Each year Shirley Heinze Land Trust conducts an annual direct-mail appeal from October to December. Money raised through the annual appeal is crucial to our operating budget. Look for our annual appeal in your mailbox this fall or read below, and please respond generously. With a first time gift of $20 or more to the annual fund this year, we will send you a complimentary Shirley Heinze Land Trust bag made of 85% recycled materials. Thank you for your annual support.

November 17, 2009

Dear Friend of Shirley Heinze Land Trust,

In my letter to you last year, I told you about Shirley Heinze Land Trust’s plans to make significant additions to the more than 1,000 acres of natural lands it either owns outright or protects through easements negotiated with landowners. And I reminded you that contributions from donors like you make it possible for us to aspire to such land acquisition goals and continue to restore and responsibly steward our properties.

We have met our land acquisition goals and we are poised for growth in our land conservation planning and education and outreach programs in the coming year. Over the past year, Shirley Heinze Land Trust has acquired 30 acres of wetlands along the Little Calumet River in Chesterton and adjacent to Brummitt Elementary School which will be accessible to the public. Further, we will be adding 90 acres to our 208-acre state-dedicated Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve in Michigan City. Also, additions were made to Ivanhoe South in Gary, Green Heron Pond in Miller, and to our project area in Beverly Shores.

Many acres of land that we have acquired over the last 28 years would otherwise have remained vulnerable to the relentless development pressures that are a fact of life in our region. Unprotected natural habitats, even those too wet or steep for development, might have been degraded by trash dumping or invasive plants. Instead, nearly 1,200 acres owned or controlled by Shirley Heinze Land Trust will always be open, green and accessible to visitors. In partnership with public and private land protection agencies, we help save special natural places in a region whose landmarks tend to be smokestacks, highways and sprawling shopping centers. Yet we make few demands on local tax-supported services.

Our stewardship staff and volunteers restore our properties once we acquire them. Tasks like battling invasive weeds and preparing trails for public use continue on a regular basis. More importantly, these nature preserves are being managed to create healthy and sustainable ecosystems in our region. With your continued financial contributions and in-kind support from our volunteers, we can continue to restore the health of these precious ecosystems and the wildlife that inhabit them.

Shirley Heinze Land Trust continues to build partnerships which foster a regional approach to land acquisition, restoration, and education. Currently, we are administering a Moraine Forest conservation planning project (in partnership with two other local land trusts) that covers 120,000 acres in Northwest Indiana and setting a new precedent for regional conservation planning efforts.

Additionally, we are working with The Field Museum of Chicago, the Dunes Learning Center and the School City of Hobart to introduce the Mighty Acorns Environmental Education program to students in Northwest Indiana. This program is bringing organizations and communities together in an effort to provide children with meaningful, sustained interactions with their environment. During the 2009-2010 school year Shirley Heinze Land Trust is introducing the Mighty Acorns program into five elementary school classrooms at two Hobart schools.

Remember, our accomplishments were possible because of the hard work of our dedicated staff and volunteers and the continuing enthusiastic support of many loyal friends and supporters like you. Individual contributions accounted for more than 50% percent of our 2008 budget. Shirley Heinze Land Trust cannot achieve its strategic goals without this vital support. In these difficult times your annual gift is more important than ever.

With a first time gift of $20 or more to the annual fund this year, we will send you a complimentary Shirley Heinze Land Trust bag made of 85% recycled materials. Thank you again for your continued support. We truly could not accomplish our important work without you!

Sincerely,

Rachel Saxon
President

P.S. When you consider how to distribute your charitable donations this year, please remember that Shirley Heinze Land Trust is making a difference in the community in which you live. Our preserves are accessible to the public for you to enjoy, and these treasures will be here for future generations.