WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Why Riparian Buffers are So Important & How You Can Help Them

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The areas surrounding streams, known as riparian buffers, are critical to the protection and health of these precious water resources. Intact riparian zones include vegetative buffers consisting of native trees and shrubs and  perform a variety of important functions such as stabilizing stream banks from erosion, shading stream waters to keep them cool and providing organic materials for insects, fish, and other wildlife. Over time, however, the development of our open spaces for housing, industry and conventional agriculture has led to a decline in the health of our streams, including significant reductions to the critically important riparian buffer zones surrounding them.

With help of community partners & volunteers, the Trust has added hundreds of trees and shrubs along the banks of the Crum and Ridley Creeks and their tributaries.

Depending on a property’s particular land use history, areas surrounding streams can look quite different. Some streams may still be protected by intact, dense forests while others may be lined with grassy banks and perhaps only a few trees and shrubs, if any. Given this variety, management strategies may range from preserving the existing woodland along a stream to the restoration and expansion of the buffer zones with additional plantings and the cessation of mowing along the stream banks.

Over the years, the Trust has partnered with numerous local landowners, schools, and other conservation organizations to improve our community’s riparian zones, adding hundreds of trees and shrubs along the banks of Crum and Ridley Creeks and their tributaries. When it comes to planning and executing a riparian buffer enhancement or restoration project, one key element is the selection of a variety of native tree and shrub species to increase the ecological diversity of the riparian area.

In 3 upcoming blog posts will provide information about enhancing riparian areas through the addition of native trees and shrubs, including tips for planning, implementing and maintaining riparian zones.

If you would like to learn more about planting in a riparian buffer zone and gain some practical planting experience, join us for one or more native tree planting days – May 29, 30 & 31 – at Ashbridge Preserve. More information and volunteer sign up for these upcoming plantings available soon!

What is a Conservation Easement?

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Landowners in the Willistown area are the primary stewards of the natural and historic heritage of our countryside. Fortunately, the use of conservation easements provides a flexible option for private landowners who wish to preserve the natural resources of their lands while still meeting their financial objectives. 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 the Willistown Conservation Trust. The easement exists in perpetuity, is recorded with the deed to the property, and applies to all future owners.

Land Preserved Forever

Conservation easements benefit the environment, the community, and the landowner. Chester County, with its abundance of open space and preserved land, published the Return on Environment study in May 2019. That report helps illustrate the many benefits of preserved land. The Trust was a proud participant in this report and you can learn more about it here on our website.

Willistown Conservation Trust walks landowners through the process, beginning with understanding the landowner’s individual needs and desires in planning for the future of your property. We will then work closely with you to design a Conservation Plan which will preserve the natural and scenic characteristics of your property, meet your specific financial objectives, and further the conservation goals of the Trust and the community.

To learn more about the easement process, read our publication Heroes of the Countryside or email Erik Hetzel, Director of Land Protection.

You Have Options

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Single-use cutlery, food containers, and straws are used for a few minutes and discarded to remain in the environment forever. Even compostable options have limitations. By choosing to refuse these single-use plastics, you can help set a precedent for sustainable alternatives and show others how easy it can be.

When dining out, try bringing your own straw for beverages and reusable containers for your leftovers. If you like getting takeout, try bringing a set of reusable cutlery with you. You can let the restaurant know that you don’t need plastic cutlery or straws.

At the grocery store, avoid plastic packaging when you can by bringing your own container to buy in bulk and refusing to buy products that are unnecessarily wrapped in plastic, like fruit. You can also avoid pre-packaged meat and deli products that are sold in plastic or on polystyrene trays by going to the counter or finding a local butcher that sells unpackaged items. Just remember to bring your own reusable container when you go shopping.

Even though Plastic Free July is coming to an end, saying no to single-use plastic is something we should consider doing every day. If we all pick a few plastic items to eliminate from our daily lives, together we can create a Plastic Free Watershed!

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Choose to refuse single-use coffee cups

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Plastic and paper coffee cups are not recyclable in most locations. Even ‘compostable’ cups are rarely composted as they require very specific facilities and conditions. 

Get your coffee in a refillable cup instead

You can easily avoid single-use coffee cups by bringing your own reusable alternative. There are many reusable coffee cups available on the market. Keep it in your bag or on your desk at work; wherever you’ll remember to use it. Bringing your own cup shows others how easy it is to reduce their waste and can create a new trend.

You don’t even need to purchase a special cup. You can bring a mug or jar from home – just be conscious of using items that can heat up or don’t travel well if you’re going far. Bring yours to your barista to fill with your morning caffeine. Some places will even give you a discount for bringing your own cup! If you forget your reusable cup and don’t have time to dine-in, consider going without. It might not be easy, but will probably mean you never forget again!

Take the the #PlasticFreeJuly challenge at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ and say no to single-use plastics. 

If you’re interested in other ways to help, keep an eye out for local stream cleanups to help create a plastic free watershed!

BYOB – Bring your own BAG

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The average family accumulates about 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store. The majority of these bags are not bio-degradable and can take 700 to 1,000 years to break down. A plastic bag from your neighborhood store might blow from a trash can into a storm drain before traveling through pipes into the Delaware River or a tributary.

Bringing your own shopping bags to the grocery store is a great way to reduce single-use plastics. But did you know there are alternatives to those plastic produce bags?

At our Rushton Farm we’ve even switched to biodegradable produce bags for our pickup days. Reusable mesh or cotton bags are a small investment and are available from many retailers.

This July, ditch plastic bags and bring your own reusable bags instead. Stash them in places where you’ll remember them like by your front door, in your purse, and trunk. 

Declare your independence from single-use plastic by participating in the Plastic Free July Challenge at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ Together we can create a Plastic Free Watershed!