WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

GIVE

Seeking the Healing Power of Nature on Earth Day

By

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
-John Muir


In 1970, millions of Americans pledged to start a movement to be better stewards of our planet Earth. As we prepare to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the now global movement called Earth Day, we are faced with an unprecedented reality. 


While typical day to day life for many humans is on hold, nature doesn’t stop. The birds continue their annual migration and breeding season, our streams are flowing with spring rains, and the seeds in our greenhouse and the grasses and wildflowers in our native meadows are bursting with new life. Among the earth’s spring renewal, humans are discovering the nurturing, restorative power of nature. A simple walk through the woods or fields provides us with respite and peace. 


This miracle felt especially true over Easter weekend as I explored Ashbridge Preserve with our nine-year-old twin grandchildren, Grace and James. After being quarantined indoors for three weeks, their joy in being free in the outdoors, skipping the Ridley Creek stepping stones and discovering the emerging spring plants and creatures was a palpable gift to hold and treasure. 


While the earth has the power to heal humans, we in turn, have the power to help heal the earth. Willistown Conservation Trust’s holistic approach to land protection, with a focus on the connections among land, farm, birds, and water, protects native habitat and provides open space for our earth to heal itself.


Even as new studies show that grassland bird populations have declined by over 50% since 1970, hearing the song of the returning Eastern Meadowlark fluting across our preserved grassland habitat at Kirkwood Preserve gives me great hope. The newly sown peas at Rushton Farm are showing their first green tendrils of life and the skunk cabbage at Rushton Woods Preserve has completely unfurled. The first trillium have emerged at Ashbridge Preserve, dotting the woods with cheerful color.

As you think about Earth Day this year, I encourage you to seek out nature to find inspiration, healing and hope. Just as the earth renews each spring, we will resume our our regular lives once again, perhaps transformed with a deeper connection to our planet earth. 


With warmest regards,
Bonnie

A Farewell and a Welcome

By

Hello,
The recent bittersweet news is that our good friend and colleague, Bill Hartman, has left Willistown Conservation Trust to become the Section Chief for Trails and Open Space at the Montgomery County Planning Commission.


While this is indeed sad news for all of us who have worked side by side with Bill over the last thirteen years, it is a wonderful move and great opportunity for Bill at this moment in his career. He shared with me his excitement as he looks forward to overseeing Montgomery County’s ambitious trail planning and open space programs – an area where he can put his landscape architecture degree to full use as well as his extensive land and easement stewardship experiences with the Trust. He will be making a difference in the lives of many people.


Bill will be deeply missed by everyone with whom he came in contact during his years with the Trust – from fellow staff and professional colleagues to Trustees and the many landowners and community members he touched. Bill has been a pillar of our organization from the beginning, and has made the Trust and all of us better through his high degree of professionalism, integrity, good judgement, commitment to fairness and friendship. Please join me in thanking Bill for his service and wishing him luck in the future!

Andrew & Lily (left) and Bill & Blue

The good news is that last year we hired Andrew Kirkpatrick to serve as Associate Director of Stewardship under Bill’s direction. In his short time with the Trust, Andrew has demonstrated high levels of skill and knowledge and his passion for land conservation is truly infectious! After presenting me with his long-term vision for the future of stewardship at the Trust, the choice was clear and Andrew has now become our new Director of Stewardship.


Mike Cranney has recently joined the Trust’s stewardship team as Preserve Manager and will be reporting to Andrew. Mike’s time will be divided among 3 main areas of responsibility:

  • Preserve management
  • Managing and working with volunteers
  • Easement monitoring

If you have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Andrew and Mike, I hope you soon will. They both share a passion for the land and connecting people with nature. I know they will be great assets to our community of conservationists in Willistown and beyond.


Andrew came to us from the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education where he was Land Stewardship Manager. As part of his duties, Andrew managed a 340-acre preserve, led trail projects, coordinated volunteer activities, and managed a retail native plant nursery.


Mike earned his MS in Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, where he gravitated toward work in the field. He interned at Morris Arboretum and worked there for a short time as a gardener. He loves to roll up his sleeves, lead volunteers and get his hands dirty, so this is a perfect role for him.


Please join me in wishing Andrew and Mike well in their new roles!

Shocking Report Illustrates the Importance of Land Protection

By

Yesterday an alarming study in the journal Science was released, which detailed the dramatic and shocking decline of birds in North America. Three billion birds have been lost in the last 50 years. This staggering drop includes not only threatened species, but also common ones like Eastern Meadowlark, Wood Thrush, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay and even Baltimore Oriole (like the one pictured here, banded this year at Rushton Woods Preserve).

For every 10 Baltimore Orioles in 1970,
4 have been lost since.

Meadowlarks rely on healthy grasslands for habitat, which have been disappearing as human development and agriculture spreads across the land. Making matters worse without those grasslands, which are also needed to filter stormwater runoff, waterways that birds also rely on are being contaminated.

For 40 years, Willistown Conservation Trust has been permanently protecting land to advance conservation, including the preservation of vital habitat. Our Bird Conservation Program has been using this land to help study birds and promote their protection, operating a banding station, studying their health. Most recently, the Bird Conservation Program and their partners have been among the leaders  in expanding the Motus Wildlife Tracking System throughout the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast United States. The Willistown Area has even been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society because of its habitat and biodiversity.

We will continue our fight to protect land and habitat that birds need to survive. And despite the frightening report, there are some things you can do to help. Here are a few simple actions you can take:

  • Keep cats indoors. It is estimated that domestic cats kill millions of birds every year.
  • Lobby your representatives in Washington, DC, to support the Migratory Bird Protection Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and other legislation that protects the environment.
  • Reduce (or better still eliminate) the use of pesticides (particularly neonicotinoids) and herbicides on your property.
  • Create habitat for birds in your own yard by maintaining shrub scrub, planting native plants, and providing water sources.
  • Participate in citizen science efforts to document bird populations.
  • Provide financial support to organizations that support bird conservation, like Willistown Conservation Trust.

While we are disheartened by the findings of this report, Willistown Conservation Trust is more motivated than ever before to continue our work to protect the land and the birds that rely on it.

We (and the birds) thank you for your continued support!

OUR NATURE PRESERVES

Our nature preserves are open to the public 365 days per year from sunrise to sunset, providing natural places that offer peace and respite for all. Willistown Conservation Trust owns and manages three nature preserves in the Willistown area - Ashbridge, Kirkwood and Rushton Woods Preserve. We maintain these lands for the … Learn more about our nature preserves.

Upcoming Events

No event found!
Load More

DONATE TODAY!

Invest in Nature! ENGAGE CONNECT SPONSOR LEAVE A LEGACY   If you would like to make a gift of securities, such as stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares, please contact us at 610-353-2562 for instructions. For more … Donate Today

WHERE WE WORK

The work of the Willistown Conservation Trust is concentrated on 28,000 acres of Willistown Township … read more