WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Advocacy Alert! PA Growing Greener Would Invest Millions in Conservation and Outdoor Recreation

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Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

Currently, there is a proposal in the Pennsylvania General Assembly called Growing Greener 3, and its funding affects our livelihood, along with the success of all conservation and environmental organizations in Pennsylvania. Our friends at Natural Lands wrote this message on the importance of using our collective voice in support of Growing Greener 3 this week, and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves! Read below and help us Invest in Nature.

Growing Greener 3 would invest $500 million in:

  • conservation of open space and farmland, 
  • clean water initiatives, 
  • upgrades in state parks and forests, 
  • projects to reduce flooding, and
  • trails, greenways, and parks. 

There are two pieces of good news, and one problem. First, there is bipartisan support to use federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for these local investments. Second, Pennsylvania revenues are at all-time highs — we can afford to make this happen.

The problem is this: the representatives and senators who are championing this legislation tell us they are not hearing about it from their constituents. 

This is where you can help. Would you please take just a moment to tell your elected officials that this investment is important and urgently needed? THIS WEEK is the most important time to get the message out. 

Here’s what you can do:  

Ask them to talk to their leadership in the House/Senate to urge their support of Growing Greener 3. Please share this message with friends, neighbors, and family who also might be willing to make a call.

Here’s a sample email you can copy and paste: 

I’m writing to urge Senator/Representative X to support Growing Greener 3. Our district needs investment in clean water, open space and farm conservation, vibrant parks and trails, outdoor recreation, and projects to reduce flooding. Please tell your leaders in the Senate/House that our district needs this funding. It’s important to me to have safe places to get outside, clean water to drink, and fresh air to breathe. Please make sure that Pennsylvania is investing in those things on our behalf. 

Thank you for making your voice heard, and for speaking up for nature!

Sincerely,

Kate Etherington

Rethinking Lawns: Fighting Climate Change with Native Plants

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By Monica McQuail, Willistown Conservation Trust Communications Specialist

Photos by Blake Goll, Willistown Conservation Trust Education Programs Manager

With the arrival of March, many of us are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Spring and everything the season brings: the feeling of the warm sun on our skin, the taste of moisture in the air, the smell of damp soil after a brief rain, the stunning views of leafy trees and emerging flowers, and of course, the sounds of chirping birds…drowned out by the incessant drone of lawn mowers and weed-whackers.

Transitioning to working from home has meant that many of us have learned the strange truth of suburban life; that it’s neither peaceful nor quiet. According to Audubon, “A typical gas-powered push mower emits 85 to 90 decibels for the operator (90-95 decibels for riding lawnmowers). This scares away the birds, leads to hearing loss and detracts from the peace offered by the outdoors.” Not only are lawn mowers a nuisance to humans, but noise pollution leads to stressed out wildlife, especially for smaller animals that spend more time hiding than eating due to loud sounds, and birds that have been found to lay fewer eggs in noisy areas.

But what if I told you that a quiet future without lawnmowers and weed-whackers is not only possible, but even attainable right now? And that this future is filled with butterflies and helps prevent climate change? The solution is simple: rethink your lawn.

Lawns are a contradiction. They are the most grown crop in the United States, yet they produce food that humans and wildlife cannot eat. They’re a staple of American suburban life, yet they were imported from England (the most prized grass in our country  –  Kentucky bluegrass  –  is native to Europe and the Middle East, not Kentucky). They give off a sense of ease and leisure, yet they require an inordinate amount of work, time and money to maintain. Their lush green color evokes life, yet they are ecological deadscapes.

Now let’s look at the numbers. American homeowners dump about 80 million pounds of pesticides into their lawns each year – that’s about 10 times more than farms use per acre.  According to the EPA, Americans spill more than 17 million gallons of fuel each year when refueling lawn equipment, polluting our air and groundwaters along with those pesticides. Mowers and weed-whackers burn 800 million gallons of gasoline per year, which contributes to the greenhouse gases that drive climate change. And we can’t forget water – 3 trillion gallons of which are used on lawns annually, a number that is especially shocking in the wake of the recent droughts and some of the deadliest wildfires our country has experienced. With 40 to 50 million acres of lawn to maintain (a number that equals the country’s national parks combined), Americans spend a whopping $105 billion on lawncare.

With the climate and extinction crisis looming, maintaining these biologically barren landscapes is no longer a sustainable option, no matter how small your lawn may be. We need to start adding hardy plants that sequester carbon to our landscaping. We need to support insects that pollinate 80% of all plants (and 90% of flowering plants). We need to think about our watersheds and select plants that have long root systems that can absorb excess water and prevent polluted runoff into our storm drains and streams. We need to select plants that support our ecosystem and provide a viable food web and shelter for all organisms. In short, we need to plant native species. Not only do native plants possess all these benefits listed, but they also require less water, little to no herbicides or pesticides, and best of all – no noisy lawn mowers.

So this spring, as you begin prepping your grassy green lawn for the upcoming season, consider revamping some or all of it into a beautiful natural oasis that attracts birds and butterflies and requires little maintenance once it is established.

This innovative gardening concept goes by many names, including “Wildscaping,” “Meadowscaping” and “Ecosystem Gardening,” and its main tenants are to garden sustainably, conserve our natural resources and create a habitat that benefits wildlife, according to conservationist and author Doug Tallamy. Tallamay is behind the Homegrown National Park Movement (www.homegrownnationalpark.org), which aims to turn half (that’s about 20 million acres) of all privately-owned green lawns in the United States into native plantings.

“Now, for the first time in its history, gardening has taken on a role that transcends the needs of the gardener. Like it or not, gardeners have become important players in the management of our nation’s wildlife. It is now within the power of individual gardeners to do something that we all dream of doing: to ‘make a difference.’ In this case, the ‘difference’ will be to the future of biodiversity, to the native plants and animals of North America and the ecosystems that sustain them,” says Tallamy in his book, “Bringing Nature Home.”

Lawns should not exist purely for “curb appeal.” They should provide joy, nourishment and life for all who inhabit them, from the Monarch caterpillar munching on milkweed and the goldfinch looking for seeds among some purple aster, to the child who stares with wonder at this incredible world. After all, if something is not eating your plants, then your garden is not part of the ecosystem.

What to plant for the birds:

  • Composite flowers, spruces, hemlocks and pine > House Finch, Purple Finch, Cassin’s finch, American Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch, Pine Siskin
  • Birches and sumacs > Black-Capped Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee, Mountain Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Juniper Titmouse, Oak Titmouse
  • Pines, hickories, oaks, cherries > Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Ladder-Backed Woodpecker, White-Headed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker
  • Oaks and beeches > American Crow, Fish Crow, Northwestern Crow, Blue Jay, Carolina Scrub-Jay, Woodhouse Scrub-Jay, Florida Scrub-Jay
  • Sunflowers, elderberries, serviceberries > Northern Cardinal, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Black-Headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Western Tanager
  • blackberries and wild grasses > Dark-Eyed Junco, White-Throated Sparrow, White-Crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lark Sparrow
  • columbine, jewelweed, bee balm > Hummingbirds

What to plant for the butterflies:

  • Native oak trees, willows, birches, maples; goldenrod, milkweed and sunflowers > Butterflies and caterpillars

If you want to learn more about native plants, follow Willistown Conservation Trust @wctrust on social media, head to wctrust.org to find more educational content, or join us for our many stewardship-focused events!

Volunteer Spotlight: Eagle Scout Will Hetzel Leads Troop 106 in Building Bog Bridges at Ashbridge Preserve

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By Director of Stewardship Andrew Kirkpatrick

Photos by Director of Land Protection Erik Hetzel

It has been over five years since I began working in the nonprofit sector, and during that time I have learned a universal truth about our work; volunteers are the backbone of our operations. People who choose to give their time to support our mission are critical to our success. Across all of our program areas, we could not achieve our mission without our volunteers.

Boy Scout Troop 106 with Andrew Kirkpatrick and Erik Hetzel

When it comes to our Habitat Restoration Program, managing and maintaining our nature preserves in Willistown — Rushton, Kirkwood, and Ashbridge — would not be possible without the help of our volunteers. Keeping trails clear and invasive species in check is a full-time operation. Our preserve manager Mike Cranney has his hands full, but with the help of our incredible volunteers, he can accomplish a lot. Local Eagle Scout, Will Hetzel (son of our Director of Land Protection, Erik Hetzel) recently demonstrated this in August when he organized scouts from Troop 106 to install eight new bog bridges at Ashbridge Preserve.

We use bog bridges at our preserves to allow visitors to traverse wet and mucky areas without causing damage to the trail. The bog bridges, also called puncheons, are constructed with wood planks on top of footers and covered with chicken wire to reduce slippery conditions when it rains. The bog bridges are anchored to the ground using rebar stakes. For his project, Will raised over $1,000 in donations and goods to build the new bog bridges for the path adjacent to Ridley Creek.

On a hot and sunny Wednesday afternoon, Will gathered his team of scouts to build the bridges on site and install them along the trail. Will and the scouts were well organized, efficient, and professional. I felt inspired watching these fine young men work together in the preserve, getting their hands dirty and creating an amenity that will benefit the community. The scouts did a great job and completed the project from start to finish in three hours. Thanks to them, this trail, which is often wet and muddy, will now be more easily accessible to our visitors.

Having been a scout myself, I can say what an accomplishment it is for Will to reach the rank of Eagle Scout and complete his service project. Not many scouts stick it out and commit to this level of accomplishment. It is a reflection of Will’s perseverance, fortitude, and determination that will serve him well throughout his academic and future professional career. I think we can all draw inspiration from the example set by Will and the scouts from Troop 106. Taking the time to give back by volunteering is both personally fulfilling and incredibly impactful for organizations like ours.

If you are interested in joining our group of dedicated volunteers, you are welcome to join us at our Stewardship Volunteer Thursdays, held at our various Preserves from 9am to 4pm every Thursday through November. You can come for the whole session or as long as you’re able! Send an email to Preserve Manager Mike Cranney (mjc@wctrust.org) to sign up. If you’d like to complete a larger project, similar to Will’s bog bridges, please get in touch with Stewardship Director Andrew Kirkpatrick (ajk@wctrust.org).


By Andrew J. Kirkpatrick | he/him | Director of Stewardship | As part of the Trust’s Habitat Restoration Program, Andrew oversees the stewardship of our private conservation easement properties and our nature preserves, in addition to coordinating our Stewardship volunteers days.

Celebrating Preservation Month

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TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF LAND CONSERVATION IN THE WILLISTOWN COUNTRYSIDE

The Biden administration recently declared a national goal to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and freshwater, and another 30% of U.S. ocean areas by 2030. This initiative, referred to as 30×30, proposes an America the Beautiful campaign, described by the administration as a “ten-year, locally led campaign to conserve and restore the lands and waters upon which we all depend, and that bind us together as Americans.” It is through this lens that we reflect on the history of land conservation in the Willistown countryside.

The history of conservation under the auspices of Willistown Conservation Trust spans the past 40 years, but really, it’s based in a conservation ethic that goes back many years prior. It is a story of generations of people caring deeply for the land, with a passion for protecting it, not just to save open space, but to preserve the rich natural resources of our woodlands, rolling fields and stream valleys to benefit wildlife – and to share a deep connection to nature with people of all ages and backgrounds. It is a story that could not have happened without the loyal support – both moral and financial, of so many – for which all of us at the Trust are immensely grateful.

  • Willistown Program Area
  • The Willistown Countryside

Our program area consists of an oasis of interconnected open spaces, once referred to as Radnor Hunt country. Today it is defined by the headwaters of the Ridley, Crum and Darby creeks. It encompasses all of Willistown Township and parts of East Goshen, and Eastown Townships in Chester County, and portions of Newtown and Edgemont Townships in Delaware County. In its entirety, it comprises an area totaling approximately 28,000 acres, or almost 44 square miles.

Our 40-year history can be viewed in four important segments: the first being the early years under the umbrella of the Brandywine Conservancy in the 1980s; second, the establishment of Willistown Conservation Trust as its own independent organization; third, a period of growth that saw the expansion of land protection efforts resulting in hundreds of acres of preserved lands; and fourth, the emergence of our outreach and research programs.

In the beginning, it was the vision of our current executive director Bonnie Van Alen, along with her colleague and friend Kathe McCoy, to apply the principles of land conservation that were being used at the Brandywine Conservancy to lands in the Willistown countryside that were under threat of development. At that time, Brandywine Conservancy was being led by iconic conservationist Frolic Weymouth, whose legacy of land protection has inspired legions of conservationists to preserve the natural and cultural resources that make our area unique.

  • Kathe McCoy, Frolic Weymouth and Bonnie Van Alen
  • The Inaugural Board Meeting
  • Alice Hausmann and Bonnie Van Alen

Alice Hausmann joined the effort in 1985 and has been integral to the success of our organization ever since. It was in these early years that the Willistown Area Conservation Program was established, introducing the conservation projects that would eventually result in the creation of the Willistown Conservation Trust as we know it today.

The second segment of our organization’s history is marked by the “official” formation of the Willistown Conservation Trust as its own independent entity in 1996, with the blessing and encouragement of the Brandywine Conservancy.

In the early years, WCT occupied the “Blacksmith Shop” at White Horse Corner. We then moved across the street to the “Saddle Shop” before moving to our current office location in the farmhouse at 925 Providence Road, just south of White Horse Corner.

  • White Horse Corner Painting
  • Early Land Protection Staff Added
  • 925 Providence Road

This brings us to the third segment of our history, which was a period of vigorous growth in our land protection efforts through the early 2000s. We added land protection and stewardship staff, along with other positions to support our growing organization.

At this time, we were still primarily focused on land protection, i.e., getting private properties under easement. It was also during this time that we were acquiring lands that would eventually become our preserves at Ashbridge, Rushton Woods and Kirkwood.

This solid foundation of protected lands set the stage for the fourth and current era in the history of the Trust. During this time, we saw the emergence and evolution of our robust outreach and research programs, starting with the creation of Rushton Farm in 2008.

Rushton Farm

  • Rushton Farm
  • Bird Program
  • Watershed Program

Under the direction of Fred DeLong, the farm occupies six acres of tillable land at the Rushton Woods Preserve. Rushton Farm is a community magnet, with a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) operation at its core. The food grown at Rushton is enjoyed by CSA members who support the operation financially. Many also volunteer at the farm.

In addition, every week, in season, Fred takes a truckload of food to the West Chester Food Cupboard. Underpinning all of this, the farm is an agroecology laboratory and a demonstration platform for innovating and testing sustainable agricultural practices.

Bird Program

Lisa Kiziuk leads our Bird Program, which began as a banding station that has evolved into a full-blown research operation. The program is recognized internationally for sharing its valuable data about bird health, migration patterns and the importance of habitat preservation.

Watershed Program

Watershed Program Director Lauren McGrath studies the health of the watersheds in our program area (Ridley, Crum and Darby Creeks). Information gathered on the flora, fauna and hydrologic conditions of the creeks is sent to shared regional databases to help paint a bigger picture about the health of our waterways, which are an important source of drinking water for our region.

Education Programs

  • Education Programs
  • Rushton Conservation Center

Willistown’s protected lands are unique experiential learning places that make the study of science, ecology and agriculture come alive for students of all ages. Under the leadership of Education Programs Manager Blake Goll, these conserved open spaces are used to explore the connections among land, farm, birds, habitat and water. People come here to study our practices and model solutions for healthy food systems, bird conservation, habitat restoration and improved water quality. They are drawn to this special place to learn, become inspired and leave with a deeper commitment to save land and serve as stewards of our natural world. Over 1,000 children and adults participate in the Trust’s education programs annually.

Rushton Conservation Center

Our newest program is the Rushton Conservation Center, which extends our community reach even further. This building is a new addition to the Rushton Woods Preserve. It was finished in 2018 and is designed to host educational events, seminars, community gatherings and farm-to-table dinners, centered on themes connected to our mission. Lindsay Carlson is the program director at the RCC.

Where Do We Go From Here?

  • Conserved Lands in Willistown in 1979
  • Conserved Lands in Willistown Today, 2021

The growth of our organization and expansion of our special programs has not changed our core mission of Land Protection and Stewardship, currently under the direction of Erik Hetzel and Andrew Kirkpatrick, respectively. As committed as we have been to conservation over the last 40 years, we remain ever vigilant in our land preservation efforts and are inspired and energized by the “30×30” goal. While conservation happens locally, it has far reaching national and global impacts that we are only now beginning to understand. We look forward to the next chapter in our history as we strive to help achieve the ambitious vision of 30×30, and continue to devote ourselves to conservation for many years to come.

The Power of Trees in a Watershed

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Trees that grow along waterways play a critical role in maintaining a healthy stream or river. Trees provide a huge list of benefits: from providing habitat and food to stabilizing banks and cleaning the water – trees do it all.

The Riparian Zone is the area of land that borders a waterway. This zone is very important for maintaining the health of the stream, and the trees and plants that grow in this area play a critical role in the function of a stream. Riparian trees provide a huge list of benefits: they shade the water to keep it cool, provide food and habitat, stabilize the banks of the stream and filter water to remove pollutants.

A mature leafed out canopy of a tree provides shade from the direct sunlight and keeps the water cooler. Many of the streams in this area are fed by ground water, which means that in a healthy system the water should be very cold. Cold water holds higher levels of oxygen than warm water, and as the stream water begins to warm up, oxygen levels can quickly decrease to the point that many kinds of stream life can no longer thrive. In many cases, streams can warm to the point that some stream life cannot survive. While many different things can cause a stream to warm up, one of the most obvious is a lack of riparian trees. Direct sunlight on a slow moving stream in the heat of August can rapidly warm the water, but by planting riparian trees this can be avoided.

A healthy riparian zone full of trees also provides food and habitat in the stream. In healthy headwaters or the start of a stream or river, the most important source of food is the leaves and branches that enter the waterway. This is called detritus, and is the foundation of the food pyramid. Major inputs, like the falling leaves in autumn, will feed the ecosystem through the entire winter. The leaves that fall into a stream get caught on rocks and sticks and form leaf packs, which are nutrient rich bonanzas for the stream ecosystem! For this reason, it is important that when replanting riparian areas that native plants are used, as many non-native plants do not have the same nutritional value, and will not be consumed when they enter a waterway. Trees and branches that fall into waterways also provide important cover and hiding places for many stream species. The fry, or baby fish, needs a cover to avoid being eaten by larger animals. In a natural undisturbed stream system, there would be log jams, snags, and loads of leaf packs in a waterway to provide this cover.

The canopy is not the only important part of the tree for our streams – the roots of a plant in a riparian area serve the important purpose of stabilizing the banks and slowing the rate of erosion. Erosion is a natural part of a stream’s life, but the rate of erosion can become a problem. When plants are removed from the banks, there is little to secure the soil and rocks along the edge of the waterway, and as rainfall causes water levels to rise and speed up, the force of the water begins to carry the loose bank downstream. This results in stream banks becoming steep, undercut and unstable, and large deposits occur downstream, which can smother existing stream life. Organisms like mussels can become buried underneath sediment that arrives rapidly from upstream erosion.

This May, the Watershed Protection Team is planting 250 trees at Ashbridge Preserve, and we need your help! Join us from May 23 through May 29 in populating the meadow at Ashbridge Lake with a diverse set of native trees and shrubs. This year, the tree planting is designed to take place over an entire week to allow for multiple small groups to come out and make a difference while staying safe and following COVID safety guidelines. We are doing our best to keep all volunteers safe while improving the habitat along Ridley Creek!

 

To access this year’s planting, we will need to cross Ridley Creek, so please come prepared in shoes that can get wet and muddy! Please bring your gloves and water bottles to stay hydrated during the planting.



This planting has been made possible by generous funding from the DCNR.

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