WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Hello Radnor: A New Conservation Easement

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By Erik Hetzel, Director of Land Protection and Public Grants

The main dwelling on the property faces southeast toward the pond. The two story building was constructed in multiple phases, with the earliest being 1767. Photo by Sue Costello.

On December 5, 2023, WCT accepted its first-ever donation of a conservation easement on a property located in Radnor Township, Delaware County. Thanks to the conservation vision of H. Ross Watson, his 5.6-acre property on Langdale Road known as “Frog Hollow” will be preserved for the benefit of its scenic, historic, and natural attributes and forever protected from further development. As natural areas and wildlife habitats in our communities become more and more fragmented due to increased development pressures, we are grateful for the generosity of private landowners like Mr. Watson who have chosen to preserve their land for the enjoyment of future generations of wildlife and people.

In another first for WCT, this conservation project was accomplished in partnership with the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, which concurrently accepted the donation of a preservation easement protecting the property’s historic buildings. The Preservation Alliance notes that Mr. Watson’s 18th-century home and other buildings on the site “contribute to the historic sense of place and feeling of the property, and represent a valuable example of a historic architectural style worthy of preservation.”

The conservation easement held by WCT will complement the work of the Preservation Alliance by protecting the property’s important ecological features and wildlife habitats, which include native and non-native non-invasive plant species, riparian resources associated with an unnamed tributary of Darby Creek, a spring-fed pond, wetlands, open grasslands, and steeply sloped woodlands.

Contact Erik Hetzel (ewh@wctrust.org) for more information on conservation easements.

WHAT IS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT? | A conservation easement is a flexible tool that protects land while leaving it in private ownership. It is a legal and binding agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization such as Willistown Conservation Trust. The easement is recorded with the deed to the property, applies to all future owners, and exists in perpetuity. As the holder of the easement, Willistown Conservation Trust agrees to see that the restrictions detailed in the easement are upheld forever. The landowner retains title to the property and continues to have all rights and obligations of ownership except for those rights specifically restricted under the terms of the easement. The retained rights include the right to sell, lease, bequeath, and subdivide the property subject to the terms of the easement.

WCT Preserves Watson Easement

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On December 5, 2023, WCT accepted its first-ever donation of a conservation easement on a property located in Radnor Township, Delaware County.  Thanks to the conservation vision of H. Ross Watson, his 5.6-acre property on Langdale Road known as “Frog Hollow” will be preserved for the benefit of its scenic, historic, and natural attributes and forever protected from further development.

In another first for WCT, this conservation project was accomplished in partnership with the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, which concurrently accepted the donation of a preservation easement protecting the property’s historic buildings.  The Preservation Alliance notes that Mr. Watson’s 18th-century home and other buildings on the site “contribute to the historic sense of place and feeling of the property, and represent a valuable example of a historic architectural style worthy of preservation.”

The conservation easement held by WCT will complement the work of the Preservation Alliance by protecting the property’s important ecological features and wildlife habitats, which include native and non-native non-invasive plant species, riparian resources associated with an unnamed tributary of Darby Creek, a spring-fed pond, wetlands, open grasslands, and steeply sloped woodlands.

The main dwelling on the property faces southeast toward the pond. The two story building was constructed in multiple phases, with the earliest being 1767.
Wetland vegetation marks the landscape transition to steeply sloped woodlands.
This unnamed tributary of Darby Creek is a prominent feature of the property.
The cold water spring-fed pond is home to an abundance of aquatic plants and wildlife.

Twenty Acres of Woodland Habitat Conserved

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In October 2023 longtime resident and Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) supporter Beverly Hattersley generously granted a conservation easement on her 20-acre property in Easttown Township. Mrs. Hattersley worked with Land Protection staff over the course of the past year to refine her vision for conservation. The property is part of the historic Leopard Tract, a 316-acre area of land bound by Grubbs Mill and Buttonwood Roads, bisected by Twinbrook Road. The tract, established in the 1920s, consists of properties 10-acres and larger. Originally under deed restriction, this oasis of open space in a rapidly suburbanized area includes woodlands, creeks, ponds, and open meadows. Several residents of the tract have elected to strengthen those original deed restrictions by placing conservation easements, to be upheld in perpetuity by WCT, on their land. Mrs. Hatterley’s property is adjacent to another 10-acre property under easement, creating 30 contiguous acres of permanently protected open space.

The Hattersley property contains two 10-acre parcels. Significant natural features include Grubb Mill Run, a tributary of Crum Creek; two small ponds associated with the creek; floodplain and sensitive riparian areas adjacent to the creek and ponds; mature woodland; and scenic views into the property from Twinbrook Road and nearby conserved lands. Under the easement, the residential building site on the undeveloped lot will be eliminated, ensuring that those woodlands remain intact, and further limitations on building size and impervious coverage have been established on the existing residential site.

“WCT is eternally grateful for landowners like Mrs. Hattersley who elect to restrict development on their property for the benefit of nature and the surrounding community.”, says Kate Etherington, Executive Director, “Thanks to her foresight, this special piece of woodland, home to owls, song birds, foxes, and other species, will remain intact forever.”

WCT works with landowners and properties of all sizes to create conservation plans. From 1-acre suburban landscapes to many hundred acre farms, WCT can customize conservation plans that meet the needs of the landowner while preserving land and habitat for generations to come. To learn more about our conservation efforts, reach out to Erik Hetzel, Director of Land Protection at ewh@wctrust.org.

The Historic Leopard Tract Map

Celebrating Preservation Month

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TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF LAND CONSERVATION IN THE WILLISTOWN COUNTRYSIDE

The Biden administration recently declared a national goal to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and freshwater, and another 30% of U.S. ocean areas by 2030. This initiative, referred to as 30×30, proposes an America the Beautiful campaign, described by the administration as a “ten-year, locally led campaign to conserve and restore the lands and waters upon which we all depend, and that bind us together as Americans.” It is through this lens that we reflect on the history of land conservation in the Willistown countryside.

The history of conservation under the auspices of Willistown Conservation Trust spans the past 40 years, but really, it’s based in a conservation ethic that goes back many years prior. It is a story of generations of people caring deeply for the land, with a passion for protecting it, not just to save open space, but to preserve the rich natural resources of our woodlands, rolling fields and stream valleys to benefit wildlife – and to share a deep connection to nature with people of all ages and backgrounds. It is a story that could not have happened without the loyal support – both moral and financial, of so many – for which all of us at the Trust are immensely grateful.

  • Willistown Program Area
  • The Willistown Countryside

Our program area consists of an oasis of interconnected open spaces, once referred to as Radnor Hunt country. Today it is defined by the headwaters of the Ridley, Crum and Darby creeks. It encompasses all of Willistown Township and parts of East Goshen, and Eastown Townships in Chester County, and portions of Newtown and Edgemont Townships in Delaware County. In its entirety, it comprises an area totaling approximately 28,000 acres, or almost 44 square miles.

Our 40-year history can be viewed in four important segments: the first being the early years under the umbrella of the Brandywine Conservancy in the 1980s; second, the establishment of Willistown Conservation Trust as its own independent organization; third, a period of growth that saw the expansion of land protection efforts resulting in hundreds of acres of preserved lands; and fourth, the emergence of our outreach and research programs.

In the beginning, it was the vision of our current executive director Bonnie Van Alen, along with her colleague and friend Kathe McCoy, to apply the principles of land conservation that were being used at the Brandywine Conservancy to lands in the Willistown countryside that were under threat of development. At that time, Brandywine Conservancy was being led by iconic conservationist Frolic Weymouth, whose legacy of land protection has inspired legions of conservationists to preserve the natural and cultural resources that make our area unique.

  • Kathe McCoy, Frolic Weymouth and Bonnie Van Alen
  • The Inaugural Board Meeting
  • Alice Hausmann and Bonnie Van Alen

Alice Hausmann joined the effort in 1985 and has been integral to the success of our organization ever since. It was in these early years that the Willistown Area Conservation Program was established, introducing the conservation projects that would eventually result in the creation of the Willistown Conservation Trust as we know it today.

The second segment of our organization’s history is marked by the “official” formation of the Willistown Conservation Trust as its own independent entity in 1996, with the blessing and encouragement of the Brandywine Conservancy.

In the early years, WCT occupied the “Blacksmith Shop” at White Horse Corner. We then moved across the street to the “Saddle Shop” before moving to our current office location in the farmhouse at 925 Providence Road, just south of White Horse Corner.

  • White Horse Corner Painting
  • Early Land Protection Staff Added
  • 925 Providence Road

This brings us to the third segment of our history, which was a period of vigorous growth in our land protection efforts through the early 2000s. We added land protection and stewardship staff, along with other positions to support our growing organization.

At this time, we were still primarily focused on land protection, i.e., getting private properties under easement. It was also during this time that we were acquiring lands that would eventually become our preserves at Ashbridge, Rushton Woods and Kirkwood.

This solid foundation of protected lands set the stage for the fourth and current era in the history of the Trust. During this time, we saw the emergence and evolution of our robust outreach and research programs, starting with the creation of Rushton Farm in 2008.

Rushton Farm

  • Rushton Farm
  • Bird Program
  • Watershed Program

Under the direction of Fred DeLong, the farm occupies six acres of tillable land at the Rushton Woods Preserve. Rushton Farm is a community magnet, with a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) operation at its core. The food grown at Rushton is enjoyed by CSA members who support the operation financially. Many also volunteer at the farm.

In addition, every week, in season, Fred takes a truckload of food to the West Chester Food Cupboard. Underpinning all of this, the farm is an agroecology laboratory and a demonstration platform for innovating and testing sustainable agricultural practices.

Bird Program

Lisa Kiziuk leads our Bird Program, which began as a banding station that has evolved into a full-blown research operation. The program is recognized internationally for sharing its valuable data about bird health, migration patterns and the importance of habitat preservation.

Watershed Program

Watershed Program Director Lauren McGrath studies the health of the watersheds in our program area (Ridley, Crum and Darby Creeks). Information gathered on the flora, fauna and hydrologic conditions of the creeks is sent to shared regional databases to help paint a bigger picture about the health of our waterways, which are an important source of drinking water for our region.

Education Programs

  • Education Programs
  • Rushton Conservation Center

Willistown’s protected lands are unique experiential learning places that make the study of science, ecology and agriculture come alive for students of all ages. Under the leadership of Education Programs Manager Blake Goll, these conserved open spaces are used to explore the connections among land, farm, birds, habitat and water. People come here to study our practices and model solutions for healthy food systems, bird conservation, habitat restoration and improved water quality. They are drawn to this special place to learn, become inspired and leave with a deeper commitment to save land and serve as stewards of our natural world. Over 1,000 children and adults participate in the Trust’s education programs annually.

Rushton Conservation Center

Our newest program is the Rushton Conservation Center, which extends our community reach even further. This building is a new addition to the Rushton Woods Preserve. It was finished in 2018 and is designed to host educational events, seminars, community gatherings and farm-to-table dinners, centered on themes connected to our mission. Lindsay Carlson is the program director at the RCC.

Where Do We Go From Here?

  • Conserved Lands in Willistown in 1979
  • Conserved Lands in Willistown Today, 2021

The growth of our organization and expansion of our special programs has not changed our core mission of Land Protection and Stewardship, currently under the direction of Erik Hetzel and Andrew Kirkpatrick, respectively. As committed as we have been to conservation over the last 40 years, we remain ever vigilant in our land preservation efforts and are inspired and energized by the “30×30” goal. While conservation happens locally, it has far reaching national and global impacts that we are only now beginning to understand. We look forward to the next chapter in our history as we strive to help achieve the ambitious vision of 30×30, and continue to devote ourselves to conservation for many years to come.

Kirkwood Sign Dedication

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Fifteen years ago, the 83-acre Kirkwood Preserve was established thanks to a public/private partnership that included Willistown Conservation Trust, Willistown Township, the Chester County Department of Open Space, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  On the misty autumn afternoon of October 26, 2020, we celebrated that momentous accomplishment with the dedication of a new sign and a small gathering of the visionary people who made it all possible. 

The story begins over 20 years ago when Willistown residents voted to approve the Open Space Referendum of 1999 and agreed to allow the Township to levy an additional 1/8% of Earned Income Tax to raise funds for the protection of land for recreation and preservation of the Township’s natural, agricultural, scenic, and historic resources.  Willistown’s Open Space Fund was established with these taxpayer revenues, and it was a significant contribution from the Township along with matching funds from Chester County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and generous private donors that enabled Willistown Conservation Trust to acquire the 83-acre Kirkwood Preserve.  The preserve was part of a much larger conservation effort that included the protection of Kirkwood Farm, a magnificent 324-acre property in the heart of the Trust’s program area.  Also known as the “Hardie Scott property”, Kirkwood Farm has always been considered the very essence of the Willistown countryside and defines the unique natural, scenic, and rural character of our area.

Bordering the Crum Creek and known for beautiful views from Grubbs Mill Road of its large grassland areas, rolling hills, mature woodlands, and wetlands along the creek, Kirkwood Preserve contains some of the most environmentally sensitive lands in the Township.  Willistown Conservation Trust manages the stewardship of the preserve, providing a protected habitat for nesting and foraging grassland birds such as the declining Eastern Meadowlark and the Bobolink.  Native tree plantings in the riparian areas and proper landscape management practices promote the health of the Crum Creek, which is designated as an Exceptional Value Stream.  Most importantly, Kirkwood is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset, allowing Township residents and others to enjoy its scenic natural beauty.  The acquisition of Kirkwood Preserve was a true public/private partnership and the direct result of Willistown residents choosing to see their tax dollars used for open space preservation.

Fast-forward to 2020, when a global pandemic has altered how we interact as humans and with nature.  Kirkwood Preserve is a place where Willistown residents can exercise, reflect, and safely interact outdoors in a time where indoor spaces are limited for such activities.  The physical and mental health benefits of being outside are well documented, and the availability of publicly-accessible open space is as important now as it has ever been.

The gathering at Kirkwood on October 26 was a celebration of a successful partnership that we hope to strengthen and use again to protect hundreds of more acres into the future.  Recalling the details of a complex and intricate process that ultimately resulted in the preservation of hundreds of acres of land, Willistown Conservation Trust’s Executive Director Bonnie Van Alen expressed her gratitude to the many players who made it happen.  “The Willistown Conservation Trust is exceedingly grateful to the conservation partners who have so magnanimously supported this acquisition.  First and foremost, our heartfelt thanks go to Willistown Township which made a very generous commitment from its Open Space Fund toward the acquisition.”

Also present at the gathering were current Township Supervisors William Shoemaker and Bob Lange, who, along with former Supervisor David Rawson, provided political leadership for the project at the time.  Each recalled their memories of the preserve’s acquisition, and all three hailed Willistown Conservation Trust’s successful efforts protecting open space in the Township.

Mary Hundt was working for Willistown Conservation Trust in the late 1990s and was instrumental in garnering public support for the Open Space Referendum, eventually seeing it result in the acquisition of Kirkwood.  Now, as Director of Parks and Recreation for Willistown Township, she is currently involved in the process of updating the Township’s Comprehensive Plan.  This will be the Township’s road map for managing growth and development over the next 10 years.  It will also guide the planning of important public amenities, like open space.  In recalling Township residents’ passion for saving open space when the referendum was approved, Mary explained that the same sentiment is strong in the community today.  “The Open Space Referendum of 1999 asking residents if they would agree to an additional tax to protect natural, scenic, and recreational resources passed with 80% of the vote, and the 2020 Comprehensive Plan Survey reveals that this strong preservation mindset in Willistown still stands today.  A total of 97% of Willistowners find the protection of open space, the environment, and scenic landscapes as important efforts with 80% defining them as “very important”.  The preservation of trails, passive recreation parkland, and historic buildings are important to 94% of Willistowners.  These statistics reinforce the overarching sentiment and desire of this community to protect such special places as Kirkwood Preserve.”