News & Blog

  1. Home
  2. Blog

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
  • 0 Comment(s)

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
  • 0 Comment(s)

ACRES completes headquarters improvements

Recent improvements to our headquarters have increased our capacity to do even more! Thanks to your generous support, ACRES is pleased to announce the completion of its headquarters expansion at the Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve! The project took two years to complete and includes a newly-constructed maintenance barn, improved lane access, new signs, ...

  • 08/29/2022
  • 0 Comment(s)

Welcome, Summer 2022 Interns!

ACRES welcomes three stewardship interns this season. Learn about what we have in store for them and scroll down to read their bios. As always, there is a lot on the summer to-do list, beginning with invasive species management on 200 acres along Cedar Creek. Over the next three years, these 200 acres will be ...

  • 06/10/2022
  • 0 Comment(s)

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 ...

  • 06/09/2022
  • 0 Comment(s)

One of Indiana’s Precious Few

By Chris Fairfield This article is part of a series highlighting preserves where ACRES will retire trails as part of our comprehensive plan to update visitor amenities at nature preserves. For a complete list of retiring trails and public access updates, visit acreslandtrust.org/raisingourstandards. Walking up the narrow entrance trail of Glennwood Nature Preserve, I anticipate something great and ...

  • 03/01/2022
  • 0 Comment(s)

Words Matter: What Stewardship Means to Us

A Letter from the Executive Director In 2021, ACRES Land Trust began referring to our work in the field as “stewardship” rather than “land management.” In this letter, ACRES Executive Director Jason Kissel explains the distinction and what stewardship means to us. Dear Members, On ACRES properties, staff, volunteers, partners and contractors accomplish a wide ...

  • 12/06/2021
  • 0 Comment(s)

Welcome, Ben Taylor!

A warm welcome to Ben Taylor, the newest member of the ACRES team! Taylor recently joined the staff as contract and project manager. This new position oversees a wide range of projects to ensure the business of protecting land gets done. “Creation of this new position allows the multiple staff members previously assigned to these ...

  • 10/08/2021
  • 0 Comment(s)

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 ...

  • 08/12/2021
  • 0 Comment(s)

ACRES Vision for Working Lands

That 594 acres of ACRES land will be farmed this year often surprises people. However, none of the farmland we currently own will be preserved as farmland in perpetuity: eventually, all the fields will be converted to natural systems. In the meantime, we cash-rent the farmland, a practice that generates income for land management activities. ...

  • 07/25/2021
  • 0 Comment(s)

All Categores