This past week, WCT bird staff conducted their annual Bobolink banding at nearby farms in the Doe Run area of Chester County. Every year staff visit these farms in hopes of recapturing birds that were fitted with geolocators the previous year and assigning new ones to different birds. These little white capped birds are long-distance migrants who travel from South America to their breeding grounds in the northern United States and Canada. This style of recording device can show us where our grassland birds are going and give us an insight into what habitat they prefer. Grassland birds such as the Bobolink are the most imperiled group of birds in the U.S., and estimates suggest that populations have declined over 40% since 1970. Despite this, our banding locations located on private property are hotspots for these threatened species.  

This time of year, Bobolinks have made their way north during spring migration and are trying to breed in the area. This gives our team around a two-week window to band birds before they begin to nest. These days are filled with hope for the species but also frustration. Staff first use binoculars to try to identify previously banded birds and to establish where to setup nets to catch them. With thousands of acres to choose from, it can be difficult to assess where these birds are, given their small size. Discovering which birds were previously fitted with trackers is even more difficult. Thankfully, staff use a color band combination system to uniquely identify individual birds. Even so, our research hinges on bird survival, geolocators staying attached during migration, and recapture of specific individual birds. 

It stands to reason that sometimes less-than-scientific language is used in the field. Bobolinks are incredibly smart birds that become even smarter after they have been banded for the first time. The success of the banding program relies on luck, determination, and a whole lot of patience. Despite this, it is a favored day for our bird staff. It is incredibly rewarding to witness flocks of Bobolinks take to the skies to try to impress mates while gracefully diving into shin-high grass only to disappear. These hayfields give space to reflect on the importance of this species, and the innate beauty of their preferred habitat. We are grateful to our partners who allow us to use their properties to prove that birds and agriculture can not only coexist together but thrive. 

Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) and Radnor Conservancy (RC) recently completed the transfer of three conservation easements from RC to WCT, marking an important step forward in a growing partnership between the two organizations dedicated to protecting the region’s open space and natural resources.

The three properties will now be permanently protected under WCT’s stewardship. The transfer ensures long-term monitoring and care for the easements, while reinforcing the organizations’ shared mission to safeguard open space, clean water, and wildlife habitat in southeastern Pennsylvania.

“This transfer represents a natural collaboration between two organizations with a common vision,” said Kate Etherington, Executive Director, WCT. “By joining forces, we strengthen the capacity to protect and steward the land that sustains our communities.”

Radnor Conservancy has a long history of community-based conservation initiatives and will continue to enhance the region’s natural resources through environmental education and community engagement. WCT, with nearly 3,000 acres under permanent protection, brings additional resources and expertise in land protection, stewardship, and habitat management. The partnership reflects a regional approach to conservation, leveraging strengths and ensuring that conserved land will remain protected for generations to come.

“We’re excited to partner with Willistown Conservation Trust, whose expertise in land protection will ensure these easements are stewarded for generations to come,” said Amber Atwood Levy, Executive Director of Radnor Conservancy. “This collaboration strengthens conservation in our region while allowing Radnor Conservancy to continue leading locally through advocacy, education, and community engagement.”

As part of its commitment to watershed health, WCT has expanded its land protection work into Radnor Township, where portions of the Darby Creek headwaters flow. Protecting land within this watershed is critical to ensuring clean water, healthy habitats, and climate resilience across the region. In 2021, the Darby & Cobbs Creek Community Science Monitoring Program (DCCCS) was formed as a partnership between the Darby Creek Valley Association and WCT. It aims to empower the neighbors of Darby and Cobbs Creek watersheds to collect high quality stream data and become water advocates for their community. The long-term goal of this project is to use the information collected from Darby Creek to educate the community, advise restoration decisions, and help to identify pollution sources and areas of the landscape that pose a risk to watershed health and integrity.

Both organizations emphasized that the easement transfer is part of a broader commitment to collaboration, exploring ways to amplify education, community engagement, and advocacy for open space and natural resource protection.

ABOUT THE PROPERTIES

South Roberts Road Historic Farmhouse

Originally built in the 1700s, the home was expanded in 1886 to serve as the first clubhouse for the newly established Radnor Hunt. Architectural highlights from the Radnor Hunt era remain, including two fireplaces, one of which is a 14-foot stone fireplace designed by renowned architects Frank Furness and Allen Evans. The property spans approximately 3 acres, including a gently sloping meadow surrounded by hedgerows. Located within 400 feet of Darby Creek, this permanently protected place plays a critical role in the health of our local waterway by maintaining riparian buffers. This property is located at the beginning of one of the Township’s most scenic byways, Darby Paoli Road, which runs parallel to Darby Creek, 140 acres of public land, and the working Ardrossan Farm.

Woodland Lane Oasis

As the road name suggests, Woodland Lane is home to an expansive woodland in Radnor Township. The property sits on a quiet cul-de-sac where a small, unnamed tributary to Gulph Creek slowly bubbles up from the spring and ultimately flows into the Schuylkill River, which provides drinking water to the city of Philadelphia. The robust woodland covers about 5 acres of the property, consisting of predominantly native species like tulip trees, oaks, and beech, with a continuous canopy approximately 80 feet tall, providing important habitat for nesting birds and other wildlife.

Conestoga Road Scenic Vista

This 4.5-mile section of Conestoga Road has been designated as both “scenic” and “historic”. One of the earliest roads in the region, it originally existed as a trail used by Native American tribes traveling between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. Later, it became a critical route between Philadelphia and the western communities. This historic farmhouse, which sits on 3 acres, is highly visible from Conestoga Road and preserves the agrarian and rural character of early Radnor Township. In addition, the property is located in the Darby Creek watershed, a few hundred feet from both Valley and Kirks Runs, tributaries to Ithan Creek. The trees, shrubs, and pervious surfaces are important to groundwater supplies and surface water quality within the watershed.  

By Nicole DeLizzio, Stewardship Manager

Spring is upon us! With it comes the beauty of spring ephemerals and the warm sun on our faces—both of which will be more than welcome after such a long, cold winter. As exciting as the changing season is, it also brings us one step closer to the opening of our newest 90-acre preserve, Kestrel Hill.

This winter, the stewardship team and our lovely volunteers have been hard at work preparing for a large spring riparian planting that will be supported by grant funding from the Department of Natural Resources (DCNR). So far, about one acre of densely packed invasive plant species has been cleared from the area. Some of the main invasives we have been tackling include honeysuckle shrub (Lonicera spp.), privet (Ligustrum spp.), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) honeysuckle vine (Lonicera japonica) and oriental bittersweet vine (Celastrus orbiculatus), all of which have begun to dominate the understory and choke out native growth. Removing these aggressive species is no small task, especially when they have had years to establish themselves. However, clearing them out is a critical first step in restoring balance to the ecosystem, and we wouldn’t have been successful in completing that step without the hours of dedicated hard work from our volunteers!

The most rewarding part of the clearing process has been uncovering native plants that were hidden beneath the entanglement of invasives. It has felt a bit like uncovering hidden treasures! We have already revealed several of our native Carex species, and we were especially excited to find one of our native hibiscus, Hibiscus moscheutos, still holding on. Discoveries like these remind us why this work matters. When planning our restoration planting, we are intentionally complimenting the species that are already present and surviving in the ecosystem. By building around what is naturally thriving, we can strengthen the existing plant community and complement it with additional native species that belong in this habitat. To marry our winter restoration work, we recently hosted a spring tree planting with over 150 native trees and shrubs including our native sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), native rose (Rosa caroliana) and one of my favorite water-loving tree species, bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). Now, we’ll step back and let nature take its course (mostly). One of the hardest parts of land stewardship is being patient enough to witness these small saplings establish roots and become future canopy!

Below: Hibiscus moscheutos

We have also been collecting seeds from the native plants we have uncovered from the site. Our goal is to propagate and grow those collected seeds at our native plant nursery over the next few years and then replant them back in the areas where they were originally found. Collecting and replanting seeds from a specific site helps preserve the local genetic makeup of the plant population and supports a healthier, more resilient ecosystem in the long term. It is a slower process, but one that will have an extremely rewarding payoff.

In addition to clearing the heavily invaded riparian zone, we had to remove several black walnut trees due to severe decay at their bases due to the risk they posed of falling onto our upcoming planting area. While it is never easy to take down mature trees, safety and long-term site health come first. Most of the wood will be left in place to naturally decompose, returning nutrients to the soil, providing habitat for native birds, mammals and herpetofauna species, and helping with erosion control. We are also excited to weave together a bit of sustainability and creativity to mill a few of the larger logs and transform them into benches for the preserve!

We’re excited to soon welcome the community to explore, enjoy and help care for this growing landscape. Every volunteer hour, every planted sapling and every collected seed will play a vital role in nurturing this beautiful space – one where both wildlife and our community can reap the benefits!

Below: Staff member Nicole DeLizzio removing invasive shrubs