning land management strategies and …

Land Management has been on the move this year, doing important work on several ACRES preserves. Here are some notes from the field regarding their progress at Walter H. and E. Marie Myers Nature Preserve, Pehkokia Woods and James P. Covell Nature Preserve. Many thanks to member and donor support for making these projects possible, …

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 …

We had a busy and delightful summer chocked full of community events, news, and happenings. Thank you for joining us. Let’s have more fun over the rest of 2018! In the meantime, here is a look back at some of the good times we had during the past warmer months. Members-Only Video Release Party In …