WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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History of the Trails Team

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Besides its abundance of over 7,500 acres of countryside permanently protected from development, Willistown has long been known for its lovely network of trails, consisting of both eased (permanently protected) and uneased equestrian and pedestrian trails. In October of 2012, the “Willistown Trails Team” was formally created as a subcommittee of the Trust’s Land Protection committee.

The Team’s purpose
With the support of the community, the Trails Team Subcommittee is committed to assuring the ultimate connectivity and preservation of our precious trail network. Its goals are to:

(1) identify and map critical equestrian and pedestrian trail corridors within the Trust’s program area
(2) develop strategies for acquiring trail easements on currently unprotected trails
(3) coordinate with landowners to improve access to, and maintenance of, both protected and unprotected trails.

The Trails Team continues the good work of the Willistown Area Trails Association (WATA) and is staffed by volunteers who are a hardworking group of land conservation advocates, fox hunters, recreational riders, and outdoor lovers.

Andrew Kirkpatrick, Director of Stewardship Testimonial.

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.

Nesting Birds in Your Yard

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Did you notice more birds than usual this spring around your yard? Watch the video of this this virtual event held on July 7, 2020. Our Bird Box Team discussed the birds you might have seen nesting around your yard this summer and covered the basics of bluebird box monitoring and maintenance.  We also had a special guest and bluebird expert, Ken Leister.

  • Photo by Mimi Davis
Photos featured from The Bluebird Keeper, County Lines Magazine article.
Photos by Blake Goll/Staff.

Fireflies, Moths, and Your Yard in the Dark

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If you missed our Fireflies, Moths, and Your Yard in the Dark presentation, watch the video to learn about our only bioluminescent beetle, the firefly, and how you can help these and other insects that enchant the night. Presentation by Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager on June 24, 2020.

Blake mentioned some fun and informative online resources and books during her program. Here they are if you missed them and would like to continue to learn about fireflies.

Silent Sparks  This is the website for the book by Sara Lewis:  it contains great information about fireflies including videos and even a TED talk to help you learn more about the fascinating world of fireflies.

Firefly Watch  Get involved counting fireflies in your yard for citizen science!  Also see live distribution maps of firefly activity.

Butterflies and Moths of North America  Participate in citizen science by observing moths in your yard at night.  Also use this database for researching moths in your area including their host plants!

Blake’s Favorite Books

Silent Sparks by Sara Lewis

For kids:

Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman

The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

For learning about singing insects of the night:

The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott

Cricket Radio by John Himmelman

Tag the Trust, Win Some Swag!

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CONTEST DETAILS


How do I enter?

-Snap a photo at of one of Willistown Conservation Trust’s three preserves

-Follow Willistown Conservation Trust on Facebook and/ or @wctrust on Instagram.

-Share and tag the photo using Willistown Conservation Trust @wctrust.org (Facebook) and/ or @wctrust (Instagram) in the photo caption.

-Include #wctrust in your post.

How do I win?

-The post with the most likes on Instagram and/ or Facebook will win.

-All photos must be posted between May 15 and June 1, 2020.

-The winner will be notified via direct message by the Willistown Conservation Trust on or after June 2, 2020.

How many winners and what do I win?

There will be one winner for the contest. The prize is a Rushton Farm goodie bag, including a Rushton Farm apron, tea towel, two hats, car magnet, large and small honey dipper, Rushton Farm Honey and a free CSA share on the date of your choice (to be arranged in advance with Willistown Conservation Trust). As well as freshly cut flowers from Rushton Farm!

Can I post more than once?

Of course! Please abide by the above rules and add as many pictures of our beautiful preserves as you would like.


By participating in this contest, you are consenting that the Willistown Conservation Trust can use your photo(s) with suggested photo credit in future social media posts and publications.

For more information contact land@wctrust.org.