Welcome, Heather Barth: ACRES Land Trust’s New Executive Director

ACRES Land Trust is delighted to welcome Heather Barth as executive director. Heather began in the role Nov. 2, and the ACRES Board of Directors’ decision was unanimous. For many of you, she’s already a familiar face: for more than 13 years, Heather has been the person connecting members, donors and friends with the land they love.

“The board unanimously chose Heather because of her deep understanding of and genuine passion for our mission, our people and the communities we serve,” said Brittany Hall, president of the ACRES Board of Directors. “What made her the best choice for ACRES was her ability to pair her 13 years of experience as part of the ACRES team with her vision for where the organization can go next.”

From the treetops to executive director

Heather grew up in Auburn, and as a child she could often be found high in a tree with a book, even in winter. She never really outgrew that instinct. Today she lives in Fort Wayne with her husband, Damon, and she still heads for the woods whenever she can. One of her fondest memories is walking wooded trails with her daughter, Emma, as a toddler, listening to the leaves rustle and imagining what the trees had seen over the decades.

Her career began in customer service, which opened the door to philanthropy and fund development for Girl Scouts. At ACRES, she found the perfect pairing of her two passions: protecting natural areas and helping people support causes they care about. As advancement director, Heather oversaw donor relations, membership and grant writing, working one-on-one with supporters to match their goals with ACRES land protection work. She holds an MBA from Western Governors University.

Where ACRES is headed

As executive director, Heather is focused on the people and places that have always been at the heart of ACRES.

“ACRES is staying true to what it has always been: a community of people who care deeply about protecting land,” Heather said. “We’ll continue to build on our strong foundation, and we’ll be open to new ideas that help us protect more land, care for it well and welcome more people to ACRES.”

Together with our members, ACRES protects more than 8,700 acres of natural areas and working lands across northeast Indiana, southern Michigan and northwest Ohio, with trails at many preserves free and open to everyone.

A moment on the trail

Ask Heather why this work matters, and she’ll tell you about a winter evening at Heinzerling Family Five Points Nature Preserve in DeKalb County.

“Where the trail takes a steep downturn, I felt a silent whoosh overhead and stopped to look up. A great horned owl had just perched in the tree above me,” she said. “I stood there in awe, reminded that we are an integral part of the natural system. Moments like that are why protecting these places matters.”