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 Hartman Meadow, Ashbridge, Kirkwood, Kestrel Hill and Rushton Woods Preserves. We maintain these lands to preserve and enhance … Learn more about our nature preserves.
Community Supper Series Picnic
Pack your picnic blanket, grab your friends, and welcome Autumn at Rushton Farm! Calaveras Street Tacos food truck will make its debut at Rushton, along with fresh brews and barley tea from our great friends at Deer Creek Malthouse on site with their local craft brews. All food and beverages will be available for purchase onsite.
LIVE MUSIC! The Hetzel Brothers are back to play for the first time this year, filling the fields of Rushton Farm with our favorite classic rock, pop, and folk rock.
PICNIC DETAILS
– This is a food truck-style, BYO picnic event! Please bring your own blanket, chairs, and other items to round out your picnic experience. A limited number of picnic tables are available on a first-come basis.
– Parking: Rushton Farm, 911 Delchester Road, Newtown Square PA (the farm is a short walk across the field to the picnic location)
– Dogs are not permitted at Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve. Please keep your furry friends at home.
– Rushton Farm is a working farm. We welcome families to attend this event, but please watch your young children to protect the well-being of the children and the farm.
– Questions? Please contact events@wctrust.org
Deer Creek Malthouse started making malt because they are passionate about agriculture and craft beer and believe there was something inherently wrong with the regional grain/malt supply chain. Although millions of pounds of malt were being consumed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for craft beer alone, this essential ingredient was being treated as a commodity and sourced exclusively from outside the region. Pennsylvania has a rich history of farming and brewing, and there was a clear disconnect in the local food system.
And so it was that Pennsylvania Craft Malt was born: High quality, flavorful, malt ingredients handcrafted using locally grown grain. Founded in 2012, Deer Creek Malthouse is committed to creating more sustainable malting infrastructure in Pennsylvania by adding value to grain for regional food and beverage artisans. They believe that truly amazing things can happen when you shorten the supply chain!
Preserving Quiet Moments | Photography Show
Inside the Rushton Conservation Center
Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) works to preserve land that not only protects habitat for wildlife but also provides visitors with opportunities to experience and appreciate nature. One of the most powerful impacts of our Preserves to the community has been that cathartic provision of natural places where people can go to discover and enjoy quiet moments. Local photographers including friends and staff of WCT have collaborated to bring a few of these peaceful moments in nature to you.
Framed prints and mats will be on display for purchase in the Rushton Conservation Center from September 22nd through December. All profits from the sales go to supporting the Willistown Conservation Trust’s Core Programs including Bird Conservation, Habitat Stewardship, Land Protection, and Watershed.
Opening Reception
Friday, September 22 | 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Featured Artists:
David Hucker was born in Berwyn and has always enjoyed walking the local countryside with a camera. While he spent his career caring for trees, he has always had a passion for capturing the beauty of nature. In retirement he has taken his passion for photography to a professional level with his work now seen at regional and national juried art shows. David has enjoyed demonstrating to his friends and followers that you need not travel to the Rockies, the coast of Maine, or the Everglades to find art in nature. You can find beauty and peace, just by walking our neighborhood meadows.
Jennifer Mathes is a photography enthusiast with a special love for nature and landscape photography. She tries to capture images that encourage people to get outside and explore the beautiful world around us. She has been a volunteer photographer for the Trust since 2020 and can often be found wandering the Preserves with her camera in hand. If you see her, please stop and say “hello!”
Aaron Coolman has a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Ohio State University with unique experience in residential garden design, former work as a USFWS Biotechnician, and a history as a volunteer for the Maryland DNR Natural Heritage Program. Aaron has been working with WCT since 2021 as our Motus Technician and Avian Migration Ecologist. In his spare time, you can find him looking for grassland birds, shorebirds, or at a sea-watch. Basically anywhere that involves birds and requires a spotting scope or camera!
Blake Goll is the Education Programs Manager at the Trust since 2010. She has developed the Trust’s Rushton Nature Keepers program and curriculum for children, and provides other nature education programs for all ages. She also assists with the daily operations of the songbird banding and owl banding stations throughout banding season. Blake is a North American Banding Council (NABC) certified bird bander, and some of her favorite activities include doing yoga, gardening, hiking, reading, writing, and photography!
