45 Stories for 45 Years: A Lifetime Spent Walking the Conservation Trail

45 Stories, Volunteers, Water Quality /

Valued partners of Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Kevin & Claudia Wood serve as part of the Volunteer Water Quality Program and as Preserve Stewards of Ambler Flatwoods. These two LaPorte County residents have contributed vital support to conservation efforts in northwestern Indiana. However, their lifelong dedication to the natural world started long before their time

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45 Stories for 45 Years: The Story of Dale B. Engquist, As Told By Shirley Heinze Land Trust Executive Director Kris Krouse

45 Stories /

Dale Engquist is one of those rare individuals who comes along only once in a great while. He was a dear friend, a role model, and a guiding light for both Shirley Heinze Land Trust and the broader cause of conservation in northwestern Indiana. This is his story. After earning a master’s degree in botany

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45 Stories for 45 Years: Take a Walk with Shirley

45 Stories /

Eleven years ago, Shirley Heinze Land Trust launched the public phase of its first-ever Capital Campaign, with the theme “Take a Walk with Shirley.” The goal of the Campaign was to raise $3.5 million to advance our mission of protecting important habitats and ecosystems across Northwest Indiana, with funds being used to underwrite the acquisition

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45 Stories for 45 Years: 2018–A Year of Recognition

45 Stories /

2018 was a remarkable year in the history of Shirley Heinze Land Trust, a year in which we were honored to receive both the Indiana Governor’s Award of Environmental Excellence and the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) National Excellence Award. Reprinted below is an article published in the Chesterton Tribune about the Governor’s Award, followed by

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45 Stories for 45 Years: An Interview with Kris Krouse

45 Stories /

Well-known local artist and podcaster Suzy Vance first met Executive Director Kris Krouse in his early days at Shirley Heinze Land Trust. Seventeen years later, in her series Creating from the Heart: The Artistry of Living, Suzy interviewed Kris about his journey and path from college to leading one of the strongest voices for conservation

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Planted in Purpose: An Unexpected Chapter in Conservation

Student Experiences in Conservation /

This blog was written by one of our 2026 Student Experiences in Conservation interns, Aria, and originally published by Valparaiso University’s Institute for Leadership and Service. I’d forgotten just how much I love nature. As a little girl, I spent a lot of time outdoors–looking for creeping bugs, playing in the dirt, and collecting flowers.

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45 Stories for 45 Years: The Barker House and Barker Woods

45 Stories /

The Barker House and Barker Woods figure prominently in the history of Shirley Heinze Land Trust and, together, are a testament to the spirit of not-for-profit conservation efforts in northwestern Indiana. Each has its own interesting story, but, first, here are a few words about the home’s original owner, Marjory Clark Barker, and her daughter,

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