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 …

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. …

When Elizabeth and Mark Leppek sat down to make a list of their priorities for philanthropic giving, ACRES Land Trust immediately came to mind. The Leppeks, of Fort Wayne, say that while they appreciate the benefit of manicured parks, they find something special about wild, natural places. They consider ACRES the “hometown hero” regional equivalent …

Kristie Fuller’s recently donated 56-acre Wells County farm and forest, named for her father, Francis Fuller, and her grandfather, Hurb Fuller, tells her family’s story on the land. Fuller’s tale is a firsthand account of a larger narrative of Hoosier land use history in the 200 years since European settlement. By 1910 when her grandfather …

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Indiana’s Nature Preserves Act that protects more than 50,000 acres of Hoosier natural heritage in 70 of the state’s 92 counties.  The legislation created the Division of Nature Preserves of the Department of Natural Resources which partners with nonprofits and other agencies. ACRES Land Trust’s founders wrote and helped …