For 32 years, volunteers managed ACRES Land Trust.

Today, this spirit of community service is alive and well here at ACRES. With only seven staff members supporting our work in 32 counties full time, we rely on volunteer support to serve our community.

Volunteers are essential to ACRES’ work managing land, sharing the trails and connecting with folks who choose to be a part of this living legacy.

Drop-in volunteering

Ongoing Autumn Olive project at Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve | Can you help completely remove Autumn Olive from the Tom and Jane Dustin Nature Preserve? It’s a bold goal, but with many hands, we can beat this plant, helping natives and new trees grow. With a little training, you can set your own hours, making use of the office facilities for breaks as you need. Your support will help reforest this place, leaving a legacy for years to come. Learn more about this project here.

 

Joining the volunteer team

If you’d like to commit to serving ACRES as a regular volunteer, this option is for you. You can become a part of the volunteer team by requesting more information and an application from Heather Barth at [email protected] or by calling 260-637-2273, extension 5.

ACRES Volunteer Application

Your application will help you find your fit with ACRES. You can choose from the following ongoing volunteer opportunities:

Preserve monitoring | Regularly walk a preserve, picking up trash, clearing light debris from the trails and letting staff know of hazardous conditions.

Share the Trails hike leader | Love the trails? Enjoy giving good customer-service? Be a part of our Share the Trails team, guiding casual hikes through preserves. You will participate in training and receive support as part of this program for preserve enthusiasts.

Event and program support | You can lend your customer-service skills to programs and events from the October Barn Series to our Annual Member Meeting.

Leaflet distribution and support | Join our quarterly party! On a seasonal basis, you can gather with a group of volunteers to place membership envelopes in our leaflet. You can also inquire about distributing the leaflet to shops and libraries in your area.

Preserve stewardship | You can actively participate in trail maintenance on your favorite preserve.

Native landscaping | You can help with the native plant beds at the ACRES Office.

Regular opportunities by email | With you application, you can also choose to receive periodic emails as one-time volunteer opportunities become available.

Thank you for your interest in investing your time, skills and energy in protecting land!