Shirley Heinze Land Trust

What Shirley Heinze Land Trust does

Shirley Heinze Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1981 and headquartered in Valparaiso, Indiana, that preserves and restores natural lands and waters across northwestern Indiana. The organization permanently protects approximately 4,000 acres across six counties (Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Marshall, and Starke), operating 22 nature preserves open to the public that include globally rare dune-and-swale habitats, moraine forests, one of Indiana's last remaining bogs (Lydick Bog), and restored wetlands. Core stewardship activities are native plant propagation, invasive species removal, reforestation (50,000 trees planted at Meadowbrook over seven years), wetland and prairie restoration, and habitat management guided by detailed ecological assessments conducted with Orbis Environmental Consulting and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit mix: individual donations, foundation and government grants (including a $1M National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Coastal Resilience Fund award in December 2024 for 2025-2028 climate resilience work in the Calumet Region), corporate sponsorships and challenge gifts from regional industrials (Nipsco, Cleveland-Cliffs, Cargill, ArcelorMittal), event proceeds (Spring Benefit, Golf Outing, Nature in the Arts), and modest direct-to-consumer sales of educational publications (Nature Preserve Guidebook at $15, Red's Nature Adventure at $12, Flowers of a Woodland Spring). Programs extend beyond land stewardship into community engagement: the Student Experiences in Conservation internship pipeline (record 12-student cohort in 2025), the GLISTEN college-intern program funded by the Flora Richardson Foundation, the Bringing Nature Home native-landscaping recognition program, and partnership-based Nature in the Arts events.

The organization holds Land Trust Accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission (renewal in progress), is recognized with the 2018 Indiana Governor's Award of Environmental Excellence and the 2018 Land Trust Alliance National Excellence Award, and operates within an extensive partnership network spanning federal agencies (NRCS, NPS), the State of Indiana (Indiana DNR), peer regional land trusts (Save the Dunes, The Wetlands Initiative, Openlands, Audubon Great Lakes), academic institutions (Indiana University Northwest), and community organizations (Urban League of Northwest Indiana, Field Museum). Executive leadership comprises Kris Krouse (Executive Director) and Eric Bird (Stewardship Director), with Evie Kirkwood serving as Board President.

Name

Shirley Heinze Land Trust

Legal name

Shirley Heinze Land Trust

Website

https://heinzetrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shirley Heinze Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that permanently protects approximately 4,000 acres of natural lands and waters across six northwestern Indiana counties, stewarding 22 public nature preserves, running habitat restoration and climate-resilience programs, and serving regional communities, donors, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Nature preserve management
• Habitat restoration
• Ecological preservation
• Conservation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Valparaiso

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations form the foundation of support for the land trust, with options for donating money or land to support the mission of protecting and restoring lands and waters in northwestern Indiana.
2. Grant Funding: Government and foundation grants including National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awards, Bicentennial Nature Trust, and other conservation funding programs.
3. Event Revenue: Spring Benefit events and annual fundraising activities; the 2020 Online Spring Benefit raised over $220K for the mission.
4. Book and Guide Sales: Sale of educational publications including Nature Preserve Guidebook ($15), Red's Nature Adventure ($12), and Flowers of a Woodland Spring.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shirley Heinze Land Trust acquires, protects, and restores natural lands and waters in northwestern Indiana, maintaining approximately 4,000 acres of nature preserves across six counties (Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Marshall, and Starke) that are largely open to the public for recreation and education. The organization complements land stewardship with community engagement programs (Bringing Nature Home, Nature in the Arts, Student Experiences in Conservation, volunteer workdays) and sells a small catalog of educational publications through its website store to support its conservation mission.

Product overview

Shirley Heinze Land Trust operates as a conservation nonprofit offering a combination of educational publications and community programs centered on land preservation. Its product portfolio includes published works (Nature Preserve Guidebook, Red's Nature Adventure, Flowers of a Woodland Spring, and INSIGHTS Newsletter) and programs (Bringing Nature Home Award, Nature in the Arts, and Student Experiences in Conservation). The organization also provides public access to over 4,000 acres of nature preserves across northwestern Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nature Preserve Guidebook A printed guidebook packed with information about Shirley Heinze Land Trust preserves, including trail maps and other details to help visitors explore nature preserves before their visit; priced at $15 per copy via the organization's online store. A free digital copy is also offered on the website.
• Red's Nature Adventure A children's picture book featuring Red the Irish setter exploring northwestern Indiana nature preserves with his human friends; priced at $12 per copy and includes an appendix about protecting natural places.
• Flowers of a Woodland Spring A picture-book study of spring ephemeral wildflowers featuring detailed explanations of unusual life cycles and descriptions of six familiar examples (spring beauty, toothwort, Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn, wild leek, trout lily), written and illustrated by Carol Lerner.
• Nature Preserve Access Free public access to approximately 4,000 acres of permanently protected natural lands across Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Marshall, and Starke counties in northwestern Indiana, including dune and swale habitats, moraine forests, bogs, and wetlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000 acres permanently protected across northwestern Indiana
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Save the DunescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner collaborating on climate-resiliency strategic planning for the Little Calumet River Conservation Corridor and habitat assessments.
• The Wetlands InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in climate adaptation planning for the Little Calumet River Conservation Corridor and conservation initiatives.
• OpenlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partner in the Little Calumet River Conservation Corridor climate resilience project.
• Audubon Great LakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in climate adaptation and conservation planning for the Little Calumet River Corridor.
• Southwest Michigan Land ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering to enhance areas of Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve as part of climate initiatives.
• Orbis Environmental ConsultingcoreTechnology or IntegrationConducts detailed habitat assessments and provides environmental consulting expertise for conservation planning.
• Northern Institute of Applied Climate SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides guidance and expertise for Climate Change Response Framework assessment process.
• Land Trust AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported climate-resiliency strategic planning project and provides national land trust accreditation guidance.
• Indiana Dunes National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on land conservation; nearly 2,000 acres of contiguous protected land at Dale B. Engquist/Heron Rookery site.
• Indiana Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in land conservation; adjacent to Indiana DNR's Reynolds Creek Fish and Wildlife area.
• Porter County Soil & Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on agricultural land preservation and best management practices for soil and water conservation.
• NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA agency partner for agricultural conservation and farmland protection programs.
• Urban League of Northwest IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner working to develop equitable and inclusive programming for diverse communities.
• Field MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing educational programming for conservation and community engagement.
• CargillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer partner; helped establish saw-whet owl banding station at Meadowbrook.
• Indiana Toll RoadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployees volunteering to restore windmill at Barker Woods Nature Preserve.
• ArcelorMittal USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate volunteer partner encouraging employee community involvement.
• Indiana Dunes TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partner supporting saw-whet owl banding project and regional nature tourism.
• Indiana University NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner hosting GLISTEN student interns who assist with conservation research and habitat assessments.
• South Bend Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Nature in the Arts programming, designing banners and collaborating on art events at preserves.
• The Music VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity music partner providing performances at Nature in the Arts events.
• Northern Indiana Pastel SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist group partnering for plein-air painting events at nature preserves.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCE4PbL8DLIo5T8nUl8TDIHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/heinzetrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shirley-heinze-land-trust-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/heinzetrust
• Xx.com/heinzetrust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shirley Heinze Land Trust