News, ideas, questions, and observations from Willistown Conservation Trust Staff as we use local conservation to make a broad impact.
YOUNG VOICES | Where Ideas Take Flight
Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) is committed to inspiring the next generation of conservationists through its immersive, experiential education initiatives. Throughout...
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From Data to Discovery: How Volunteers Are Safeguarding Our Watersheds
By Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program, Anna Walsh, Conservation Data andGIS Specialist and Sarah Barker, Watershed Program Technician...
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Kestrel Hill Preserve In Bloom: From Fallow Fields to Flourishing Meadows
By Mike Cranney, Director of Stewardship In 2024, WCT set out to restore roughly 25 acres of fallow farm fields...
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Connected by the Hive
By Noah Gress, Director of Community Farm Program People often ask at Rushton Farm, “How are the bees?” reflecting their...
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State of Our Streams Report: New Edition!
By Lauren McGrath Director of Watershed Protection Program, Anna Walsh, Conservation Data andGIS Specialist and Sarah Barker, Watershed Program Technician...
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Surveying Kestrel Hill: A Summer of Wildlife and Restoration
By: Ian Salisbury, Stewardship InternThis past summer, I had the privilege of being the Stewardship Intern here at Willistown Conservation...
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Crayfish, Tributaries & Microplastics: A Reflection on my Internship with Polygone Systems and Willistown Conservation Trust
By: DeJenae Smith Living in a densely populated city, the sight of a stray chip bag near a drain or...
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Home Is a Hanging Gourd: Purple Martins and the Spaces They Call Home
Article by: Aaron Coolman, Will Krohn, and Blake Goll | Video by: Julia Griffin https://videopress.com/v/cQbjw5YT?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Video by: Julia Griffin, Communications...
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Welcome Summer Interns!
Farm Hands Kayley graduated from Widener University with a degree in accounting. However, after spending three years working full-time on...
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Kudos to our kestrels: Saving Open Space for One of Nature’s Most Remarkable Raptors
Aaron Coolman holding a kestrel chick that is soon to be banded. Tucked within the sweeping grasslands of our region’s...
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A Love Letter to the American River Otter
By: Lauren McGrath American river otters (Lontra canadensis) are a highly sensitive and beautiful stream resident. Known for their charismatic...
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Testing the Waters (Literally!) of a Water Chemistry Career
By: Lauren Carroll Hello and happy Creek Week! My name is Lauren Carroll, and I am a senior at Conestoga...
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Reading the Riparian Zones: What Trees Reveal About Watersheds
By: DeJenae Smith If you want insight on the health of a body of water, having a laboratory or expensive...
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Secrets of a Photosynthetic Powerhouse: Diatoms in Detail
As a continuation of our previous blog post all about the wonderful world of microalgae, this piece will provide a...
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Mighty Microbes: Microalgae and Their Many Gifts
By: Sarah Barker You may have heard about algae – most likely in the context of its classification as an...
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Still Waters Run Deep – With Plastic: The Pervasive Particles in our Watersheds
By: DeJenae Smith Two months ago, if you asked me to define microplastics, I likely would have said “small pieces...
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Welcome to Creek Week 2025!
By: Lauren McGrath WCT’s Creek Week is a week-long celebration of the amazing water resources in our region and the...
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Willistown Conservation Trust Accreditation Renewal Public Notice
The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and...
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Rushton Woods Banding Station – 2024 Year in Review
The Fruits of Our Labors By: Bird Program Staff It’s hard to believe that fifteen years have passed since we...
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Beavers return to Ashbridge Preserve
By: Watershed Program Staff The first telltale signs of beaver (Castor canadensis) activity at Ashbridge Preserve, found in late October,...
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