Volunteering Archives | ACRES Land TrustACRES Land Trust

Meet ACRES new board president

January 15, 2021 News, Uncategorized, Volunteering No Comments

ACRES Land Trust’s new board president brings a wealth of experience and a track record in service to her new role. Members of ACRES board of directors have elected Dawn Ritchie to serve as board president in 2021. Dawn joined ACRES in 1995 and has served on the board for five years. She is Greenways ...

Mimicking Succession

November 4, 2020 Field Notes, Land Management, Volunteering No Comments

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 to restore forest. A farm field ...

Oak Farm & Detering Partnership: Learning Land Protection through Meaningful Work

June 2, 2020 Field Notes, Land Management, Volunteering, Your Stories 3 Comments

In a nonprofit partnership, students and staff at Oak Farm Montessori School, near Avilla, Indiana, have partnered with ACRES for the last few years. Our first collaboration, students growing seedlings for ACRES in the school’s greenhouse, quickly blossomed into more, led by Brett Bloom. by Brett Bloom I am the Ecoliteracy Coordinator at Oak Farm ...

Flowers Creek Tire Clean Up: Complete!*

January 9, 2020 Blog, Land Management, Volunteering No Comments

We did it! Last weekend ACRES held our final tire cleanup at the Walter H. and E. Marie Myers Nature Preserve on Flowers Creek. In total, with five years with volunteer, staff and intern effort, our teams have heaved 1,751 tires from this Miami County preserve. Caption, left: In 2020, warmer temperatures made for a ...

Fighting for the Forest: Volunteers battle autumn olive on the Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve

October 24, 2019 Blog, Field Notes, Land Management, Volunteering No Comments

Did you know that autumn olive was once planted by many conservationists, including Tom and Jane, to provide wildlife habitat? Today, this invasive shrub is a prime target for removal on ACRES preserves and on managed land across the U.S. Why? Because its beautiful brush (with sweetsmelling spring blooms, signature silver-backed leaves and red berries) ...

Member Volunteer Profile: Sue Diefenbach

April 9, 2019 Blog, Volunteering, Your Stories 1 Comment

“I feel like I’ve made a difference, and it’s been fun,” said Sue Diefenbach, reflecting on serving as ACRES’ recording secretary for the past 12 years. Prior to retiring from her volunteer position at the end of 2018, Sue attended 71 board meetings, taking minutes and producing a near transcript of all conversations. New board ...

Trine conservation students to help ACRES manage Beechwood, engage in land ethic

February 20, 2019 Blog, Field Notes, Land Management, Volunteering No Comments

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 ...

Building a Bridge: Eagle Scout Graham Seiler supports Bicentennial Woods, connects community

October 17, 2018 Land Management, Volunteering, Your Stories No Comments

Graham Seiler took the path less traveled. Given options for volunteer work toward earning Eagle Scout status, Seiler chose to replace a slippery, weathered bridge at Bicentennial Woods near Huntertown, Indiana. Wanting something that would last—that his grandchildren might see—Graham, now a senior at Eastside Junior-Senior High School in Butler, chose steel rather than simply ...

Welcome Natasha Manor, ACRES Office and Volunteer Manager

August 2, 2018 Blog, Volunteering, Your Stories 3 Comments

“My appreciation and passion for natural places did not take hold until adulthood. I was not an outdoorsy child or adolescent! I think my love of nature began with plants, indoors. My mother has always been a collector and committed caretaker of houseplants. She shared that hobby with my sister and me and to this ...

Autumn Olive Project Update | A bold goal and call for help

May 23, 2018 Land Management, Volunteering 2 Comments

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 Olive from the Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve. It was a bold goal, and the work continues. With many hands, we can beat this ...

ACRES Welcomes New Board Members

March 7, 2018 Blog, Volunteering No Comments

ACRES Land Trust’s newest board members will govern the organization as it enters a new strategic plan: Janel Rogers of Columbia City, Bob Hake of Fort Wayne and Marc Levy, also of Fort Wayne. Not Pictured: Stan Moore of North Manchester. Non-profit organizations cannot function without dedicated, engaged board members. Giving back through board service is ...

To See is the Thing | Photographing ACRES

December 13, 2017 Arts & Humanities, Volunteering, Your Stories No Comments

If you’ve been a member over the past year or so, you’ve seen amateur nature photographer Thomas Sprunger’s preserve photos on your new preserve announcement postcards and in your Quarterly. You see his work on ACRES’ website, and in our media releases. Thomas visits the preserves often, on his own; he also volunteers “on call” ...

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