WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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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.”

Legacy of the Land: A History of Land Conservation in Willistown

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Trust’s Executive Director and co-founder Bonnie Van Alen, co-founder Alice Hausmann, and Director of Land Protection Erik Hetzel, discuss the history of land protection in our region. Bonnie, Alice, and Erik explore the history of our land and early days of conservation, including the founding of Willistown Conservation Trust. You will also learn more about conservation easements that have helped lead to the protection of more than 7,500 acres in the Willistown region, and ways you can contribute to land conservation in your own backyard.

Fifteen More Acres Protected Forever!

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The final conservation chapter to the 15-acre Stonehedge Farm at Plumsock and Goshen Roads in Willistown has finally concluded. The land is now protected from additional development forever.

      Many a trail rider or foxhunter is familiar with the fieldstone jump at the southeast corner of Plumsock and Goshen Roads that marks the equestrian entrance to Stonehedge Farm. It is a prominent landmark leading to the well-traveled trail that runs along the western border of the farm, parallel to Plumsock Road. Surrounded on all sides by conserved land, Stonehedge has long been considered a critical unprotected property in the Trust’s focal area.

       Much remains unchanged since the late 1700s in this particular corner of Willistown. Part of the original Okehocking Indian Land Grant, a 500-acre parcel of land given by William Penn to the Okehocking tribe, the first roads in Willistown were primarily Indian trails. As more people began to expand into Willistown, new cart paths were needed, and Goshen Road was laid out as the main thoroughfare between Philadelphia and Willistown. In 1929 Radnor Hunt moved to Willistown, bringing along Philadelphians desiring country estates. Stonehedge Farm and the surrounding protected land has long been an important route during fox hunts.

       Nearly 100 years later, Stonehedge Farm was put on the real estate market, and slated for subdivision and redevelopment. Thanks to the Trust’s partner conservation organization non-profit Delchester Group and its group of dedicated investors, the farm was purchased and marketed specifically to conservation buyers. The Stonehedge acquisition is the 16th community conservation partnership resulting in nearly 2,000 acres of land protected in this way.

       In August 2020 new owners purchased the property and donated an official conservation easement to Willistown Conservation Trust, forever protecting these 15 acres from future development. It was a love of open space and animals that prompted the family to consider moving outside of Philadelphia and into Willistown. When they found S Farm, it checked off many items on their wish list – access to nature, proximity to the city, a quiet country road, a body of water, and most importantly, surrounded by conserved open space. The family is very involved in farm animal rescue, and plan to build a small barn open to rescue “guests” as they wait for permanent homes. Further, the property’s proximity to Rushton Woods Preserve is a perfect place for their son, an avid birder, to spend his time.

       The farm enjoys diverse habitat types with open meadow, undisturbed hedgerows, a patch of woodland, a small freshwater pond, and a small tributary to the Ridley Creek known as Hibberd Run. These natural resources will be forever protected, conserving critical habitat for our native wild and plant life. Additionally, the 1.5 miles of equestrian trails, connecting to a larger network of neighboring trails, will continue to allow access to both recreational riders as well as foxhunters. Thank you to the generosity of Stonehedge Farm’s new owners, and welcome to our community of conservationists!

Unraveling the Mysteries of Migration with Motus Technology

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Since 2017 the Trust’s Bird Conservation Team along with its partners (the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, Project Owlnet, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve) has been working tirelessly to establish what is now the world’s second largest array of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System’s automated radio telemetry stations. Motus is a collaborative research project that uses a network of receiving stations to track the movements of birds and other small flying animals tagged with miniature radio transmitters. This cutting-edge technology has transformed our knowledge of bird migration. Watch this fascinating presentation from the Trust’s Bird Conservation Team to hear what researchers have begun to learn and how these discoveries can be shared to help further bird conservation in your community. Recorded on September 10, 2020.