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Back to School: Banding a purple martin colony

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About a 15-minute drive from Willistown Conservation Trust are the Glen Mills Schools (GMS). While this private institution is closed at the moment, the huge purple martin colony it hosts on its quadrangle is very much open for business.

Looking at the 32 purple martin houses on the GMS quad

The purple martins have been living on the school grounds since the 1970s and our Rushton bird conservation team has been helping band the colony for the past 10 years. There are also many chimney swifts in the numerous chimneys of the various 19th century school buildings.

Checking a nest box for nestlings

Volunteers joined together with members of GMS staff, led by Doris McGovern (who was key in establishing the Rushton Woods banding program), to make its annual visit to the campus to band nestlings on July 3, 2019. About a dozen volunteers inspected the 32 martin houses at GMS and very carefully banded 250 fat and healthy purple martin chicks.

Team receives a briefing

A colony of this size in a very accessible area presents a unique opportunity to band a large number of individuals in just a matter of a few hours. Just like the birds we band at Rushton Woods Preserve, these purple martins will provide valuable information for the study of dispersal, migration, survival rate, reproductive success, and population growth. For example, we know that some of the birds raised at GMS now reside as adults at Bob Lange’s Sugartown Strawberry Farm.

These were a little too small to band

Some purple martins prefer the gourd houses

For more information about our bird conservation program see https://wctrust.org/birds/. For more information about purple martins, visit the Purple Martin Conservation Association https://purplemartin.org

Bird Conservation program intern, Kristen Johnson, raises a nest box back up the pole so the adults can return to care for the young.

Stewardship program intern Laryssa Terleckyj helps the team keep track of the tiny bird bands.

Meet our Watershed Protection Program co-ops!

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Each summer, Willistown Conservation Trust hosts students who are pursuing degrees related to the conservation work we do here. We asked Maddy and Kacy, co-ops in our Watershed Protection Program, each a series of 5 questions. Here are their responses… Stay tuned for posts about other students working at the Trust this summer.

Kacy Reitnauer (l) and Maddy Sabo (r) – Behind them is a trap Maddy is using to study differences in insect habitat.

Kacy Reitnauer – Drexel University (Watershed)

1. What’s your major?

Major: environmental science with a concentration in ecology and conservation Minor: environmental studies

2. What interests you the most about working with Willistown Conservation Trust?

I am super excited to work for WCT and to learn about the inner workings of a non-profit land trust. The main goals of the Trust really resonate with me. I think it will be interesting to see how these goals and various projects are incorporated into education and outreach programs. 

3. What do you hope to learn during your co-op experience?

I am very interested to learn about the various tasks involved with watershed protection. I hope to gain a variety of skills related to freshwater ecology, water quality, and education and outreach.

4. If you could design your ideal job, what would it be?

My dream job would allow me to travel around the world to educate communities about environmental topics to instill environmental stewardship. I would love to work with nonprofits that are working to improve their communities and the environment. 

5. When you’re not doing science stuff, what do you like to do?
I enjoy cooking, camping, kayaking, going to concerts, and reading.

6. How do you hope to make an impact in your chosen career path?

By choosing a career in environmental science, I hope to inspire others to appreciate, respect, and learn about the natural world. I believe educating young people about the environment is key to establishing community based conservation and a sustainable future. 

Kacy and Maddy taking a well-deserved rest after helping plant 125+ trees to restore a riparian buffer zone in Ashbridge Preserve.

Maddy Sabo – Drexel University (Watershed)

1. What’s your major?

Environmental science

2. What interests you the most about working with Willistown Conservation Trust?

The thing that interests me the most about working with Willistown Conservation Trust is using science and preservation to connect with a surrounding community. I think it is so important to connect people with nature, and teach people of all ages about the importance of protecting the Earth. Science is a bridge and should be able to reach everyone, not just scientists. I am particularly interested in water conservation, which is something I will be devoting a lot of time to working with WCT and I’m very excited!

3. What do you hope to learn during your co-op experience?

Getting technical, I hope to learn a lot about macroinvertebrates and how they are used to analyze the quality of water. However, I am also hoping to learn more about how non-profits dedicated to conserving land function and meet the people that WCT impacts.

4. If you could design your ideal job, what would it be?

In the past couple of years I’ve found a passion for entomology. My dream job (although possibly not attainable) would be traveling to under-researched areas in the tropics where there are undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of undiscovered insects, and studying and documenting them. There is so much left to discover and so much more to learn in the field of entomology! 

5. When you’re not doing science stuff, what do you like to do?

When I’m not doing science stuff or anything school related I love to play games with my friends. Over the past four years we’ve come to have a pretty large collection of card and board games. I love the strategy and competition and creativity of them all. I also enjoy cooking and photography. And in any extra free time I walk dogs, where I get exercise, explore the different neighborhoods of Philadelphia, and get lots of puppy love

6. How do you hope to make an impact in your chosen career path?

I’ve chosen to study environmental science for one simple reason: I want to make a difference, even if it’s just a small one. I presume the how and where will grow and evolve with time as I do. That being said, I hope to somehow preserve the green space that remains and protect the incredible plants and animals that live there. There’s so much to learn and so much to do the opportunities are endless!

Return on Environment: The Economic Value of Protected Open Space in Chester County, PA

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Protected open spaces provide substantial economic, environmental, and health benefits to surrounding communities, but these benefits are often overlooked or undervalued in policy debates and investment decisions. A better understanding of these benefits can demonstrate how protected open space contributes to economic development and fiscal stability and can reverse the common misconception that conserved undeveloped land is non-productive and non-revenue producing.

Chester County’s open space preservation program began in the 1980s amidst a growing public concern that the county’s vistas and landscapes were disappearing in a tide of suburban sprawl. Chester County voters overwhelmingly passed a $50 million bond referendum in 1989 for open space preservation, and funding has continued ever since. As of the end of 2018, over 28% of Chester County’s land is preserved- a testament to the coordinated effort by County leadership, municipalities, nonprofit partners and supportive citizens.

Willistown Conservation Trust was proud to partner with Chester County and other major land conservancies active in Chester County, as well as the Chester County Economic Development Council and Chester County Association of Township Officials to produce a report that estimates the economic impact of the County’s robust open space preservation initiative.

Our own Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve are the subject of one of the case studies featured in the report. Please take a moment to review the full report, which clearly shows the significant and positive effects of open space.

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Here are some articles in local press covering the Return on Environment study:

Money May Grow on Trees After All

Chester County Open Space Report “Not Surprising.”

Preserving Open Space Fueling Chester County Economy

Thirty-Five Acres Near Kirkwood Preserve Now Permanently Protected

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An additional 780 feet of the Crum Creek are protected forever. An additional 780 feet of the Crum Creek are protected forever. Another view of the newly protected stretch of creek. Another view of the newly protected stretch of creek. Therese, David, and Carter Rawson. prepare to color their property green on the Trust's protected lands map as Erik Hetzel and Bonnie Van Alen look on. Therese, David, and Carter Rawson. prepare to color their property green on the Trust’s protected lands map as Erik Hetzel and Bonnie Van Alen look on. Another 10 acres of land are now permanently protected from development, thanks to the generosity and foresight of David, Therese and Carter Rawson, who donated a conservation easement conserving the land on October 22. What is remarkable about the easement is that this is the second easement the Rawsons have donated to the Trust, creating a total of 35 contiguous acres of Rawson family land in permanent protection. The newly protected 10-acre parcel includes 780 feet of Crum Creek and densely wooded floodplain near Kirkwood Preserve. The easement protects the sensitive areas near the creek, establishing a riparian buffer zone that ensures continuing protection for the area’s delicate ecology. With one primary residence existing on the property, it limits the size of the residence and prohibits the construction of additional primary residences and subdivision of the land. Restrictions on architectural details of future improvements, lighting, and fencing further ensure that the property will always be compatible with Chester County rural architecture. The easement also encompasses an equestrian and pedestrian trail easement, which leads to the Crum Creek. The Rawson’s generosity represents an significant gift to nature, contributing to clean water and providing healthy habitat for wildlife. As with all conservation easements, the protection granted in the easement will remain in perpetuity, even if the land is sold. As part of its mission, Willistown Conservation will visit the land annually to monitor its condition and ensure that the terms of the easement are upheld. People like the Rawson family, true heroes of the countryside, have permanently protected over 7,200 acres of the Willistown area from development. As shown by a recent census, efforts by land trusts like Willistown Conservation Trust have conserved a staggering 56 million acres across the nation, an area of protected land that is double the size of all the land in national parks across the lower 48 states. For more information about how we protect land, visit our land protection pages.

Ten More Acres on Grubbs Mill Road!

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Ben and Kate Etherington Ben and Kate Etherington The barn at Rooster Run Farm. The barn at Rooster Run Farm. Two of the Etherington children and the vegetable garden at Rooster Run Farm. Two of the Etherington children and the vegetable garden at Rooster Run Farm. Just a few of the farm animals at Rooster Run Farm. Just a few of the farm animals at Rooster Run Farm.

The Trust added 10 more acres to our growing collection of permanently conserved lands when Kate and Ben Etherington granted a conservation easement to the Trust in mid-October.  The conservation of their idyllic ten-acre Rooster Run Farm, located within the 316-acre “Leopard Tract” on Grubbs Mill Road, is a true gift to the community.

“I grew up on this farm, and I am truly fortunate to be able to raise my own family here. This conservation easement ensures that Rooster Run will remain intact forever, and continue to be home to creatures and wildlife for future generations,” said Kate Etherington. “And to be able to share it, by protecting the view of the landscape, and with an equestrian trail easement, is especially important to us.”

The conservation easement protects the scenic views of the landscape on the property and prevents future subdivision or construction of additional primary residences. The protection also includes an equestrian trail easement that will link to a future trail network envisioned for the area.

Kate and Ben live on the farm with their three young daughters. Rooster Run is also home to a menagerie of animals, including chickens, turkeys, ponies, goats and a pig named Daisy. Ben and Kate are keen vegetable gardeners, tending a large cultivated plot on the farm.

The Etheringtons have worked with the Trust to create an easement that can both protect their land and be used as a model by other Leopard Tract landowners, simplifying the process for those who wish to similarly conserve their land. It is our hope that they will be inspired by the Etherington’s generosity and vision and follow suit, granting their own easements to further protect the ecological resources and rural character of the area.

As with all conservation easements, the protection granted in the easement will remain in perpetuity, even if the land is sold. As part Willistown Conservation Trust’s mission, the land will be visited annually to monitor the condition of the property and ensure that the terms of the easement are upheld.

As shown by a recent census, land trusts like Willistown Conservation Trust have conserved a staggering 56 million acres across the nation, an area of protected land that is double the size of all the land in national parks across the lower 48 states. Learn more about how we protect land here.