Nature & Wildlife Archives | ACRES Land TrustACRES Land Trust

Herbarium provides a glimpse into the past

December 16, 2020 Featured, History, Nature & Wildlife, News, Uncategorized 1 Comment

ACRES protects more than land. We also work to protect the history of our land donors. Their stories and artifacts provide a glimpse into the past, an explanation of who they were and how they cared for and loved the land before ACRES. Join local journalist Kevin Kilbane as he uncovers the story of a ...

Virtual tour of ACRES first Michigan property

December 9, 2020 Blog, Featured, Nature & Wildlife, News, Uncategorized 2 Comments

ACRES newest trail system opened to the public Nov. 21. Enjoy a virtual tour of our first Michigan property. ACRES Land Trust acquired Kauffman Nature Sanctuary for permanent protection in 2019. Located in rolling Hillsdale County, the 78-acre preserve features approximately 1.15 miles of trails that wind through meadow, restored wetlands and forest. Sedges, willows ...

ACRES and Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo partner to track wildlife

December 2, 2020 Featured, Nature & Wildlife, News No Comments

Our friends at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo strive to make a difference for animals every day by participating in programs and initiatives to protect animals and their habitats. ACRES is excited to partner with the zoo to create and continue local conservation projects. Notice any weird wire towers while hiking at an ACRES preserve? ...

ACRES Research: Endangered Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake

September 24, 2020 Field Notes, Land Management, Nature & Wildlife No Comments

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 species. Buzzing cicadas, croaking frogs and ...

Protecting Habitats in Indiana: State Dedicated Preserves

August 31, 2020 Nature & Wildlife, News No Comments

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 ...

Fantastic Fireflies

June 30, 2020 Nature & Wildlife, Summer No Comments

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 ...

ACRES Archive Article: Indiana’s Lakes

May 21, 2020 Blog, History, Nature & Wildlife No Comments

ACRES was founded in 1960 and since then has been producing the Quarterly, a much-loved seasonal publication. This article by William R. Eberly was printed in ACRES 1962 Spring Quarterly. Enjoy this archived article as we reflect back on 60 years of protecting local land. “The lakes of northern Indiana are the brightest gems in ...

Take a (virtual) wildflower hike with us!

May 6, 2020 Blog, Nature & Wildlife, Spring 6 Comments

Spring has arrived, bringing beautiful woodland wildflowers with it. To celebrate the season, ACRES invites you to take a virtual hike with us! Retired professor and botanist Dr. Dave Hicks is joined by Jason Kissel on the trails of Kokiwanee. Hike along with them to learn more about the many species of spring flowers thriving ...

Fossils: Nature’s Clues

February 1, 2019 Blog, Field Notes, Nature & Wildlife No Comments

[Editor’s note: While it may be difficult to imagine today’s snow-covered Midwest was once a shallow sea, explorers of last Saturday’s Creek Stomp – Winter Edition at Hathaway Preserve at Ross Run had the opportunity to see firsthand what ancient wonders this place holds. If you missed the event or if you did indeed stomp ...

ACRES Land Trust’s picks for leaf peeping spots in northeast Indiana this fall

October 26, 2018 Autumn, Blog, Nature & Wildlife No Comments

Arrr, there be gold in them there hills, matey! If you’re looking for treasure this fall, look no farther than your local nature preserve. The trees are awash in golden and jewel colors. No shovel or pirate ship required. Each ACRES Land Trust preserve holds its own marvels, with unique flora and fauna, topography, and ...

In nature, some partnerships persist for millions of years

August 29, 2018 Blog, Nature & Wildlife No Comments

In the fall, helicopter sugar maple seeds brush your face as they spiral downward towards leaf-covered ground. “Sticktight” beggars cling to your clothes as you explore an ACRES preserve near you. These seeds are the result of a partnership that has remained intact without a legal contract for millions of years … a partnership between ...

2018 Bird Blitz Results

June 13, 2018 Blog, Nature & Wildlife No Comments

Ahoy, bird-lovers! Did ya bird blitz with ACRES last week? If you were perched in a preserve, binoculars fervently scanning the canopy, the brush, or waterside for a tail, a flutter, even a hint of feathered frenzy, you were not alone. Logo by Yonder Clothing Co. 76 volunteer backyard birders and life-long bird watchers pitched ...

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