WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

DONATE

History of the Trails Team

By

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.

Stewardship Volunteer Program – Update!

By

For the past few months, the stewardship department has missed getting the chance to meet and work with new people each week while our volunteer days have been on hold. But finally, we have an update! We are excited to announce that we will begin welcoming back, on a limited basis, volunteers who want to help us work at our preserves.

Common milkweed blooming at Kirkwood Preserve. Photo by Blake Goll/Staff

To maintain safe and comfortable conditions, we will not be resuming our regular weekly volunteer days just yet. Instead, we will be coordinating with anyone interested to schedule a time during the week when they can come out and work with us in smaller groups of one or two volunteers. While this isn’t as fun as getting everyone together, it will still allow us to get acquainted, tackle some much needed projects, and hopefully give you all a nice way to get outside and take out some stress on invasive plants!

These work sessions will be guided by a member of the stewardship team who will go over the day’s project and provide any necessary tools, while ensuring that proper social distancing measures are taken. If you are interested in scheduling a time to join us, or have any further questions, please contact our Preserve Manager, Mike Cranney. (mjc@wctrust.org)

Stewardship Volunteer Program

By

Volunteer, Gerry Tuten, admiring her handiwork at Rushton Woods Preserve.

We need your help! Willistown Conservation Trust maintains three public preserves, soon to be four! With so much beautiful habitat, we need some help keeping these conserved lands looking their best for all visitors and ensuring they continue to provide healthy habitat for the many species that depend on them.

In March, the stewardship team began new weekly volunteer days, during which anyone is welcome to come out and help tackle ongoing management at the preserves. The program got off to a great start, as generous members of the community helped our stewardship and watershed staff free native shrubs from invasive vines, and install “live stakes” along Ridley Creek to shore up the stream bank.

Completed stream bank stabilization with live willow stakes at Ashbridge Preserve. Photo by Mike Cranney

Unfortunately, while the stewardship department remains hard at work, social distancing measures have put the volunteer program on hold. However, there is good news: we are planning on resuming these weekly sessions come June, with appropriate safety precautions in place. Be on the lookout for more information as we move closer to the summer!

Each weekly session will run from 9 to noon and tasks will include:

  • Cutting/removing invasive plants
  • Clearing vines from trees and tree cages
  • Planting native trees and shrubs
  • Pruning trees and shrubs
  • Trail clean-up and maintenance
  • Stream clean-up

You can stay for the whole time or for as long as you’re able.

If you are interested in learning more about the Stewardship Volunteer Program, or would like to come out and join us, contact our Preserve Manager, Mike Cranney. (mjc@wctrust.org)

Announcing Weekly Preserve Workdays

By

We need your help! Willistown Conservation Trust maintains 3 public preserves, soon to be 4! With so much beautiful habitat, we need some help keeping these conserved lands looking their best for all visitors and ensuring they continue to provide healthy habitat for the many species that depend on them.

The Stewardship Team will begin hosting weekly volunteer work sessions, led by Preserve Manager Mike Cranney, starting on March 5. Each weekly session will run from 9 to noon and tasks will include:

  • Cutting/removing invasive plants
  • Clearing vines from trees and tree cages
  • Planting native trees and shrubs
  • Pruning trees and shrubs
  • Trail clean-up and maintenance
  • Stream clean-up

You can stay for the whole time or for as long as you’re able.

Interested? Visit our Event Calendar. Click “Volunteering” to see the March-April dates and sign up! Thanks! We hope to see you out there.

The Farm Crew

By

This past week we welcomed back the Haverford Crew Team for their annual workday at Rushton Farm. It was their fourth year of coming out and doing fieldwork to help the battle-weary Rushton Staff. Pulling stakes, harvesting sangria watermelons and pulling up irrigation lines saves the Rushton Staff hours of labor.

  • Coach Stephanik looks on his team completes the morning run.
  • Rounding up the tomato stakes.
  • The Haverford Crew Team. Thank You!

Coach Stephanik makes it especially fun by starting the day with a relaxing four-mile run around the beautiful landscape of Rushton Woods Preserve. I sure get tired of watching the young men do laps around the farm. In all sincerity, their service helps us greatly at a time where we could use a little help. With intern Gage playing Indiana Jones at the University of Minnesota and intern Aidan swimming with dogs off the coast of Rhode Island (watch the waves, Aidan, it might be getting stormy) we are grateful for the crew team lending a helping hand.

Good luck in the upcoming season!