I support your plan and, as a member & volunteer, have explained the rationale for the preserve closures to many friends. The upside to your plan is preserve improvements - I visited Acres Along the Wabash and appreciate the expanded parking and trail clean-up - in the past, I’ve encountered several impassable, overgrown stretches, but not today! Is there a way for volunteers help with improving navigation in the open preserves? So many have spotty trail markers; could a group help with posting markers or blazing?

Hi, Debbie! Thanks for your comment and support as a member and volunteer. Our goal is for everyone to have the same positive experience you did at Acres Along the Wabash at every open preserve. We have recently sent volunteers out to nine preserves to help update our trail maps. As for trail marking/making the actual trail more obvious, there are definitely some volunteer opportunities. Please reach out to our volunteer coordinator Reena Ramos at [email protected] to learn how you can help. Thanks again for reaching out!

What can we do to keep DETERING NATURE PRESERVE open? It is being used by many people.

You were so kind to allow us to visit Detering Preserve when we visited from Texas. The Deterings were my paternal great aunt and uncle who bequeathed it to Esther who in turn left it to Acres. We were so excited to see it preserved, and my dad was able to show me the old site of the house and even the left over bits of the water pump where he had to fetch the water during the hot summers. It is quite sad to see this gem will no longer be accesible to the public, but we do understand the expenses of land management, especially invasives mitigation. If you would like to contact me, I'd be interested in knowing what the land management needs would be as we would be sad to see it go fallow.

Jessica, many thanks for sharing your family’s connection to the land and offering to help with land management needs. Retiring trails at this well-loved preserve and others was a difficult decision to make, but maintaining visitor amenities (signs, parking lots, trails, etc.) at 50+ preserves diverts resources from ACRES’ primary mission – protecting land. Retiring trails will allow us to dedicate more resources to non-native invasive species mitigation at Detering and across our service area. I can assure you that this preserve will not be left to go fallow; it will continue to be protected and managed after the trails are retired. Additionally, occasional public events will be held there like volunteer workdays. I realize this doesn’t adequately replace the preserve’s current access, but there will still be opportunities for the community to enjoy the property. If you would still like help or have any other questions, please give us a call at 260-637-2273 or email us at [email protected]. Thank you! -Bridgett Hernandez, ACRES Communication Manager

Thanks for reaching out, Patricia. It’s clear you have a special connection to this property, and we appreciate your question. ACRES is proud to offer trails at many member-supported preserves for free public use, but our first priority is protecting land and Detering has significant restoration needs, including invasive species removal. Additionally, similar hiking opportunities exist on nearby properties. Lonidaw offers a great trail system and is just a two-minute drive away. Detering will continue to be protected and managed after the trails are closed. In fact, those tasks will be better performed without daily public access. Thanks again for your interest and for caring enough to reach out with your question. —Bridgett Hernandez, communications manager for ACRES Land Trust

Thank you for letting us know the latest on Acres' happenings. I appreciate the newsletter and the updates therein very much. Thank you for the dedication that you all put in and thank you for offering such a lovely and practical opportunity to be a part of Acres, through memberships and donations, as well as volunteerism. I hope that people will put their time and energy towards going out and enjoying these preserves, because that is key. There is still a LOT of time to go and walk and take pictures! Why not tell your friends, family, coworkers, and community about your local treasure, name Acres Land Trust? It is no doubt difficult to let go of things dear to us and others, such as visiting lovely nature areas. They truly are very special places dear to our hearts. Regarding the trails that are closing, knowing that plants and animals, from microbes all the way up to giant trees, will forever be free to live and never be touched by the encroachment of man does my heart a great deal of good. The mission is tremendously important! -- entrusted into a Trust hits a home run with each and every added Acre! ❤️

Thank you for your words of support! People like you, people who value land, make this work possible. Thank you!

Overall I think this is a great idea. Though I'm also quite saddened to see Detering on the chopping block - I will miss sitting on that bench and looking out at the lake!!

Being an ACRES member I support the decision. Although I am very sad to see Culp on the retiring list. It is the closest preserve to my home and is special to me.

Josh, thank you for supporting ACRES as a member and for sharing your special connection to Culp. We hope you will continue to enjoy the trails. Edna W. Spurgeon Woodland Reserve is a great one to check out nearby. -Bridgett Hernandez, Communications Manager

I support your efforts to concentrate on improving some preserves and on closing others. Undoubtedly there will be unhappy people, but I hope they understand and appreciate your goals. Keep up the good work. Laura Snipes

Thank you, Laura!

I to am disturbed by the decision to close Detering. It was one of the first properties I ever visited and spurred me to become a member. I realize that it isn't one of the more spectacular preserves like nearby Lonidaw, but it does get a lot of use year round. I always see cars there. Please reconsider keeping Detering open. Thank you.

Kevin, thank you for supporting ACRES as a member and sharing your appreciation of Detering. The decision to retire this trail system was not made lightly. Our members help protect and care for 7,230 acres of natural and working land on 117 properties, and we believe each one is an inspiring place worthy of appreciation. However, the core of ACRES mission is protecting and restoring land. This drives everything we do, including the decision to retire trail systems and focus our resources on improving visitor amenities at open preserves. We want more people to have experiences like your own and be inspired to join us in protecting land forever. To read more about our trails philosophy, check out acreslandtrust.org/beyondtrails

Please, please do not close the Detering Nature Preserve. We love this preserve. It is the only access we have to sit and enjoy the lake. The trail is smooth and great for all needs. There is a gravel parking lot in place now. Our view of the lake in recent years has been taken over by housing. I would hate to see this close or worse yet sold for development. Please reconsider.

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your special connection to Detering Nature Preserve. We can assure you that even though public access will end at these properties, ACRES will continue to dedicate the same level of stewardship to these areas. Once ACRES protects a property, it will never sell or transfer the deed. This decision was not made lightly, however we feel this approach is better aligned with our mission to protect land. In fact, retiring the trail system at Detering will allow ACRES to focus on the property’s land restoration needs, including invasive species removal. We don’t yet have an exact date for when this trail system will be retired, but we’ll try to give the public as much notice as possible. We hope that you continue to enjoy the trails made available through the support of our members. We encourage you to check out Lonidaw, another ACRES nature preserve only a two-minute drive from Detering.