Summer

Photos of James M. & Patricia D. Barrett Nature Preserve in the Cedar Creek Corridor by Jarrid Spicer Dear Friends, We Midwesterners have a reputation of being hard workers. I think this is partly because we mimic the land we live on. We follow the lead of the plants and animals around us. Your preserve …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Do you, or does someone you know walk the trails for general wellness benefits? In agreement with ACRES Land Trust, The Wilderness Element, a newly-forming nonprofit, held a clinical counseling summer camp for teens on The Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve in June. The group shared the trails as part of a two-week preparation …

In 2016, ACRES Land Trust launched quarterly staff development days in honor of seasonal changes. The ACRES Office is closed for the spring and fall equinoxes as well as for summer and winter solstices. ACRES staff use these days to explore places, build the team and discover natural wonders. Here’s the view from our 2018 …

Scott Namestnik’s eagerness to explore Quog Lake last summer was quickly replaced with trepidation. “It has to be the most challenging site on which I’ve ever conducted a survey,” he said of the ACRES Land Trust property in LaGrange County. Scott Namestnik supports ACRES’ plant species inventories. He’s leading an in-the-field Plant Workshop July 12–13. …

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 …

Fund Development Director Heather Barth cuts the silvery branches of Autumn Olive on a staff workday. Don’t let her fool you, this is tough work.  Are you looking for a rewarding service project on the land? ACRES is putting out a new call for help. Last year, volunteers started the process of completely removing Autumn …

Deer and hikers are foraging deep into ACRES Land Trust woodlands across the area to gather … tropical fruit. Yup, the paw paws are ripe and dropping sweetly. Ripe paw paws are yummy, mushy fruit with a banana-pineapple-mango taste (if you can get to them before the raccoons!). They hang and fall from skinny trees …

Article and photos by Fred Wooley, ACRES member, former Wing Haven caretaker and retired DNR Pokagon State Park naturalist Every growing season, changes take place in the wildflower world. Although we may not always consciously think about these changes, we may be noting them in our subconscious. They are as subtle as the changes in daylight when spring …