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 …

In 2015, Brett Bloom and his wife, Bonnie Fortune, began posting Instagram photos of their family’s ACRES hikes. Their fun, frequent images and notes reveal deep connections to place and deep thinking about land use. To better understand their perspectives, writer Teresa Vasquez and her son Miles (6) recently explored Vandolah Nature Preserve with Bonnie, …

Heading into the woods, wetlands or prairies for your first, or first-in-a-long-time hike? Are you wondering what to bring, wear or what you’ll see or do in an ACRES preserve? What to bring? You really only need to bring your curiosity, awe and gratitude. If you’re not feeling these attitudes, perhaps the trails will bring …