Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) and Radnor Conservancy (RC) recently completed the transfer of three conservation easements from RC to WCT, marking an important step forward in a growing partnership between the two organizations dedicated to protecting the region’s open space and natural resources.

The three properties will now be permanently protected under WCT’s stewardship. The transfer ensures long-term monitoring and care for the easements, while reinforcing the organizations’ shared mission to safeguard open space, clean water, and wildlife habitat in southeastern Pennsylvania.

“This transfer represents a natural collaboration between two organizations with a common vision,” said Kate Etherington, Executive Director, WCT. “By joining forces, we strengthen the capacity to protect and steward the land that sustains our communities.”

Radnor Conservancy has a long history of community-based conservation initiatives and will continue to enhance the region’s natural resources through environmental education and community engagement. WCT, with nearly 3,000 acres under permanent protection, brings additional resources and expertise in land protection, stewardship, and habitat management. The partnership reflects a regional approach to conservation, leveraging strengths and ensuring that conserved land will remain protected for generations to come.

“We’re excited to partner with Willistown Conservation Trust, whose expertise in land protection will ensure these easements are stewarded for generations to come,” said Amber Atwood Levy, Executive Director of Radnor Conservancy. “This collaboration strengthens conservation in our region while allowing Radnor Conservancy to continue leading locally through advocacy, education, and community engagement.”

As part of its commitment to watershed health, WCT has expanded its land protection work into Radnor Township, where portions of the Darby Creek headwaters flow. Protecting land within this watershed is critical to ensuring clean water, healthy habitats, and climate resilience across the region. In 2021, the Darby & Cobbs Creek Community Science Monitoring Program (DCCCS) was formed as a partnership between the Darby Creek Valley Association and WCT. It aims to empower the neighbors of Darby and Cobbs Creek watersheds to collect high quality stream data and become water advocates for their community. The long-term goal of this project is to use the information collected from Darby Creek to educate the community, advise restoration decisions, and help to identify pollution sources and areas of the landscape that pose a risk to watershed health and integrity.

Both organizations emphasized that the easement transfer is part of a broader commitment to collaboration, exploring ways to amplify education, community engagement, and advocacy for open space and natural resource protection.

ABOUT THE PROPERTIES

South Roberts Road Historic Farmhouse

Originally built in the 1700s, the home was expanded in 1886 to serve as the first clubhouse for the newly established Radnor Hunt. Architectural highlights from the Radnor Hunt era remain, including two fireplaces, one of which is a 14-foot stone fireplace designed by renowned architects Frank Furness and Allen Evans. The property spans approximately 3 acres, including a gently sloping meadow surrounded by hedgerows. Located within 400 feet of Darby Creek, this permanently protected place plays a critical role in the health of our local waterway by maintaining riparian buffers. This property is located at the beginning of one of the Township’s most scenic byways, Darby Paoli Road, which runs parallel to Darby Creek, 140 acres of public land, and the working Ardrossan Farm.

Woodland Lane Oasis

As the road name suggests, Woodland Lane is home to an expansive woodland in Radnor Township. The property sits on a quiet cul-de-sac where a small, unnamed tributary to Gulph Creek slowly bubbles up from the spring and ultimately flows into the Schuylkill River, which provides drinking water to the city of Philadelphia. The robust woodland covers about 5 acres of the property, consisting of predominantly native species like tulip trees, oaks, and beech, with a continuous canopy approximately 80 feet tall, providing important habitat for nesting birds and other wildlife.

Conestoga Road Scenic Vista

This 4.5-mile section of Conestoga Road has been designated as both “scenic” and “historic”. One of the earliest roads in the region, it originally existed as a trail used by Native American tribes traveling between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. Later, it became a critical route between Philadelphia and the western communities. This historic farmhouse, which sits on 3 acres, is highly visible from Conestoga Road and preserves the agrarian and rural character of early Radnor Township. In addition, the property is located in the Darby Creek watershed, a few hundred feet from both Valley and Kirks Runs, tributaries to Ithan Creek. The trees, shrubs, and pervious surfaces are important to groundwater supplies and surface water quality within the watershed.  

By Nicole DeLizzio, Stewardship Manager

Spring is upon us! With it comes the beauty of spring ephemerals and the warm sun on our faces—both of which will be more than welcome after such a long, cold winter. As exciting as the changing season is, it also brings us one step closer to the opening of our newest 90-acre preserve, Kestrel Hill.

This winter, the stewardship team and our lovely volunteers have been hard at work preparing for a large spring riparian planting that will be supported by grant funding from the Department of Natural Resources (DCNR). So far, about one acre of densely packed invasive plant species has been cleared from the area. Some of the main invasives we have been tackling include honeysuckle shrub (Lonicera spp.), privet (Ligustrum spp.), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) honeysuckle vine (Lonicera japonica) and oriental bittersweet vine (Celastrus orbiculatus), all of which have begun to dominate the understory and choke out native growth. Removing these aggressive species is no small task, especially when they have had years to establish themselves. However, clearing them out is a critical first step in restoring balance to the ecosystem, and we wouldn’t have been successful in completing that step without the hours of dedicated hard work from our volunteers!

The most rewarding part of the clearing process has been uncovering native plants that were hidden beneath the entanglement of invasives. It has felt a bit like uncovering hidden treasures! We have already revealed several of our native Carex species, and we were especially excited to find one of our native hibiscus, Hibiscus moscheutos, still holding on. Discoveries like these remind us why this work matters. When planning our restoration planting, we are intentionally complimenting the species that are already present and surviving in the ecosystem. By building around what is naturally thriving, we can strengthen the existing plant community and complement it with additional native species that belong in this habitat. To marry our winter restoration work, we recently hosted a spring tree planting with over 150 native trees and shrubs including our native sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), native rose (Rosa caroliana) and one of my favorite water-loving tree species, bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). Now, we’ll step back and let nature take its course (mostly). One of the hardest parts of land stewardship is being patient enough to witness these small saplings establish roots and become future canopy!

Below: Hibiscus moscheutos

We have also been collecting seeds from the native plants we have uncovered from the site. Our goal is to propagate and grow those collected seeds at our native plant nursery over the next few years and then replant them back in the areas where they were originally found. Collecting and replanting seeds from a specific site helps preserve the local genetic makeup of the plant population and supports a healthier, more resilient ecosystem in the long term. It is a slower process, but one that will have an extremely rewarding payoff.

In addition to clearing the heavily invaded riparian zone, we had to remove several black walnut trees due to severe decay at their bases due to the risk they posed of falling onto our upcoming planting area. While it is never easy to take down mature trees, safety and long-term site health come first. Most of the wood will be left in place to naturally decompose, returning nutrients to the soil, providing habitat for native birds, mammals and herpetofauna species, and helping with erosion control. We are also excited to weave together a bit of sustainability and creativity to mill a few of the larger logs and transform them into benches for the preserve!

We’re excited to soon welcome the community to explore, enjoy and help care for this growing landscape. Every volunteer hour, every planted sapling and every collected seed will play a vital role in nurturing this beautiful space – one where both wildlife and our community can reap the benefits!

Below: Staff member Nicole DeLizzio removing invasive shrubs

While many native grasses and wildflowers are still a few weeks away from their vibrant late-spring displays, several native trees have already begun to bud and bloom. Among the most noticeable is the Red Maple, which is now showing its signature red blossoms. These early blooms provide an important source of nutrients for pollinators emerging at the start of the season. In fact, the U.S. Forest Service identifies the Red Maple as the most abundant native tree in the country, likely due to its ability to thrive in a wide range of soil conditions. 

Driving through the area, you may notice a subtle red hue along woodland edges and horizons. This is an early hint that the seasons are shifting. By summer, these same trees will offer welcome shade from the heat, making them a familiar and valued part of the landscape. 

Beyond its ecological importance, the Red Maple also carries a strong sense of nostalgia. One of its most recognizable features is its samaras, often called “helicopter” seed pods, which spin gently to the ground from April through June. For many, these seeds bring back childhood memories of tossing them into the air and watching them twirl as they fall. 

This spinning motion is not just charming; it is also an effective natural adaptation. The slow descent allows the seeds to travel farther on the wind, helping the tree spread across the landscape. Later in the year, the Red Maple offers another standout moment with its brilliant fall foliage. 

The tree also plays an important role in supporting local ecosystems. It provides habitat and food for a wide range of wildlife, including more than 250 species of moths and butterflies. Its seeds are also an important food source for birds and small mammals. 

The Red Maple is a reminder that some of nature’s most meaningful and memorable features are all around us, quietly shaping both the environment and our experiences within it. 

By Nicole DeLizzio

Spring is almost here, and with it will come bursts of green everywhere! While we are all counting down the days before we see spring ephemerals waking up from their long winter nap, there are still a few things we can be doing this dormant season. One of those activities is live staking, a simple but effective restoration technique that uses living plant material to help control streambank erosion and stabilize waterways.

Live staking is a low-cost soil bioengineering method that uses dormant woody cuttings that are about 12-36 inches in length and 0.5-1.5 inches in diameter from native plants, such as willow or dogwood, that are planted directly into areas like streambanks. These cuttings develop roots and grow into new vegetation, which helps stabilize banks, reduce erosion, and restore riparian buffers. As the plants mature, their root systems secure the soil and enhance water quality by limiting sediment runoff into nearby waterways. It is a simple process that almost anyone can do!

The first step is finding the right tree species that have evolved in areas of high disturbance and easily flooded areas. Some of these species include our native willows (Salix spp.), stemmed dogwoods (Swida sericea), boxelder (Acer negundo), and winterberry (Ilex verticiliata). Most of these plants that get commonly exposed to disruptions, such as beaver damage and constant flooding, cannot simply get up and run away. So instead, they found ways to evolve to be able to survive in these scenarios. Plants such as willows and elderberries have intense root systems and are capable of rooting very quickly into streambanks. The next time you are taking a hike at our Ashbridge Preserve, you will start to notice many areas along the path where larger willow trees have fallen right next to the streambank. What happens then is that branches will snap off and float downstream. When they land on a streambank, they quickly shoot out roots and grow where they end up!

Last Thursday, the Stewardship Team and a group of our wonderful volunteers spent the day working in Ashbridge Preserve. Together, we harvested more than 200 cuttings that will be used as live stakes to stabilize a severely eroding streambank at the preserve along Shugart Run that connects with Ridley Creek. By planting these stakes now, while the plants are dormant, we give them the best chance to root and establish before the growing season begins.

Projects like this are a great reminder that restoration doesn’t always require heavy equipment or complex technology. Sometimes, the most effective solutions come from working with natural processes. By using living plant material and mimicking the way plants naturally spread along waterways, live staking allows us to restore streambanks in a sustainable and ecologically beneficial way.

We are incredibly grateful to our volunteers who helped make this work possible. Their efforts are helping ensure that the streams at Ashbridge Preserve remain healthy, stable, and full of life for years to come.