With ACRES, you can give the gift of forever – forever-protecting natural areas. As part of our end-of-year promotion, you can also share more than 70 miles of trails for endless exploration and awe. Through December 31, give a $25 membership to a fellow nature lover and your gift recipient will also receive a free …

“Tom and Jane Dustin built a legacy from this home,” the bold headline at the top of the commemorative panel reads. As you stand among the tall trees, listening to the music of the preserve, you can see that legacy is thriving still today. The Dustins helped launch ACRES Land Trust. Inspired by the budding …

At ACRES Land Trust, we’re working on a new idea—a breakthrough idea, as deemed by the Foellinger Foundation of Fort Wayne, Indiana. We envision a 300-500-acre natural area development to accommodate multiple uses by Allen County nonprofits—a shared cultural area surrounded by nonprofit offices and facilities, giving each nonprofit group on the perimeter access to …

Our executive director Jason Kissel has been in awe of land for several decades. He traces his love of natural areas back to when he was just a kid, watching his dad work with the U.S. Forest Service. Below, Jason shares his experiences with ACRES and the main threads in the stories of several of …

Why protect land forever? Culture. History. Spirituality. Health. Conservation. Adventure. Heritage. The motivations behind why folks choose to help ACRES Land Trust protect land are as numerous and varied as the species of flora and fauna on our preserves. Often, there is no singular reason why people visit our properties or become members. Our relationships …

Scott Namestnik’s eagerness to explore Quog Lake last summer was quickly replaced with trepidation. “It has to be the most challenging site on which I’ve ever conducted a survey,” he said of the ACRES Land Trust property in LaGrange County. Scott Namestnik supports ACRES’ plant species inventories. He’s leading an in-the-field Plant Workshop July 12–13. …

Ahoy, bird-lovers! Did ya bird blitz with ACRES last week? If you were perched in a preserve, binoculars fervently scanning the canopy, the brush, or waterside for a tail, a flutter, even a hint of feathered frenzy, you were not alone. Logo by Yonder Clothing Co. 76 volunteer backyard birders and life-long bird watchers pitched …

With support from a $500,000 bequest, ACRES recently expanded its land management efforts, adding a second full-time specialist to the team that cares for the nonprofit’s seven thousand-and-growing acres. The bequest, from the estate of Patricia Barrett, adds to ACRES’ land management endowment, a fund established by Patricia’s husband, the late James W. Barrett, III, …

Inspired by generations of family history, two families recently donated their adjacent land and lake to ACRES Land Trust for permanent protection. Little Lake, just west of Albion, served as outdoor haven to two generations of the Richman family who owned the north portion and to three generations of Tiptons who owned the south portion. …

Fund Development Director Heather Barth cuts the silvery branches of Autumn Olive on a staff workday. Don’t let her fool you, this is tough work.  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 …

Scarlet Tanager photo by Dave Fox The registration deadline is swiftly approaching for ACRES Land Trust’s 2nd Annual Bird Blitz, to be held June 3-9. ACRES Land Trust welcomes backyard bird-watchers and avid birders alike to register by May 18 to participate at acreslandtrust.org/birdblitz. This year, to encourage new birdwatchers, ACRES partnered with regional Audubon …

A stunningly unique habitat of native, endangered species flourishes on ACRES Land Trust’s recent acquisition eight miles southeast of LaGrange. The 102-acre Grass Lake property contains a marl prairie – an unusual mix of acid-hungry plants and basic soil-loving plants growing heartily atop the limestone-rich sand and gravel. Some say the marl is almost 30 …