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Shocking Report Illustrates the Importance of Land Protection

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Yesterday an alarming study in the journal Science was released, which detailed the dramatic and shocking decline of birds in North America. Three billion birds have been lost in the last 50 years. This staggering drop includes not only threatened species, but also common ones like Eastern Meadowlark, Wood Thrush, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay and even Baltimore Oriole (like the one pictured here, banded this year at Rushton Woods Preserve).

For every 10 Baltimore Orioles in 1970,
4 have been lost since.

Meadowlarks rely on healthy grasslands for habitat, which have been disappearing as human development and agriculture spreads across the land. Making matters worse without those grasslands, which are also needed to filter stormwater runoff, waterways that birds also rely on are being contaminated.

For 40 years, Willistown Conservation Trust has been permanently protecting land to advance conservation, including the preservation of vital habitat. Our Bird Conservation Program has been using this land to help study birds and promote their protection, operating a banding station, studying their health. Most recently, the Bird Conservation Program and their partners have been among the leaders  in expanding the Motus Wildlife Tracking System throughout the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast United States. The Willistown Area has even been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society because of its habitat and biodiversity.

We will continue our fight to protect land and habitat that birds need to survive. And despite the frightening report, there are some things you can do to help. Here are a few simple actions you can take:

  • Keep cats indoors. It is estimated that domestic cats kill millions of birds every year.
  • Lobby your representatives in Washington, DC, to support the Migratory Bird Protection Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and other legislation that protects the environment.
  • Reduce (or better still eliminate) the use of pesticides (particularly neonicotinoids) and herbicides on your property.
  • Create habitat for birds in your own yard by maintaining shrub scrub, planting native plants, and providing water sources.
  • Participate in citizen science efforts to document bird populations.
  • Provide financial support to organizations that support bird conservation, like Willistown Conservation Trust.

While we are disheartened by the findings of this report, Willistown Conservation Trust is more motivated than ever before to continue our work to protect the land and the birds that rely on it.

We (and the birds) thank you for your continued support!

Riparian Buffer Planting – Step 3. Preserve

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The final blog post in our series of 3 is designed to help you plant native trees and shrubs in a riparian buffer (the land that borders streams and other waterways). While we have been focusing on planting in a riparian buffer, most of the tips provided will apply to planting trees or shrubs in other locations on your property.

Once your trees and shrubs are planted, it is important to protect them from deer damage! Placing tree guards or constructing your own fencing (photos below) around individual trees or shrubs is the best way to protect them from deer until they become large enough to survive without protection (typically 8-10 years).

  • Create your own fencing to protect your newly planted tree or shrub. Or…
  • …use commercially-available tree guards. These can be time-savers for large planting projects.

Once installed, periodically check the plants and manually remove any aggressive vines climbing on the tree guards or fencing. Avoid the use of chemicals to fight the vines in riparian zones; they can harm the plants, insects and our waterways.

See our post about the importance of riparian buffers and our first post about preparing to plant and our second post about planting.

Learn how to give your trees and shrubs a strong start by attending one or more of our upcoming tree planting events on May 29, 30 & 31.  More information and volunteer sign up for these upcoming plantings available soon!

Riparian Buffer Planting – Step 2. Plant

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Welcome to the second in a series of 3 blog posts to help you plant native trees and shrubs in a riparian buffer (the land that borders streams and other waterways). Most of the tips provided in these posts also apply to planting trees or shrubs in other locations on your property.

When planting, dig the hole as deep as the pot and twice as wide. Be sure to keep the root flare (where the roots start to spread from the trunk) just above ground level.

Spacing your trees and shrubs approximately 12 – 15′ from each other, you may plant in rows or in more naturalistic groupings to better echo the more organic patterns found in nature – or a combination of both. Get creative!

Many of your trees and shrubs will likely arrive in pots. Dig the holes as deep as the pot and twice as wide. Remove the plant from the pot and loosen the roots, especially if they are tightly bound. Adjust your plant in the hole, adding or removing soil as needed so the root flare (where the roots start to spread from the trunk – see photo below) is just above ground level. Take care not to bury  the plant too deep or cover the trunk with soil, while making sure your plant isn’t sitting too high, with its top roots exposed. Tamp the soil around the root ball as you fill the hole to ensure that the plant is firmly planted.

A TreeTenders instructor with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society points out root flare on a young tree. Photo by PHS.

See our post about the importance of riparian buffers and our first post about preparing to plant.

You can gain some practical planting experience by joining us for a one or more of our native tree planting days – May 29, 30 & 31 – at Ashbridge Preserve. More information and volunteer sign up for these upcoming plantings available soon!

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!