Save the Date!
Summer Solstice: The Magic of Nature Saturday, June 21, 2008
International Friendship Gardens
Plan Ahead!
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2008 VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE
Click on the red number to follow link for directions & information about site and workday.
In 2007 we had nearly a 400% increase in volunteer hours from the previous year! Let’s keep that trend going! |
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photos by Ron Trigg
Heinze Trust
Photo Album
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can I help ?
You can help The Heinze Land Trust by donations of money, in-kind items including new or used tools and equipment in good condition, and your volunteer time.
Contributions: The Heinze Land Trust is largely dependent on contributions from the public. Generous donations from individuals and organizations make it possible for us to continue our work. Many of our donations are memorials that are lasting tributes of very special people. We are privileged to carry on our work in their names. Additionally, in celebration of special occasions for special people, contributions are made for the preservation of natural lands. If you would like to provide a monetary donation, send your check to our Michigan City address. All donations are tax-deductible.
Money is not the only donation that we gladly accept. Many people donate property to the Heinze Land Trust. Even if your land is not suitable for preservation, its resale value can help us fulfill our goals. We'd be happy to discuss the tax advantages of such donations.
Planned Giving: A gift for nature can be part of the renewal of your spirit. Giving long-term appreciated property rather than cash can bring you greater tax savings, and giving through long-range financial planning vehicles can be convenient and economical. It can be as simple as naming the Heinze Land Trust in your will or making a gift of appreciated stock, a retirement account, or real property. More complex arrangements may involve life estates, pooled income funds, charitable trusts, and even life insurance. All these planned giving options let you control both the amount and timing of your donation, and most importantly, how your gift can be used. Call us if you would like to discuss planned giving arrangements. We will be happy to meet with you and your financial advisors.
Wish List: The Heinze Land Trust needs the following items and would gladly accept either used equipment in good condition or donations to help us purchase what we need. Currently we are wishing for a heavy duty walk-behind brush mower for cutting weeds, grasses or small sapling for fire breaks or hiking trails and bookcases, up to eight feet high, for the office.
Volunteer Opportunities: Stewardship activities - the restoration and maintenance of land under our protection are a vital part of our operations. We periodically sponsor cleanup days when volunteers help us remove exotic plant species, post signs, erect fences, and haul out trash. We are also looking for volunteers to undergo training to help us conduct prescribed fires. If you don't mind getting a little wet and dirty, we could use your help. Contact us for information on planned workdays or to make other arrangements to suit your schedule.
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You will find descriptions of each of the sites managed by the Heinze Land Trust
in the Shirley Heinze Land Trust Brochure.
Contact Heinze Land Trust Office to request a copy!
Who is Shirley Heinze?
The
Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund was founded in 1981 through an
endowment by Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Seidner to honor the memory of psychologist,
Dr. Shirley Heinze. As an Ogden Dunes resident, she was actively involved
in the protection of the Indiana Dunes.
Shirley Heinze - 1926 - 1978
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How much property does Shirley Heinze Land Trust own?
1 ~ Seidner Dune & Swale
2 ~ Cressmoor Prairie
3 ~ Ivanhoe South
4 ~ Hobart Marsh
5 ~ Miller
6 ~ Coulter Preserve
7 ~ Beverly Shores
8 ~ Lerner Woodlands
9 ~ Ambler Flatwoods
10 ~ Walnut Woods
11 ~ Barker Woods
In 2006 the Heinze Trust acquired 114 acres of new property, including 81 acres owned outright and a 33-acre conservation easement. About 7.4 acres of wooded dune were acquired in Gary’s Miller neighborhood by donation from The Nature Conservancy. Other additions in Miller include a 0.5-acre addition to the Green Heron Pond preserve, acquired via donation and purchase, and a 0.14-acre purchase at Bayless Dune. In Hobart, a 2.33-acre addition to Hidden Prairie was donated to the Heinze Trust. In LaPorte County, The Nature Conservancy also transferred the 30-acre Barker Woods property, a dedicated state nature preserve, and the 37-acre Hildebrand Lake property to the Heinze Trust. An additional 3-acre addition to Hildebrand Lake was also received through donation. Five wetland lots, totaling just under one acre, were purchased as additions to the Great Marsh project in Beverly Shores. A 33-acre woodland-wetland complex near Valparaiso was donated as a conservation easement.