WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Welcome to the Willistown Conservation Trust Blog

News, ideas, questions, and observations from Willistown Conservation Trust Staff as we use local conservation to make a broad impact.

Conservation Stewardship

Request for Proposal | Rushton Woods Preserve

Andrew Kirkpatrick / January 25, 2023
ProjectWillistown Conservation Trust is seeking proposals for the design, permitting, and construction of a bioretention basin with level spreader and...
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Watershed

Watershed Holiday Gift Guide

Watershed Protection Team / December 20, 2022
Check out some of our favorite watershed-themed gifts by clicking the photos to shop! And don't forget to shop local!...
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Education Watershed

Help Keep our Drinking Water Clean by Reducing Salt Pollution

Anna Willig / December 15, 2022
By WCT Conservation Research and Data Specialist Anna WilligCover Photo by Jennifer Mathes Salt levels, often measured as chloride concentration,...
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Conservation Nature Science Volunteers Watershed

Capturing a Snapshot of Darby Creek

Anna Willig / December 7, 2022
By WCT Conservation Research and Data Specialist Anna Willig  At the beginning of November, the Watershed Protection Program at Willistown...
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Rushton Conservation Center Sustainable Agriculture Volunteers

Market in the Meadow Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Communications Team / December 6, 2022
This recipe comes from What's Gaby Cooking. You all loved our Vegetarian Chili from Market in the Meadow, so we...
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Bird Banding Bird Conservation Conservation Nature Staff

My Conservation Journey: A Tale of Two Countries

Bird Conservation Team / December 1, 2022
By WCT Bird Conservation Associate Phillys N. Gichuru My first memorable conservation experience was when, as an undergrad, my population...
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Education Science Staff Volunteers Watershed

Fish Shocking

Lauren McGrath / November 29, 2022
On Saturday, October 22, the Watershed Protection Program joined scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University’s Fisheries...
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Conservation Land Protection Nature Preserves Stewardship Trails

Chester County Commissioners, PA DCNR, Willistown Conservation Trust, and Willistown Township Celebrate 12-Acre Addition to Kirkwood Preserve

Monica McQuail / November 2, 2022
Photo from L to R: Julie Graham (WCT), Drew Gilchrist (PA DCNR), Judy Thomas (Chester County Parks & Preservation), Jeanne...
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Staff

Your Voice is Valued! Help us Complete Our DEI Audit so Our Organization can Improve its Practices

Communications Team / October 31, 2022
In 2020 Willistown Conservation Trust made a renewed commitment to its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. As our society...
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Conservation Education Land Protection

2022 Lenape Sojourn

Lauren McGrath / September 29, 2022
By Watershed Protection Program Director Lauren McGrath; Photos by Kate Etherington On August 16, 2022, Executive Director Kate Etherington and...
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Education Science Watershed

State of Our Streams Report Chapter 4: Alkalinity and Hardness

Watershed Protection Team / August 24, 2022
By Anna Willig and Lauren McGrath | Willistown Conservation Trust Watershed Protection Program Cover Photo by Jennifer Mathes Since 2018, the...
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Education Science Watershed

State of Our Streams Report Chapter 3: Specific Conductivity, Chloride, and Nutrients

CommIntern / August 17, 2022
By Anna Willig and Lauren McGrath | Willistown Conservation Trust Watershed Protection Program Cover Photo by Jennifer Mathes Since 2018, the...
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Science Watershed

State of Our Streams Report Chapter 2: Physical Stream Parameters

Watershed Protection Team / August 10, 2022
By Anna Willig and Lauren McGrath | Willistown Conservation Trust Watershed Protection Program Cover Photo by the Watershed Protection Team Since...
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Science Watershed

State of Our Streams Report Chapter 1: Introduction and Basic Stream Parameters

Watershed Protection Team / August 3, 2022
By Anna Willig and Lauren McGrath | Willistown Conservation Trust Watershed Protection Program Cover Photo by Jennifer Mathes The focus...
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Bird Banding Bird Conservation Farm

Rushton Farm’s First Purple Martins

Aaron Coolman / July 28, 2022
Purple Martins at the Rushton Farm hotel this spring. Photo by Aaron Coolman Eight years ago, our Bird Conservation Program...
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Nature Science Watershed

Project Plastic and the Hunt for Microplastics

Watershed Protection Team / July 27, 2022
By Amy Amatya of Project Plastic Some of the greatest challenges humanity faces today — pandemics, climate change, water contamination...
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Plastic Free July

Plastic Free July Local Lessons from The Przybylowski Family

Communications Team / July 22, 2022
During this year’s Plastic Free July, the Trust is committing to going plastic free and highlighting tips and tricks to...
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Education Plastic Free July Watershed

Microplastics: The ever present contaminant

Watershed Protection Team / July 20, 2022
By Watershed Protection Program Co-Op Vincent Liu Large-scale plastic production has been around since the 1950s, and while plastics existed...
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Education Plastic Free July

Reducing Single-Use Plastics | What You Can Do to Help

CommIntern / July 14, 2022
By Outreach & Communications Intern Niya Moss Most people find single-use plastics simple and convenient, but there are alternative, more...
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Education Plastic Free July

Save the Humans! | The Dangers of Plastic Pollution

CommIntern / July 13, 2022
By Outreach & Communications Intern Niya Moss When people think of plastic pollution, their first thought is usually “save the...
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Plastic Free July Resources
Plastic Free July Watershed

Plastic Free July Resources

Watershed Protection Team / June 30, 2021
Watch A Plastic Ocean | You may remember this documentary from our film presentation - it's now available on Netflix!Plastic...
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WCT Goes Plastic Free!
Plastic Free July Staff

WCT Goes Plastic Free!

Monica McQuail / June 30, 2021
This month of July, the entire staff of Willistown Conservation Trust is taking the challenge to go plastic free for...
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Creek Week: Harmful Algae Blooms
Nature Science

Creek Week: Harmful Algae Blooms

Watershed Protection Team / June 25, 2021
The arrival of warm weather means summer is coming and peak swimming season is right around the corner. However, when...
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Creek Week: Agricultural Grazing & Its Impact on Streams
Nature Science Watershed

Creek Week: Agricultural Grazing & Its Impact on Streams

Watershed Protection Team / June 24, 2021
Headwaters throughout the United States constantly face many pressures that threaten their integrity. New housing developments, new roads, yards and...
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Creek Week: A Hidden Stream Engineer
Nature Science Watershed

Creek Week: A Hidden Stream Engineer

Watershed Protection Team / June 24, 2021
Ecosystem engineers are species that change the habitats in which they live. In the Trust’s program area, one ecosystem engineer...
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Creek Week: Crayfish Commotion
Nature Science Watershed

Creek Week: Crayfish Commotion

Watershed Protection Team / June 23, 2021
Chester County is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes on the east coast with its rolling hills, beautiful...
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Creek Week: Beaver Business
Nature Science Watershed

Creek Week: Beaver Business

Watershed Protection Team / June 22, 2021
In the middle of our spring tree planting, the Watershed Protection Team had quite the surprise when we spotted evidence...
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Creek Week: The Trouble With Lawns
Nature Science Watershed

Creek Week: The Trouble With Lawns

Watershed Protection Team / June 21, 2021
Few landscape features define American suburbia like the lawn. Drive through a neighborhood anywhere in the US and you are...
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Celebrating Preservation Month
Conservation Land Protection Nature at Night Stewardship Uncategorized

Celebrating Preservation Month

Erik Hetzel / May 25, 2021
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF LAND CONSERVATION IN THE WILLISTOWN COUNTRYSIDE The Biden administration...
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Historic Sugartown & Willistown Conservation Trust: Where Preservation Meets Conservation
Conservation Nature at Night Uncategorized

Historic Sugartown & Willistown Conservation Trust: Where Preservation Meets Conservation

Communications Team / May 14, 2021
Historic Sugartown and Willistown Conservation Trust are teaming up to offer a program that explores the preservation of the 19th-century...
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Stream Exploration: Discovering Ridley Creek
Uncategorized

Stream Exploration: Discovering Ridley Creek

Communications Team / April 23, 2021
Do you know what watershed you live in? Ridley Creek is a historically important waterway and continues to play a...
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The Power of Trees in a Watershed
Stewardship Tree Planting Volunteers Watershed

The Power of Trees in a Watershed

Lauren McGrath / April 20, 2021
Trees that grow along waterways play a critical role in maintaining a healthy stream or river. Trees provide a huge...
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Darby Creek Headwaters Monitoring Program
Citizen Science Watershed

Darby Creek Headwaters Monitoring Program

Lauren McGrath / April 14, 2021
The Watershed Protection Program has teamed up with Darby Creek Valley Association (DCVA) and Stroud Water Research Center to create...
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The Campaign for Rushton Woods Preserve
Uncategorized

The Campaign for Rushton Woods Preserve

Tripp Way / April 14, 2021
THE NEED HAS NEVER BEEN GREATERFor over forty years, land conservation has been a primary focus of our mission resulting...
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Nature at Night: Native Plants for Your Landscape
Native Plants Nature Nature at Night Nature Education Nature Preserves Stewardship Uncategorized

Nature at Night: Native Plants for Your Landscape

Communications Team / April 9, 2021
What if you treated your backyard as a piece of the larger mosaic of a habitat and added native plants...
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Willistown Conservation Trust Welcomes 12 Student Interns This Season
Education Interns, Co-Ops

Willistown Conservation Trust Welcomes 12 Student Interns This Season

Communications Team / April 2, 2021
Internships are an integral part of Willistown Conservation Trust’s (WCT) work. Each year hardworking students join our team and bring...
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Joan Swirsky
Bird Banding Bird Conservation Stewardship Volunteers

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Joan Swirsky

Mike Cranney / March 30, 2021
Since the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) stewardship team began our weekly volunteer days last year, Joan has been our most...
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Sharpen Your Knife Skills for Spring Cooking!
Culinary Event

Sharpen Your Knife Skills for Spring Cooking!

Communications Team / March 22, 2021
We are thrilled to welcome chef Donna Laveran back to the Rushton Conservation Center and resume our sustainable cooking series!...
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American Woodcock
Bird Conservation Conservation Nature

American Woodcock

Tripp Way / March 22, 2021
American Woodcock. Photo by Mike Rosengarten. American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor) An Interview with Lisa Williams, Ruffed Grouse, American Woodcock, and Webless...
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Nature at Night: Ornithology 101 (Part 1&2)
Bird Banding Bird Conservation Bird Events Nature at Night

Nature at Night: Ornithology 101 (Part 1&2)

Communications Team / March 19, 2021
Join Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager, for a virtual two-part session that introduces the study of birds. We will begin...
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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

02 February

Winter Stewardship Volunteer Days | Contact us to Join!

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09 February

Winter Stewardship Volunteer Days | Contact us to Join!

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10 February
Rushton Conservation Center

Rejuvenate at Rushton Wellness Retreat

915 Delchester Road, Newtown Square, PA

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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

CONTACT

925 Providence Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(610) 353-2562
land@wctrust.org

WHERE WE WORK

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

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