WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Introducing WCT’s Strategic Plan

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STRATEGIC PLAN | 2023-2025
Saving, Studying, and Sharing Land, Water, and Habitat


WHERE HAVE WE BEEN?

Land conservation efforts have been underway in the Willistown area for over 40 years. A satellite program of Brandywine Conservancy, formed in 1979, was known as the Willistown Area Conservation Program. With the encouragement of the community and key local conservation leaders, Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) became an independent, community based land trust in 1996 with a committed and active Board of Trustees.

Using the Crum, Ridley, and Darby Creek watersheds as a boundary guide, WCT’s traditional program area encompasses 28,000 acres in Chester County and portions of Delaware County, and is located approximately 20 miles west of Philadelphia. Despite tremendous growth pressures that have converted many neighboring communities into vast tracts of sprawl development, the WCT program area still remains largely an oasis of green space.

Successful land conservation and stewardship paved the way for major growth within the organization. Since its founding, WCT has grown to include a suite of activities focused on science, stewardship, education, and community engagement. In addition to Land Conservation and Land Stewardship, these core activities include Bird Conservation, Community Farm, Watershed Protection, and Outreach and Education. This holistic approach to conservation explores the connections among land, birds, habitat, agriculture, and water, and educates the public on these connections.

Our land protection and stewardship efforts have been focused on the Willistown area; however, our work has a regional and national impact on conservation.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Over the next three years, as our land protection efforts thrive and new opportunities in our traditional program area diminish, we anticipate a growing emphasis on habitat conservation and restoration, education and community outreach. Within these conserved lands, we will use our growing body of research in bird, water, and agro-ecology to inform best practices and engage with the community to educate and inspire an ethos of conservation and care of our land, waters, and habitat where wildlife thrives. In addition, we will identify and consider land protection and conservation opportunities outside of our traditional program area that fulfill service gaps in surrounding communities and meet vital conservation needs, as we interact and collaborate with new communities and organizations.

We will continue to be a robust organization that is well established, broadly supported, and attracts leaders at the forefront of the conservation field. Our science-based programs will contribute research to inform conservation priorities and best practices on a regional, national and international scale. We will attract a diverse group of staff, Trustees, and volunteers who are deeply committed to the mission of WCT and bring a variety of perspectives, skills, and experiences to our work. We will offer robust community and educational programs that attract a wide swath of participants. We will use our established expertise and connections for the conservation benefit of communities outside our traditional area of focus.

To read our Strategic Plan in full, click the cover below:

Help Keep our Drinking Water Clean by Reducing Salt Pollution

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By WCT Conservation Research and Data Specialist Anna Willig
Cover Photo by Jennifer Mathes

Salt levels, often measured as chloride concentration, have increased dramatically in U.S. streams since the 1940s, when it became common practice in the U.S. to salt roads during winter storms. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation applies over 800,000 tons of road salt per year to state roads in addition to a similar amount applied by municipalities and private citizens. These numbers add up to over 1.5 million tons of road salt applied per year in Pennsylvania alone, all of which eventually ends up in waterways. Though salt is naturally present in streams at trace concentrations due to the weathering of rocks and soils, the insects, fish, mussels, and amphibians that live in local waterways cannot tolerate the spikes in salt concentration that occur in winter.

Road salts threaten streams in two ways. During and after a winter storm, salt concentrations in streams can skyrocket as salty meltwater rushes in, creating conditions that are acutely toxic for fish and other stream creatures. Salts also build up in soils and in groundwater, slowly entering streams throughout the year and resulting in chronically elevated salt concentrations. Many stream organisms, particularly freshwater mussels, cannot tolerate these long-term increases in salt concentration and gradually disappear from streams.  

In the streams in the Willistown region, we have seen both acute spikes in salt concentration and evidence of chronic build-up through our monthly water quality monitoring program  in the headwaters of Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks. Chloride concentration, an indicator of salt pollution, is typically highest in winter months, with a notable spike occurring in February 2021. The spike in February 2021 was caused by snowmelt actively washing road salts into the streams. Chloride concentrations remain elevated throughout the year, often exceeding 50 mg/L, the maximum salt threshold that the most sensitive stream organisms can tolerate. 

Figure 1. Chloride concentration, an indicator of salt contamination, in the headwaters of Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks. All the red points indicate sample sites in Ridley Creek, the green points indicate sample sites in Crum Creek, and the blue points indicate a sample site in Darby Creek. 

Salt contamination in streams also harms human health and infrastructure. Road salt can end up in drinking water wells and water supplies and often is not removed by water treatments facilities. As salts move through the environment, they can pick up other pollutants along the way, further contaminating streams and drinking water. Salts also speed up the corrosion of metal pipes and concrete, shortening the lifespan of infrastructure. Similarly, overuse of salt rusts and corrodes cars, leading to expensive repairs. 

While road salt is necessary for safety, here are some ways to reduce salt pollution:

  • Shovel before applying salt. Even on cold days, the sun can still melt a thin layer of snow and may take care of the problem for you.
  • Do not use more than the recommended amount of salt. Only 1 mug full of salt, or 12 oz., is required to melt a 20-foot-long driveway. Read the instructions on your bag to see how much you need. 
  • If you feel crunching when you walk, you applied too much! Salt only works when it dissolves, so all the crystals that you feel crunching underfoot are not actually melting snow and ice. 
  • After the snow and ice have melted, sweep up any remaining salt! Save it and apply it during the next storm. 
  • Report large piles of salt on roads to your local municipality.
  • Share information about road salt and encourage your neighbors to use less!

To learn more about how to reduce salt pollution, check out these resources: 

Fish Shocking

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On Saturday, October 22, the Watershed Protection Program joined scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University’s Fisheries Team (ANS) to survey for fish in Ridley Creek at Ashbridge Preserve. It was a beautiful Saturday morning — crisp, bright, and perfect for learning more about the wildlife that calls Ridley Creek home! This event provided a unique opportunity to get a fish’s eye view of stream health, and it would not have been possible without the wonderful support of the talented Fisheries Team members Dr. David Keller and Paul Overbeck.

The morning started with a primer on fish survey protocols. Paul walked volunteers through the mechanics of electrofishing, a sampling technique where a small electric current is passed through the water to stun fish just long enough to be scooped up in a net and placed in a bucket. The scientists headed into Ridley Creek and began to survey, and immediately there was action in the water! 

As stunned fish began to fill the buckets, they were brought to shore and placed in aquariums to be studied. Within a short period of time, over 10 species of fish, crustaceans, and amphibians were documented. The Fisheries scientists quickly began to identify the wildlife and share what the presence of these creatures means for the ecosystem of Ridley Creek and surrounding landscape. Once the fish were observed in the aquariums, they were all safely released back into Ridley Creek. 

Included in the fishes that were identified was the American eel (Anguilla rostrata), a fish that migrates thousands of miles in its lifetime. This fish breeds in the Sargasso sea and migrates to headwater ecosystems — like at Ashbridge Preserve — where they can live over 25 years before completing their migration. The presence of this incredible fish showcases the connectivity of Ridley Creek with no large barriers to stop their movement to and from the Atlantic Ocean. American eel populations are declining due to large dams that block their migration, contribute to habitat loss, and overfishing of young eels.

Another fascinating fish present in the stream is the cutlip minnow (Exoglossum maxillingua). These fish are easy to identify up close, with a specially adapted three lobed, lower lip. These fish prefer gravel and rocky bottomed streams and are unable to thrive in polluted waterways where fine sediment buries rocky habitat. 

Black nose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) are one of the most visibly common fishes in the headwaters of Ridley Creek and were abundant in the sample collected by ANS scientists! These fish are small, with big fish growing to be less than 4 inches long, but they school in shallow clear waters and can often be seen from the stepping stones at Ashbridge Preserve.

Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) is the largest minnow native to eastern North America and they are abundant in the Ridley Creek headwaters! They are excellent targets for anglers, and their energetic behavior has earned them the nickname “freshwater tarpon.”

Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris) is well known to anglers as a sport fish, but this fish is actually an introduced species in Pennsylvania waterways! Since being introduced some time in the 1880s, they are actively stocked in waterways throughout the state.  

In addition to the fish that were sampled from Ridley Creek, ANS brought preserved specimens of fish of interest, including the northern snakehead (Channa argus), an aggressive invasive fish that has been spreading throughout the Delaware River watershed. 

This exciting and fascinating experience highlighted the importance of the ways that our activities on the landscape impacts the many lifeforms that call Ridley Creek home. The presence or absence of different species of fish can inform researchers of the health of Ridley Creek. There is a clear relationship with the development of the landscape and the decreasing health of freshwater ecosystems resulting in the loss of indicator species. As species disappear from the ecosystem, the entire system becomes weaker. As we head into a future that includes more frequent large storms, it is important that we focus on understanding how we can strengthen and improve the health of our systems to create resilience — the first step in this process is looking at who is present in the ecosystem. 

A huge thanks to the Fisheries Team for sharing their immense knowledge and skill! Click here to learn more about ongoing Fisheries research!

For more information on the research being conducted by the Watershed Protection Program and the lessons we have been learning about water quality in Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks, please explore the State of Our Streams Report.

— By Watershed Protection Program Director Lauren McGrath

2022 Lenape Sojourn

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By Watershed Protection Program Director Lauren McGrath; Photos by Kate Etherington

On August 16, 2022, Executive Director Kate Etherington and the Watershed Team attended the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania’s 5th Rising Nation River Journey and signed the Treaty of Renewed Friendship. The Lenape people are the original inhabitants of Delaware, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Southern New York, and were stewards in the Delaware River Watershed for over 10,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. 

The group of nearly 50 individuals and organizations gathered in the sunny courtyard of Founders Hall at Haverford College, a longtime collaborator with the Lenape Nation, to celebrate the culmination of the River Journey. The ceremony began with smudging, or burning of ceremonial incense, performance of drumming and singing and the sharing of Lenape stories to share the significance of this event by Chief Shelley DePaul, Chief Gentle Moon Demund, and Tribal Council Storykeeper, Adam Waterbear DePaul. The Treaty signing then began, with supporting organizations and individuals taking turns to sign the document. “WCT recognizes the Lenape Nation as the original stewards of this land, and as an organization working to protect the land and waters within the Delaware River Watershed, we are honored to be invited to sign this Treaty, to carry on the tradition of land and water stewardship, and look forward to learning from and partnering more closely with the Lenape Nation in the years to come,” said Kate Etherington. The three week River Journey takes place every four years in August. The goal of this trip down the Delaware (or Lenape Sipu), is to “promote awareness that the Lenape people living in Pennsylvania are carrying on their ancestral traditions, culture and spiritual beliefs, and that they are engaged in numerous projects to provide practical ways for all citizens to respect and protect our homeland and the health, welfare, and future of the next seven generations of our children”1 as well as to elevate that Pennsylvania is one of the only states that does not recognize its indigenous peoples. 

Musicians opened the ceremony with traditional drumming and singing (Photo: Kate Etherington)

The Treaty of Renewed Friendship is an acknowledgement that the Lenape are the indigenous caretakers of these lands and signatories agree to support the Lenape Tribe in their own unique way including: Hosting Cultural / Educational programs, partnering as caretakers of the Lenape homeland and Delaware River, assisting in Lenape Language revival projects, assisting in displays/exhibits of Lenape culture, helping the Lenape people to obtain and/or protect sacred land sites, encouraging updated curriculum in public schools, attending Lenape functions, volunteer service and support, distributing information, financial assistance1. In signing the Treaty of Renewed Friendship, WCT joins a growing list of like minded organizations to collaborate and work towards shared goals of moving forward in our work of promoting respect and protecting the natural environment for future generations. Click here to read the full Treaty.

Chief Shelley DePaul introduces and reads through the Treaty of Renewed Friendship in advance of the signing (Photo: Kate Etherington)

From a historical perspective, WCT’s program area contains at least one important landmark in Lenape Nation history. Okehocking Reservation (a portion of which is now known as Okehocking Preserve), is one of the first Reservations in the United States and many of the Lenape People were moved onto this parcel of land as colonization settled into the Southeastern Pennsylvania landscape. The majority of the Lenape in this Reservation were forcibly removed and driven westward to form communities in Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin in the late 1800’s2. 

In addition to the historic significance of the Lenape People in Chester County, there is a growing understanding in the scientific and land trust communities that to create climate resilient environments, we must turn back to the ancestral stewards of the landscape and work towards incorporating the knowledge and ethic of these cultures into the work of conservation. WCT is grateful for the opportunity to sign the Treaty of Renewed Friendship with the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and focus efforts in the next four years to elevate their voices and knowledge, grow in our understanding of stewarding the landscape, and building meaningful connections with the natural environment.  

Click here to learn more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and to see upcoming events and educational opportunities (including language classes!) from the Lenape Nation, and be sure to visit the curated exhibit at Haverford College from January through July of 2023.

Wanishi! 

References: 

  1. https://www.lenape-nation.org/
  2. https://glenprovidencepark.org/2011/11/21/the-okehocking-before-the-settlers/

State of Our Streams Report Chapter 4: Alkalinity and Hardness

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By Anna Willig and Lauren McGrath | Willistown Conservation Trust Watershed Protection Program

Cover Photo by Jennifer Mathes

Since 2018, the Watershed Protection Program has monitored water quality at ten sample sites in the headwaters of Darby, Crum, and Ridley Creeks (Map 1). Every four weeks, the team visited each of the ten sites to take in-stream measurements and collect samples for analysis in the lab. We are proud to present our findings on water quality based on analysis of our data collected from 2018 through 2021, which includes 41 monitoring visits and over 7500 different measurements. 

August is National Water Quality month, and each week we will publish excerpts from one chapter from our report. Last week, Chapter 3 focused on specific conductivity, chlorides, and nutrients. If you missed the introduction to water chemistry, visit Chapter 1, or the primer on physical stream characteristics, see Chapter 2. This week, we are focusing on alkalinity and hardness. The full report, which includes more information than is provided in the blog posts, can be found here. 

Two final parameters that enhance our understanding of water quality are alkalinity and hardness. Alkalinity measures the ability of water to neutralize acidic compounds and resist changes in pH. Higher alkalinity indicates a greater ability to resist pH changes from pollutants such as wastewater effluent, protecting stream life from acidic or basic environments. Hardness is the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions in the water. Hard water has high concentrations of these ions and is generally more of a nuisance than a health concern for humans or stream life. When water is hard, it can leave behind residue on pipes, potentially leading to lower water pressure or clogging. 

Alkalinity and hardness both remain within acceptable levels for waterways in this region. Alkalinity and hardness are significantly higher in Darby Creek than in Crum and Ridley Creeks. This is most likely due to differences in regional geology, as alkalinity and hardness are primarily affected by the types of rocks and soils that water flows through. However, weathering of man-made materials, particularly concrete, can alter these parameters, and any sudden changes should be investigated. 

For a primer on statistical tests and how to read boxplots and scatterplots, click here.

Alkalinity

Figure 1. Alkalinity from January 2018 through December 2021 (a) across ten sample sites in the headwaters of the Darby, Crum, and Ridley Creeks and (b) over time.

Alkalinity, analyzed quarterly, measures the ability of a body of water to resist changes in pH; higher alkalinity denotes a greater ability to resist pH changes.1 Local geology tends to be the primary driver of alkalinity, though accelerated weathering of natural materials and weathering of man-made materials, namely concrete, increases alkalinity.2 Alkalinity remains above the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection minimum of 20.0 mg/L at all sites.3 

There are significant differences in alkalinity between sites. Alkalinity is significantly higher at Darby Creek at Waterloo Mills (DCWM1) than at all other sites (Figure 1a). Alkalinity does not vary significantly with Crum Creek, but within Ridley Creek, alkalinity is significantly lower at West Branch Ridley Creek (WBRC1) than at Ridley Creek at Okehocking Preserve (RCOK1) (Figure 1a). 

Hardness

Figure 2. Hardness from January 2018 through March 2021 (a) across ten sample sites in the headwaters of the Darby, Crum, and Ridley Creeks and (b) over time.

Hardness, analyzed quarterly, is the concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium ions in water.4 Hardness is primarily governed by the geology of a region; water dissolves calcium and magnesium as it flows through rocks and soils. Based on standards from the United States Geological Survey, water in Crum Creek is moderately hard, water in Ridley Creek ranges from moderately hard to hard, and water in Darby Creek is hard.4

There are significant differences in hardness between sites. Hardness is significantly higher at DCWM1 than at all sites besides WBRC1 (Figure 2a). Hardness varies significantly within Ridley Creek but not within Crum Creek (Figure 2a). There is little seasonal variation in hardness (Figure 2b).

Key Takeaways

  • Alkalinity is high enough at all sample sites to protect stream life from rapid changes in pH.
  • Water ranges from moderately hard to hard within the sample area. This does not pose any risk to stream life. 
  • Differences in alkalinity and hardness between sites are likely due to differences in regional geology. No actions are needed to alter alkalinity and hardness.

To read the full “State of our Streams Report,” click here.

Map 1. Willistown Conservation Trust’s sampling sites. Five sample locations are within the Ridley Creek watershed, four are within the Crum Creek Watershed, and one is within the Darby Creek Watershed. Sampling was conducted at each site every four weeks from January 2018 through December 2021.

Funding 

This report was made possible through a grant from the William Penn Foundation. The WIlliam Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. In 2021, the Foundation will grant more than $117 million to support vital efforts in the region. 

The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the William Penn Foundation. 

References

1. United States Geological Survey. Alkalinity and Water. Water Science School https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/alkalinity-and-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects (2018).

2. Kaushal, S. S. et al. Human-accelerated weathering increases salinization, major ions, and alkalinization in fresh water across land use. Appl. Geochem. 83, 121–135 (2017).

3. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. 25 Pa. Code Chapter 93. Water Quality Standards § 93.7. Specific Water Quality Criteria. http://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/025/chapter93/chap93toc.html&d=reduce (2020).

4. United States Geological Survey. Hardness of Water. Water Science School https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hardness-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects (2018).

— By Anna Willig and Lauren McGrath | Willistown Conservation Trust Watershed Protection Program

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