The Campaign for Rushton Woods Preserve

April 14, 2021 By Tripp Way

THE NEED HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER
For over forty years, land conservation has been a primary focus of our mission resulting in more than 7,500 protected acres in the Willistown countryside. At Rushton Woods Preserve, we unite the Trust’s five core programs in Land Protection, Habitat Restoration, Sustainable Agriculture, Bird Conservation and Watershed.

RUSHTON WOODS PRESERVE BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER
At Rushton Woods Preserve, we have protected an extraordinary slice of nature, constructed an inspiring building, created compelling and effective programming, and assembled a talented staff. We need your support now to strengthen the Rushton Woods Preserve infrastructure and programs.

A $2,000,000 campaign to strengthen the Rushton Woods Preserve, to inspire in all who visit a deep commitment to save the land and preserve the natural world for our children and future generations.

Funds from the Campaign for Rushton Woods Preserve
will go towards:

ESTABLISH RUSHTON WOODS FUND FOR OUTREACH AND PROGRAMMING | $1,000,000

Our programs educate and inspire people to take action and make a difference. They require educated and talented staff, equipment with maintenance needs, and state-of-the-art curricula. This excellent programming has noticeable impacts on our participants. Both children and adults benefit from our workshops, presentations, guest speakers, research and events. Funding for this will be used to enhance:

• Land Protection & Stewardship
• Habitat Restoration
• Community Farm
• Bird Conservation
• Watershed Protection
• Research, Education,
Outreach & Events
• Equipment & Supplies
• Community engagement opportunities

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT STEWARDSHIP AND HABITAT RESTORATION PLAN | $425,000

Rushton Woods, like our other preserves, must be actively managed and maintained –both now and forever. It is home to healthy native habitats of early successional growth, northern hardwoods, meadows and grasslands and important riparian zones. Showcasing the Trust’s preserves as examples of healthy habitat while modeling land stewardship best practices is central to our mission. Funds for this will be used to:

• Develop a comprehensive Preserve Management Plan
• Restore & maintain 2.5 mile pedestrian and equestrian trail network (considering future connectivity to trails beyond preserve boundaries)
• Restore all represented habitats for maximum benefit to wildlife and people
• Improve habitat quality to support maximum diversity of species
• Increase opportunities for outdoor learning and field experience
• Capacity for carbon storage and sequestration

DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PRESERVE ACCESS AND CIRCULATION PLAN | $175,000

The addition of the Rushton Conservation Center has exponentially increased the Trust’s outreach. The new building brings thoughtful leaders from near and far to discuss pertinent topics such as habitat, wildlife, land protection, stewardship and climate change, It also serves as a place for children and adults to learn about our work and the importance of conservation. As our programs grow and our outreach expands, the Preserve Access and Circulation Plan will address:

• Expanded parking at the Rushton Conservation Center
• Improved parking at Rushton Farm
• Access to farm outbuildings including tractor barn
• Water and electric to tractor barn
• Pedestrian pathway from farm to Rushton Conservation Center
• Interpretive signage and appropriate lighting

RESTORE HISTORIC WHITE FARMHOUSE FOR INTERNS AND VISITING CONSERVATIONISTS | $400,000

The White Farmhouse is a historic residence adjacent
to the newly built Rushton Conservation Center. The Farmhouse provides housing for interns and co-op students, aspiring farmers, biologists and researchers who work at Rushton Woods Preserve. Renovating the White Farmhouse will allow us to attract high-caliber staff and visiting conservationists for years to come. Funding will provide for:

• New roof and front entrance porch
• New siding and removal of old asbestos siding
• New fenestration and doors
• Interior renovation for optimal living space
• Exterior landscaping and privacy screening

For more information about the Campaign for Rushton Woods Preserve contact Tripp Way at development@wctrust.org.

American Woodcock

March 22, 2021 By Tripp Way

American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor)

An Interview with Lisa Williams, Ruffed Grouse, American Woodcock, and Webless Migratory Game Bird Specialist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Have you ever had the opportunity to witness the skydance courtship display of the American Woodcock? Every spring a few lucky birders are blessed with the opportunity to witness the iconic, erratic, and twirling mating dance of the American Woodcock. Migrant Woodcock return north from their southern wintering grounds to find suitable nesting habitat – and mates. Woodcock find open areas on the edges of early successional habitat to feed, rest, and breed. We were able to ask Lisa Williams, the Ruffed Grouse, Woodcock and Webless Migratory Game Bird Specialist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission a few questions about woodcock and their quirky habits, as well as get a few tips and tricks for you to see more Woodcock this spring.

Where should we look for spring woodcock?

“Flat brushy fields, brush thickets, and field edges with moist soils.”

What is the peak time?

“The best time to observe Woodcock is up to an hour after sunset. Beginning about 20 minutes after sunset, males begin an elaborate courtship display that lasts for 30-40 minutes. They display during both twilight periods of the day (dusk and dawn), with the dusk display period lasting longer than the dawn period. If you can position yourself to have the bird displaying between you and the western sky, you will enjoy the best views.”

When is the peak migration?

“Peak migration is occurring now. The first wave of migrants began arriving in southern Pennsylvania in late February and birds had reached the New York border by March 10th. Migration will continue for the next month, with resident birds settling down to nest by mid-April.

When will they nest?

“Nesting typically begins in April, with peak nesting initiation beginning in mid-April. Some nests can show up as early as late March, but earlier nests have a higher failure rate.”

How are Woodcock populations?

“Slowly declining across the US due to the conversion of their brushy habitat to agriculture, or commercial/ residential development. Brushy thickets are an ‘unloved’ habitat but are critically important to many birds.”

Is there any backyard habitat that can be done for Woodcock?

Planting native shrubs in clumps along field edges. Woodcock nest near the open fields where the courtship displays occur. So if you have displaying woodcock on your property or in a local park, working to establish native shrubs as clumps in the field or along the perimeter is highly beneficial. Providing native shrubs while eliminating invasive shrubs such as honeysuckle, multi-flora rose, autumn olive and barberry provides even more benefit, as there is evidence that non-native shrubs can actually reduce woodcock nest success because they form a dense canopy that can inhibit the hen’s ability to flush to safety when threatened.

What is the state doing for Woodcock habitat?

“Public Land Managers in the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Allegheny National Forest are working hard to regenerate young forests and improve habitat quality for ground nesting birds like Golden-Winged Warblers, Woodcock, and Grouse. This is done through a combination of mature timber harvest, prescribed fire, and forest improvement activities. However, 87% of the forest in PA is privately owned, so the State cannot conserve shrub-associated species alone. The work of private landowners is key to statewide, long term success in supporting young forest species.”

Is the suburban Philadelphia area an important stopover for Woodcock?

“OH MY, YES!!!! An ongoing multi-state migration study of woodcock indicates that Southeast Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia area, in particular, is critically important for migrating woodcock who need to stop over to refuel. Improving habitat and working to support dark night skies (“lights out” programs) can really improve the odds for migrants who need a safe haven during their journey.

Visit our Preserves! To find Woodcock this spring, head to Rushton Woods Preserve and wait patiently along the edges of the hedgerows at dawn and dusk. Another excellent spot is Ashbridge Preserve along the edges of the western fields and brushy stream edges. For maps and locations of these preserves visit, https://wctrust.org/land/preserves/ and for questions please email land@wctrust.org

https://wctbirds.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/justin-thompson-with-woodcock.jpg — Justin Thompson holds a Woodcock banded at Rushton Woods Banding Station. This bird aged as an adult male as evidenced by the shorter bill length and stubbier wings. The outer primary feathers of Woodcock give their flight the nice twittering sound heard when they erupt from the forest floor and whirl through the sky. Notice the prehensile bill tip that these birds use to feel and grasp earthworms while probing in the soil. With big beady eyes to see in the dark and precisely camouflaged leaf-like coloring, this bird is a spectacular and cryptic beauty! Two Woodcock have been banded at Rushton Bird Banding Station since 2010, for more information about Bird Banding and our Ten Year Banding Report, please visit https://wctrust.org/birds/.

About Lisa Williams | Lisa Williams received her B.S. in Ecology/Environmental Studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon PA and her M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Penn State University. Lisa is currently the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s program biologist for ruffed grouse and webless migratory game birds, with research and management expertise working in young forest habitats. For her work on grouse and West Nile Virus, Lisa received the Governor’s Award for Excellence and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Ernest Thompson Seton Award in 2020.