A Year of Memories - 2020 edition

Every year the staff at Little Forks reflect on the closing year - our favorite moments, accomplishments, events and what we look forward to in the new year. Take a look at some of these moments below and feel free to share your favorite memories (and pictures!!) experienced on our preserves or with us in 2020!

---

26-acre conservation easement protecting 1,250 feet of frontage on the West branch of the Cedar River.

Elan Lipschitz
​Looking back at 2020 it can be hard to see the bright spots in a year that most people just want to forget, but despite all the adversity, good things still happened and work was accomplished to help improve our region’s natural resources. A couple highlights were the completion of two land conservation projects. Protecting an important piece of land along the West Branch of the Cedar River with our partners at the Leon P. Martuch Chapter of Trout Unlimited was a highlight in 2020. This collaboration is a great example of how two organizations can work together to achieve a common goal. In addition, working with John Anderson to protect his wife’s family property was another shining moment which demonstrated the importance of land and the human connection. 

Donated by the LPMTU.

7-acre property in Homer Township, donated by the Anderson Living Trust.

​Another highlight from the year was our involvement in the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program. I have been very grateful to work with many AmeriCorps members over the year and have always been impressed by how much they can get done. This year, Forestview Natural Area was hit pretty hard by the dam failures resulting in an enormous amount of trash and debris on the floodplain, and damage to a footbridge. Huron Pines AmeriCorps members decided to hold their day of service to help us repair and clean up the damage from the flood. In one day, we were able to fill a 30-yard dumpster with debris and rebuild a new bridge allowing us to open back up the property which had been closed since May.  I am very thankful for their hard work of all the members and their dedication to conservation. 

Huron Pines AmeriCorps Members help to repair flood damage at Forestview.

Another highlight of 2020 was seeing the increased usage of our preserves during the pandemic. It really helps solidify the importance of our work in the community as our properties were able to provide a space for exploration, exercise and a bit of peace and calm in our world.

​Looking ahead to 2021, I am excited about continuing our work in the Cedar River watershed to promote our conservation programs, and being able to work with volunteers again on our river clean up and stream sampling. In addition, I look forward to continued projects on our preserves to restore habitat and improve recreational opportunities. I am sure 2021 will be a year to remember.

---

Andrea and her daughter.

Learning Landscapes K-12 Leaders retreat.

Andrea Foster
There were two highlights in 2020 that really stood out for me. One of them was learning how to better serve our community and strengthen our programs by attending the Learning Landscapes K-12 Leaders retreat for land trust educators in the Sierra Nevada mountains in March. The other highlight was learning how to create videos for our online platforms during the pandemic. Especially because my daughter was able to join me and be my director, camera kid, and co-producer! We built quality memories and spent time doing our favorite outdoor activities together.

---

Riverview Natural Area

Sara Huetteman
In 2020, with the combined flood and pandemic, we had to adapt stewardship to be more mobile and work with less volunteers than normal. This meant more work on staff and the few wonderful volunteers that continued to help us - mask and all. I’d like to thank our long-time volunteers, Roger Garner and Denny Brooks for showing up multiple times this year to work in often hot conditions fixing the trails and cutting down invasive species. 

Huron Pines AmeriCorps members.

We are also always grateful for having partnerships. When we needed help this year, our partners were there for us. Forestview Natural Area was wreaked from the flood waters and our partners from the north, Huron Pines AmeriCorps, came through with helping hands and funds to help rebuild and restore much of Forestview. We would not have had Forestview Natural Area open to you this fall if it wasn’t for them! 

Leon P. Martuch Chapter of Trout Unlimited is another great partner that rallied some of their members to build a fishing trail on our Lane Preserve from M-18 to the Cedar River. It was the first large gathering (at least large for 2020) of 8 volunteers. They asked great questions and picked up the techniques quickly, resulting in an excellent single-track trail about a quarter mile long to easily enter the river or fish from the banks. 

I look forward to seeing new faces on our preserves in 2021. In addition, I can’t wait for plans that were delayed by the pandemic come to fruition, like finishing building trails and boardwalks at Riverview Natural Area, and we have some exciting habitat restoration still in the planning process for the Lane Preserve.  

Fishing Trail at Lane.

---

Riverview Natural Area

Alyssa Walters
2020 was certainly a year for the outdoors -- whether it was exploring locally or your own backyard. Despite the challenges, I really enjoyed taking a step back and experiencing a refreshed view of the landscapes surrounding me. Like so many others, it forced me to find new places to explore that didn't require long-distance travel (and maybe even encouraged you to slow down and look at the details!) 

Our preserves saw record numbers of visitors this year, many of which have probably never knew these places were there. I hope we continue to see these numbers grow in 2021 and maybe you'll even see me laying on the ground with my camera!