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Posted by: Bridgett Hernandez

  • 09/19/2018

Season send-off: summer wrap-up

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 July, we invited ACRES members for a special video premiere party in the Dustin barn. (If you missed the video, you can watch it here.) Attendees enjoyed movie theater-style snacks, hobnobbing with other ACRES supporters, and grooving to the twang of dynamic duo The Matchsellers. If you missed this fun event, don’t fret! We have two great members-only events coming up in October.

Stewardship Gathering Hosted by ACRES Land Trust

Fostering a sense of community around land stewardship is pretty important to our work. ACRES has attended stewardship gatherings across the state in the past, but this summer we had the opportunity to host our first one. These events are instrumental in allowing land-focused nonprofits get together to learn from one another. Our stewardship gathering pulled together land management teams across the tristate area to see local work, explore protected places and share best practices. Thank you to our fellow land management friends for sharing this experience with us!

Little Cedar Creek Sample Project

Our interns got knee-deep in opportunity this summer with a creek sample activity. The creek sample was led by the University of Saint Francis and Purdue Fort Wayne to gauge populations of mussel and fish in Little Cedar Creek. ACRES Land Management interns participated as part of ACRES internship plan to introduce them to experts in the field, assist in projects and retain interested students to the field and the area. For many of our interns, this was their favorite activity throughout their internship with us. You can read more about our summer interns’ experiences and takeaways here.

Plant ID Workshops

We held a two-day Plant ID Workshop in July. Lovingly dubbed “Plant Camp” by a workshop participant, these informational sessions were presented by Scott Namestnik, Senior Botanist at Orbis Environmental Consulting. Though the weather was a bit on the muggy and buggy side, this was a rad event full of hands-on learning and memorable experiences. Attendees received a custom folding chair and notebook to create their own “field guide” for continued study. ACRES members and volunteers attended these workshops, and these events provided loads of professional development for folks from across the region, like U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Division of Natural Resources pros. Our very own Wayne Township Prairie in Warsaw hosted the outing on our second day and thanks to Manchester University’s Koinonia Environmental Retreat Center in Pierceton for hosting some of our traveling participants and day one’s outing.

Thank you to everyone for joining us for these fun activities (and so many more!) this summer. We’ll see you in the fall! Happy trails!