WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Historic Sugartown & Willistown Conservation Trust: Where Preservation Meets Conservation

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Historic Sugartown and Willistown Conservation Trust are teaming up to offer a program that explores the preservation of the 19th-century village of Sugartown and places it in the larger context of historic preservation and land conservation in Chester County. Heather Reiffer, Executive Director of Historic Sugartown will offer a glimpse into the motivations of Historic Sugartown’s co-founders and the decision-making in the restoration of the village corner. Erik Hetzel, Director of Land Protection and Public Grants, will share the history and legacy of Willistown Conservation Trust’s efforts to protect land in Willistown Township, and how these efforts dovetail the preservation goals of Historic Sugartown. Jim Garrison, President of the Chester County Historic Preservation Network, will introduce the program, placing it in context with the goals of the Chester County Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Plan, Landscapes3.

Our connection to place is critical to who we are. Our communities – through historic places and landscapes — provide us with a deep sense of rootedness and identity.  So whether we are preserving a historic building or protecting a landscape, we play a critical role in providing a sense of belonging for our community. When gazing at the “sad, crumbling mess” across Sugartown Road, Historic Sugartown co-founder John C. Nagy didn’t see forlorn buildings, but the remnants of the once vibrant heart of Willistown’s community.  He and Penelope P. Wilson co-founded Historic Sugartown because they felt deeply that historic places serve as a bridge from the past into modern times.

American Woodcock

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American Woodcock. Photo by Mike Rosengarten.

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. 

The bird whisperer: Pennsylvania Game Commission's Lisa Williams leads the charge in ruffed grouse conservation, innovation - Dominion Post

Flappy Hour: Black Vultures in the Backyard

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We are excited to welcome Bracken Brown, Biologist-Naturalist at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, to join us and discuss the Black Vulture. Hawk Mountain is a leader on New World vulture research and has actively monitored and tracked both black and turkey vultures throughout their native ranges. In a time when many species are seeing widespread negative population trends black vultures are a species that has adopted and capitalized on an anthropogenic driven landscape and is seeing population and range expansion. This talk will share the variety of methods hawk mountain has employed to follow black vultures through their daily lives and how this data informs future trends within the population and best research techniques. The talk will also discuss the heavy overlap in human and vulture communities and potential causes and solutions to maintain a happy medium with these feathered highly intelligent, inquisitive, neighbors.”

Bracken Brown | grew up in the shadow of Hawk Mountain, and since his childhood has been engaged in the Sanctuary’s local trapping and monitoring projects, including the American Kestrel Nest Box Program, new world vulture research, and seasonal counts and surveys. In this position, Brown continues his efforts full time and assists in natural history monitoring and long-term research, conducting migration counts and surveys, and maintaining avian and GIS databases. Additionally, he will help with volunteer recruitment and public outreach. 

Road Salt and Its Impact on Fresh Water

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As winter quickly approaches so does the threat of salt pollution. Since the 1940s, salt has been the number one choice for fighting road ice in the United States. Over the last five years, PennDOT used an average of 844,000 tons of salt per year to keep Pennsylvania’s roads free of ice during the winter months. As effective as salt is at melting ice, it can cause major environmental problems after it washes off roads and into nearby waterways. Scientists have known for a long time that salt can be a serious pollutant in freshwater ecosystems, affecting multiple species of fish, insects, amphibians, and plants. More recent studies have shown that road salt is the main culprit of salt pollution in the northern United States.

According to a USGS survey, 84% of streams in urbanized areas of the northern United States have seen increases in chloride levels attributed to road salt. While 40% of streams have experienced levels that are considered dangerous to aquatic species. Furthermore, 29% of those streams have seen spikes in chloride levels during the winter that would make the water unsafe for drinking. 

Armed with this knowledge, PennDOT and local municipalities have made efforts to limit the amount of salt laid on roadways. PennDOT limits salt treatments to high-traffic areas and dangerous intersections or curves. At the same time, municipalities have started mixing sand in with salt to improve traction and reduce the overall amount of salt used. Unfortunately, these changes might not be enough as private businesses and homeowners still contribute significantly to the amount of salt introduced into the environment. Over-salting of sidewalks and parking lots is far too common since private snow shovelers are understandably more concerned with the safety of pedestrians than the environmental costs associated with using salt. 

However, there are ways to achieve a balance that prioritizes safety while also taking into account the risk of salt pollution. The most straightforward solution could be sweeping up salt from sidewalks after the ice has melted but before a snowmelt or rain event can wash the salt away. Not only does this prevent salt from reaching our freshwater ecosystems but the salt can be reused during the next snowstorm to save some money. Adding salt before snowfall rather than after is another technique that could reduce the amount of salt needed to keep sidewalks free from ice. Another option is to reduce the amount of salt used by cutting it with sand or even beet juice like some Canadian cities have successfully experimented with. All of these methods can be implemented by anyone who finds themselves shoveling snow during the winter.  

Even those of us who do not have any snow shoveling responsibilities can play a big part in addressing this issue. The Izaak Walton League is a national organization that trains citizen scientists to measure the amount of salt in their local streams, especially after snowstorms. This kind of data can help determine the local impact or source of salt pollution. Maybe more valuable, measurements collected by citizen scientists will increase the national dataset used to help scientists and policymakers make decisions about mitigating the effects of our increased reliance on road salt.

For more information about becoming a volunteer citizen scientist, you can visit iwla.org.

Kirkwood Sign Dedication

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Fifteen years ago, the 83-acre Kirkwood Preserve was established thanks to a public/private partnership that included Willistown Conservation Trust, Willistown Township, the Chester County Department of Open Space, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  On the misty autumn afternoon of October 26, 2020, we celebrated that momentous accomplishment with the dedication of a new sign and a small gathering of the visionary people who made it all possible. 

The story begins over 20 years ago when Willistown residents voted to approve the Open Space Referendum of 1999 and agreed to allow the Township to levy an additional 1/8% of Earned Income Tax to raise funds for the protection of land for recreation and preservation of the Township’s natural, agricultural, scenic, and historic resources.  Willistown’s Open Space Fund was established with these taxpayer revenues, and it was a significant contribution from the Township along with matching funds from Chester County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and generous private donors that enabled Willistown Conservation Trust to acquire the 83-acre Kirkwood Preserve.  The preserve was part of a much larger conservation effort that included the protection of Kirkwood Farm, a magnificent 324-acre property in the heart of the Trust’s program area.  Also known as the “Hardie Scott property”, Kirkwood Farm has always been considered the very essence of the Willistown countryside and defines the unique natural, scenic, and rural character of our area.

Bordering the Crum Creek and known for beautiful views from Grubbs Mill Road of its large grassland areas, rolling hills, mature woodlands, and wetlands along the creek, Kirkwood Preserve contains some of the most environmentally sensitive lands in the Township.  Willistown Conservation Trust manages the stewardship of the preserve, providing a protected habitat for nesting and foraging grassland birds such as the declining Eastern Meadowlark and the Bobolink.  Native tree plantings in the riparian areas and proper landscape management practices promote the health of the Crum Creek, which is designated as an Exceptional Value Stream.  Most importantly, Kirkwood is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset, allowing Township residents and others to enjoy its scenic natural beauty.  The acquisition of Kirkwood Preserve was a true public/private partnership and the direct result of Willistown residents choosing to see their tax dollars used for open space preservation.

Fast-forward to 2020, when a global pandemic has altered how we interact as humans and with nature.  Kirkwood Preserve is a place where Willistown residents can exercise, reflect, and safely interact outdoors in a time where indoor spaces are limited for such activities.  The physical and mental health benefits of being outside are well documented, and the availability of publicly-accessible open space is as important now as it has ever been.

The gathering at Kirkwood on October 26 was a celebration of a successful partnership that we hope to strengthen and use again to protect hundreds of more acres into the future.  Recalling the details of a complex and intricate process that ultimately resulted in the preservation of hundreds of acres of land, Willistown Conservation Trust’s Executive Director Bonnie Van Alen expressed her gratitude to the many players who made it happen.  “The Willistown Conservation Trust is exceedingly grateful to the conservation partners who have so magnanimously supported this acquisition.  First and foremost, our heartfelt thanks go to Willistown Township which made a very generous commitment from its Open Space Fund toward the acquisition.”

Also present at the gathering were current Township Supervisors William Shoemaker and Bob Lange, who, along with former Supervisor David Rawson, provided political leadership for the project at the time.  Each recalled their memories of the preserve’s acquisition, and all three hailed Willistown Conservation Trust’s successful efforts protecting open space in the Township.

Mary Hundt was working for Willistown Conservation Trust in the late 1990s and was instrumental in garnering public support for the Open Space Referendum, eventually seeing it result in the acquisition of Kirkwood.  Now, as Director of Parks and Recreation for Willistown Township, she is currently involved in the process of updating the Township’s Comprehensive Plan.  This will be the Township’s road map for managing growth and development over the next 10 years.  It will also guide the planning of important public amenities, like open space.  In recalling Township residents’ passion for saving open space when the referendum was approved, Mary explained that the same sentiment is strong in the community today.  “The Open Space Referendum of 1999 asking residents if they would agree to an additional tax to protect natural, scenic, and recreational resources passed with 80% of the vote, and the 2020 Comprehensive Plan Survey reveals that this strong preservation mindset in Willistown still stands today.  A total of 97% of Willistowners find the protection of open space, the environment, and scenic landscapes as important efforts with 80% defining them as “very important”.  The preservation of trails, passive recreation parkland, and historic buildings are important to 94% of Willistowners.  These statistics reinforce the overarching sentiment and desire of this community to protect such special places as Kirkwood Preserve.”

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.

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WHERE WE WORK

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