Th e S y c a m o r e |
FALL 2019
REGAN DOME
N E W S F R O M W I L L I S TO W N C O N S E R VAT I O N T R U S T
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WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST Jeanne B. Van Alen President/Executive Director BOARD OF TRUSTEES Elizabeth C. Hucker Chair V. Richard Eales Vice Chair Alice E. Hausmann Vice Chair Mark T. Ledger Treasurer John F. Stoviak Secretary
CONTENTS 4
CONSERVATION LEGACY IN THE MAKING
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FLUTE OF THE FOREST
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NEW GATHERINGS
Bryan D. Colket Assistant Secretary Timothy B. Barnard, Esq. L. Clarke Blynn Catherine W. Etherington William T. Howard George F. Krall, Jr. Leanne McMenamin Elizabeth R. Moran*
Peter S. Strawbridge** Matthew E. Taylor Carolyn W. Turner James L. Van Alen II Tana Wall** Richard A. Warden Jason Weckstein Alejandro Zozaya
*Honorary Trustee **Trustee Emeritus
STAFF Todd Alleger Erik Hetzel Agroecology Project Coordinator Director of Land Protection and Public Grants Chelsea Allen Rushton Farm Assistant Field Manager Sarah Hutchin Garden and Landscape Coordinator Mary H. Armstrong Lisa Kiziuk Executive Assistant Director of Bird Conservation Program Sue R. Costello Kelsey Lingle GIS Coordinator Communications Specialist Fred de Long Susie MacDonnell Director of Community Farm Program Events Coordinator Regan Dohm Lindsay Martin Carlson Conservation Associate Event Support Manager Alison Fetterman Lauren McGrath Bird Conservation Associate Director of Watershed Program Blake Goll Nature Education Coordinator
Kathryn Kinkade Gord Director of Rushton Conservation Center Eliza Gowen Outreach Coordinator Noah Gress Rushton Farm Field Manager William R. Hartman, Jr. Director of Stewardship Chelsea Heck Associate Director of Development
Steve Ryan Director of Communications and Marketing Jodi Spragins Communications and Technology Manager Molly Clark Tracy Rushton Farm Assistant Field & Production Manager Tripp Way Director of Development
WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 925 Providence Rd. | Newtown Square, PA 19073 610.353.2562. | LAND@WCTRUST.ORG
Twelve more acres on the road to permanent protection
Saving Wood Thrush
Rushton Conservation Center launches
FARM HELPS SUSTAINABLE 10 SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT Rushton Conservation Center and Rushton Farm help people with barriers to employment get back on their feet
12 GREAT NEWS FOR CLEAN WATER
New grant continues our work toward healthy streams
BEAUTY 14 FUNCTIONAL The new rain garden at the Rushton Conservation Center
AND BEAUTIFUL 16 UNMOWED Forgoing lawn in favor of natural areas
COVER: Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection, shows off a
new water quality sensor which was recently installed in the Crum Creek on private property in Willistown, in partnership with Stroud Water Research Center. The Trust’s Watershed Protection program is funded by a grant from the William Penn Foundation. Orvis is a sponsor of the program, and has provided much-needed supplies, including waders for the staff scientists.
Willistown Conservation Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)3 of the I.R.S. Code. Donations are tax-deductible. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
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Land Conservation
Essential for Climate Change Mitigation FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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hen the founders of Willistown Conservation Trust started protecting land in the Willistown area in 1979, they did so knowing the conserved land would be good for both wildlife and people. The most apparent benefits then were lasting scenic beauty, habitat for wildlife, recreational opportunities, and the respite and peace offered by open space conserved in perpetuity. Forty years later, with more than 7,500 acres conserved in the Willistown area – an achievement made possible by an extraordinarily generous community of conservationists – we now know that this treasure of protected lands can do much more than our original vision. Most importantly, we have learned that our conserved lands can benefit people and nature beyond our local community. Our use of these conserved lands for sustainable farming, bird conservation, watershed protection, habitat restoration, and education magnifies its benefits to a much broader geography. We call it local conservation with a broad impact. An August 2019 report released by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sheds light on the value of land conservation from another perspective. The report confirms that, from a scientific standpoint, land conservation and management are central to how the world can both mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts. The report confirms that our work here in the Willistown area is playing an important role as the world confronts the challenges of climate change. How does our work help? Our conserved lands help absorb greenhouse gases, prevent emissions and reduce impervious surfaces that increase flooding. Our land management practices build resilience to the myriad impacts of climate change. Our farming program models and promotes a shift to sustainable land management practices on the lands that provide our food. Our watershed research measures the impacts of land conservation on water quality. Our education works to inspire as many people as possible to love the land and nature, which encourages them to become future stewards of the land and to be part of the solution to climate change. And our newly opened Rushton Conservation Center focuses and amplifies conservation dialogue throughout our region. We can take comfort in knowing that our original vision for land conservation in the Willistown area is doing much more than we ever anticipated. It has created a resource that is hard at work employing, modeling, and promoting natural solutions that mitigate climate change, the world’s greatest environmental challenge. We hope you will join us in our efforts.
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GAINING GROUND
Conservation Legacy in the Making Twelve more acres on the way to permanent protection with a Legacy Easement Willistown Conservation Trust has a 40-year legacy of protecting land in our area. When you look at a map of our permanently conserved land (inset), you see a mosaic of open space comprising preserved parcels of all sizes – from hundreds of acres to just a few. And in an era when conserving habitat, protecting the quality of our water supply, and offsetting the impact of human activity is so vital, every acre counts. We developed Legacy Easements specifically so owners of smaller parcels of land could protect their land in perpetuity. Legacy Easements are generally less complicated than traditional ones and can be tailored to protect features of an owner’s property that are personally and/or environmentally significant. This is why Lawrie Harris is in the process of donating a Legacy Easement to the Trust. Located on the Leopard Tract on Twinbrook Road in Easttown Township, the gently sloping 12.7 acres is primarily wooded and features a small tributary to Crum Creek named Grubb Mill Run. Several acres of open meadow area surrounds Lawrie’s home and garage, the only structures on the property. The easement will limit further subdivision of the property and will protect the natural features of the property that serve as important wildlife habitat, support the surrounding ecosystem and contribute to scenic views along Twinbrook Road. The
easement defines most of the property as Sensitive Riparian Area, which include wetlands, hydric soils and floodplain, and limits the amount of disturbance allowed in these areas.” Lawrie shares her late husband Jay’s passion for the environment, and wants to conserve the land to assure that it will stay just as it is today, so both people and wildlife can enjoy it forever. Her decision to donate the easement was prompted, in part, by neighbors Kate and Ben Etherington’s recent decision to do the same. “I want to be absolutely certain that future owners will keep this property intact and take care of the stream and woodland. We don’t have many places like this left and we need to preserve them,” said Lawrie. “And the process of working with the Trust has been easy and enjoyable.” As of this writing, Erik Hetzel, the Trust’s Director of Land Protection, is working closely with Lawrie to finalize the terms of the easement. By the time you read this, we expect the easement to be signed and official. We are grateful to Lawrie for her foresight and generosity. Thank you Lawrie, another hero of our countryside!
RIGHT AND OPPOSITE: The new conservation easement permanently protects the scenic view of the property from Twinbrook Road. It prevents further subdivision of the 12.7 acre property and limits disturbance of sensitive riparian (streamside and wetland) areas as well as the woodland areas.
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BLAKE GOLL Fall 2019 Sycamore_FINAL_HarrisVersion_Cover2.indd 6
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Flute of the Forest
Motus and a Quest to Save Wood Thrush
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he flutelike song of the wood thrush is emblematic of summer mornings at Rushton Woods Preserve. Unfortunately, both the wood thrush population and places like Rushton, with over 50 acres of deciduous forest, are rapidly disappearing. The loss is so dramatic that wood thrush are one of eight species of conservation concern identified for study by a recent Competitive State Wildlife Grant awarded to the Willistown Conservation Trust, founding member of the Northeast Motus Collaboration, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Northeast Motus Collaboration is a wildlife research effort using a radio telemetry tracking system. Centered within the Willistown Conservation Trust, the collaboration has, since 2016, installed more than 45 automated receiver stations across Pennsylvania and beyond to facilitate the tracking of migratory birds, bats and insects. Under the direction of Lisa Kiziuk, the Trust’s Director of Bird Conservation, University of Pennsylvania graduate student Amanda Bebel is conducting research on wood thrush as her capstone project. Because scientists have little or outdated information about the wood thrush’s complete life cycle, the focus of Amanda’s research is to learn precisely where they go during the breeding season. Since they nest in Rushton Woods Preserve, it is an ideal place to conduct the study. By attaching tiny nanotags (small radio transmitters) to 6 adults and 3 juveniles at Rushton Woods Preserve in Willistown and several more at Bucktoe Creek Preserve in Kennett Square, Amanda followed these birds during their breeding cycle with incredible geospatial precision. Throughout the summer, she used a hand-held tracking device to zero in on the birds to their physical location while general detections were consistently picked up by the local Motus automated receiver stations at both Rushton and Bucktoe. When the birds migrated south in September, they were picked up by the broader network that extends to South America and continues to collect additional information from each tagged individual about their movements within their life cycle. The tags are designed to last about nine months, so they should provide even more information when they return north next year. This work contributes more information to conservationists about how to better protect and manage wood thrush habitat. Pennsylvania plays a critical role in the conservation of the wood thrush as it supports a significant portion (approximately 8.5%) of the entire nesting population of the species. What type of plants do they need for survival? How far do they go after they fledge? How much contiguous forest do they need? Where do they stop to rest and refuel on their migration path? We hope to learn more about these questions when Amanda completes her research in spring 2020. Stay tuned for updates in future blog stories (wctrust. org/blog) and Trust publications.
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Overlooking Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve, the new Rushton Conservation Center opened its doors in January to offer new opportunities to gather our growing community of conservationists. Won’t you join us?
NEW G
Local Food Workshops and Events
The Rushton Conservation Center’s demonstration kitchen hosts workshops and dining experiences that explore and celebrate local food and sustainable farming. Using produce from Rushton Farm, just steps from the kitchen, we promote healthy eating and the advantages of a plant-rich diet. Classes are open to the public. Come see what’s cooking!
Field Study Site Research and Support
The gathering room is an ideal meeting space for our conservation partner organizations. In our first few months of operation we hosted The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Stroud Water Research, and Geographic Information System coordinators from local land trusts. The space and setting provides inspiration to conservation groups working on issues of local, regional, or national concern.
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GATHERINGS Wellness Seminars
Feeling a connection to nature is an important step in cultivating a community of conservation-minded people, and programs at the Rushton Conservation Center help deepen this connection. Yoga retreats, mindfulness workshops, and guest lectures offer programs that are both good for the individual and for the planet.
Conservation Symposia Children’s Nature Programs
The Rushton Nature Keepers, our education program for children ages 8 -12, is now an all-weather program thanks to the new Rushton Conservation Center. Typical activities include observing and painting pollinators, studying birds of prey, and examining aquatic macroinvertebrates through a microscope. Rushton Seedlings, our new offering for 2.5 - 5 year olds, includes nature-based stories followed by outdoor exploration in the Rushton Woods Preserve.
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At the Rushton Conservation Center, our community can now come together to talk about important issues in nature, conservation, and the environment that affect us all. Our Sustainable Film Series explores topics from regenerative soil in agriculture to plastics in the seas, and our free Lunch-andLearn discussions allow community members to participate in a fun and educational exchange of ideas.
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Sustainable Farm helps Sustainable Employment
Rushton Helps FRESHstart Kitchen Change Lives From its inception, Rushton Farm has provided delicious, sustainably grown produce for its CSA members and the larger community. What started as donations of extra produce to area food cupboards has evolved into a lasting partnership with the Chester County Food Bank, to which Rushton Farm donates over 3,000 pounds of food each year. In 2012, Rushton Farm established Henry’s Garden, named in memory of noted Chester County sustainable agriculture advocate Henry Jordan. In Henry’s Garden, volunteers grow fruits and vegetables exclusively for the Chester County Food Bank. It is with great excitement and high hopes for continued collaboration that we have watched the Chester County Food Bank launch its newest initiative: FRESHstart Kitchen. Started in September of 2018 by local chef and Willistown native, Ranney Moran, in partnership with Chester County Food Bank workforce development manager Amy Rossman,
the mission of FRESHstart Kitchen is to train and coach under- or unemployed people. Most of the participants have limited work experience, modest academic backgrounds, and other barriers to steady employment, often including substance abuse and criminal records. The ultimate goal for graduates is sustainable employment in the food service industry. Early feedback from students and community members has been overwhelmingly positive. Of the twelve graduates in 2018, ten students are currently working in the culinary field, including a recent graduate who is selling her own microgreens to restaurants and has been accepted into the Master Gardner Program through the Penn State extension service. FRESH is an acronym for Focusing Resources on Employment, Self-Sufficiency and Health. The FRESHstart Kitchen provides not only classic, technical culinary workforce training but also teaches life and professional skills. The five-
ABOVE: Using fresh ingredients harvested from the farm,
FRESHstart Kitchen students prepared a delicious three-course luncheon as founder and director Ranney Moran looks on.
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FRESHstart kitchen participants meet the farmers and receive an overview of Rushton Farm’s unique approach to agriculture that builds soil health while benefitting and enhancing the surrounding ecosystem.
day-per-week, 12-week program aims to equip participants with skills to enter or reenter the workforce, including identifying and overcoming potential barriers to successful employment. For example, noting that transportation to class was a challenge for his first semester of students, Moran secured funding for a doorto-door van service, which now makes certain students can get to class on time each day, allowing them to give their full focus to the program and their futures. In June, we were thrilled to host the summer class of culinary students from the FRESHstart Kitchen for a one-day Rushton Farm intensive program. Students toured Rushton Farm with Director Fred de Long, collecting produce along the
way. At the Rushton Conservation Center kitchen, students then planned and prepared a scrumptious three-course luncheon, incorporating Rushton farm-fresh ingredients and culinary techniques learned through the program. Don’t worry if you missed the lunch; FRESHstart students operate a weekly café at the Chester County Food Bank, so community members can access these delicious meals every Friday at noon. We look forward to a return visit each semester and the continuation of a beautiful, and delicious, relationship.
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JODI SPRAGINS
Sycamore Society members gather with Watershed Protection staff to examine a creature pulled from the stream at Crum Creek last August. A seine net was one of several methods used to collect a diverse assortment of fish, insects, and other invertebrates indicating a very healthy stream.
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Great News for Clean Water T
he Trust is proud to announce the receipt of a two-year $352,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation to further integrate watershed protection into our land protection, stewardship and outreach activities in the Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creek watersheds. As part of this grant, the Trust will strengthen its research partnership with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University as an official Field Study Site. In 2017, the Trust established the Watershed Protection Program through another generous grant from the William Penn Foundation. The Watershed Protection Program’s goals were three-fold: to gain a better understanding of local water quality, educate the greater Willistown community on the regional value of the Ridley, Crum and Darby Creeks, and advance our protection of these amazing ecosystems. To this end, we formalized a research partnership with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University that designated the Trust’s program area as an official Field Study Site. Through this partnership, we have been able to rapidly increase our capacity to study and grow a deeper understanding of our dynamic, local waterways. Over the last two years, the Watershed Protection Program has gained valuable insight into the way our streams function through rigorous water chemistry and insect assessments. Meanwhile, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel is using these data to refine a model, the Stream Reach Assessment Tool, which has broad applications to waterways throughout the region. Our capabilities continue to grow as each year co-op
students from Drexel University join our ranks, bringing with them creative concepts and high level questions that push us to change the way we look at our local landscape and our impact on the environment. The valuable research and collaborations undertaken by the Watershed Protection Program since its inception in 2017 will now continue uninterrupted thanks to the continued support provided by the William Penn Foundation. The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. The William Penn Foundation’s environmental funding is focused on protection and restoration of clean water in the Delaware River watershed, of which the Ridley and Crum watersheds are a part. The generous funding from the William Penn Foundation allows the Watershed Protection Program to continue stewarding and improving our waterways, not just for the greater Willistown community today, but for the future users of the water that originates in our backyards for years to come. As we continue to work to address the many diverse threats facing water quality, we must work together to ensure the highest quality water for all – from where we stand today, to our downstream neighbors, and to the generations of fishes, mammals and invertebrates that call our waterways home.
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The rain garden at the Rushton Conservation Center is designed to absorb and filter pollutants from stormwater runoff. Planted last fall, the garden is already full of color, texture, and pollinators, such as this Monarch butterfly. The garden was created with the help of a generous gift from Lida Wright.
JODI SPRAGINS
Land Conservation: Essential for Climate Change Mitigation
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ate
Functional Beauty
A Look at the Rain Garden at the Rushton Conservation Center
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hat absorbs stormwater runoff, attracts pollinators, and looks beautiful all at the same time? The rain garden at Rushton Conservation Center! Underwritten by a generous gift from Lida Wright and designed by Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects, the rain garden is located in the center of the circular driveway at the newly constructed education and research building at Rushton Woods Preserve. The surrounding driveway surface is gently pitched to direct stormwater runoff into the garden basin, which is filled with deep-rooted native plants selected for the intermittent wet conditions. As needed, a surface drain directs overflow to a nearby underground stormwater basin. Installed last fall, the plantings in the rain garden include several Sweetbay Magnolia and Sweet Pepperbush shrubs, and
a rich blend of perennial plants and grasses. The herbaceous plants in the central section of the rain garden were planted as plugs, while much of the outer perimeter was seeded with a seed mix designed for wet growing conditions. Now in its first season of growth, the garden is already full of color and texture and teeming with pollinators. Rain gardens of all shapes and sizes can function as a wonderful feature in a residential landscape. Their bowl-like shape can collect rain water from downspouts or nearby areas of hardscape to capture runoff. We encourage Rushton Woods Preserve and Rushton Farm visitors to check out the rain garden and other native plantings.
PLANT LIST
Rain Garden at Rushton Conservation Center Shrubs Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay Magnolia) Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’ (Sweet Pepperbush) Perennials & Grasses Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) Ascelpias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) Eupatorium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed) Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Summer Sun’ (Smooth Oxeye) Monarda bradburniana (Bee Balm) Oenenthera fruiticosa (Sundrops) Packera aureus (Golden Groundsel) Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue) Pycanthemum muticum (Mountain Mint) Rudbeckia laciniata (Cutleaf coneflower) Solidago ‘Little Lemon’ (Goldenrod) Thermopsis caroliniana (Carolina Lupine)
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JODI SPRAGINS
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Embracing Our Natural Landscape
Unmowed and Beautiful “No-mow” fever is spreading in Willistown, and the birds, insects, and other critters who call this special place home are rejoicing. Blessed with acres of conserved land and a legacy of a rural landscape, changing how we think about the traditional mowed lawn in Willistown is both appropriate and beautiful. Managing grassy areas as an unmowed natural landscape has long been a management priority at the Trust’s nature preserves. Doing so improves water quality and ecological health, benefitting all species, especially birds which are in serious decline. That is why we are so pleased to see a number of private landowners in Willistown following these same practices on their own properties.
Heather and Matt Naylor stopped mowing their fields on their Crum Creek Farm along Grubbs Mill Road in June. Heather says she thinks it is more beautiful than ever and has noticed more birds.
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Russell and Kim Galligher, who live on Hillview Road, recently converted a major portion of their grassy areas to unmown meadow. “We love the way it looks and it saves me about four hours per week of mowing time.” That is a winwin for the Galligher’s leisure time and wildlife!
Mowing paths through the unmowed sections creates an invitation into the landscape, as shown here on Jodi Spragins’ and Brook Gardner’s property on Hillview Road.
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ABOVE AND BELOW: The mowed perimeter frames the fields at Carolyn and Bob Turner’s Wind Hill property and the Naylor’s Crum Creek Farm on Grubbs Mill Road, providing an appealing juxtaposition between the natural and maintained areas.
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From Mowed to Meadow
Three Approaches to Converting Mowed Lawn to a Natural Landscape
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NATURAL LANDSCAPE Reduce your mowing to perimeters and paths only, and mow the entire area just once per year, typically in March. Over time, native grasses and wildflowers will likely start to colonize the area, but it may take years for them to establish.
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NATURAL LANDSCAPE WITH A BOOST Follow the steps described above, but plant plugs of native grasses and wildflowers directly in the freshly mowed turf grass in the spring. Over time, the native grasses and wildflowers should outcompete the turf grass and create a brilliant mosaic of color and texture. The field at the Trust office at 925 Providence Road in Newtown Square, now ten years old, is an excellent example of this approach.
3
PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED NATIVE PLANT MEADOW Hire a professional to perform a site analysis and meadow design that incorporates light exposure, soil type, and topography. Based on this analysis, the professional will design a seed mix or combination of plugs that are best suited to your site for long term results. Plant selection should be based on timing of plant growth and bloom, habit, and succession of maturity.
TO S TO P M OW I N G
5 REASONS
For the first year following installation, mow and weed whack the area every six weeks to a height of 4 – 6” to prevent annual weeds from blooming and going to seed while allowing the new perennial native plants to get established. In year two, some manual weeding of invasives may be necessary. By year three, the native plants should be outcompeting the non-native weed population. From then on, only one annual mowing in late winter or early spring will be required.
1. Reduce emissions from mowers and sequester more carbon with native plants’ deeper root systems 2. Improve water quality by absorbing storm water, filtering pollutants, and reducing use of pesticides and herbicides 3. Attract and support beneficial insects, including pollinators 4. Support biodiversity and help declinging species, especially birds 5. Showcase the beauty of a natural landscape
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LEARN MORE How to Create a Meadow in Southeast Pennsylvania: The Basics https://conservationtools.org/library_items/1441 Alternatives to Lawn: Choosing What’s Right for You https://conservationtools.org/library_items/1443 Wildflower Meadows: Let’s Get Real http://lweanerassociates.com/?p=1203 Meadows and Prairies: Wildlife-Friendly Alternatives to Lawn https://conservationtools.org/library_items/1442 The Landscape Plug Manual http://ow.ly/YYSMB
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STAFF NEWS
Movers and Shakers Chelsea Heck joined the Trust as Associate Director
Lindsay M. Carlson joined the Trust in May as the
of Development in June. In this position Chelsea will be leading efforts to advance the Trust’s annual fund and support the Trust in fundraising events. Chelsea comes with years of experience in environmental education and development at the Wissahickon Environmental Center and more recently for the Lower Merion Conservancy where she worked as Director of Education and Development, supporting the organization’s open space and watershed work. Chelsea grew up in Chester County and now lives in Wallingford.
Event Support Manager at the Rushton Conservation Center. Lindsay assists with the planning and execution of events and educational programs at the RCC. With over 15 years of experience in the event and hospitality industry, she’s excited to combine her professional background with her passion for conservation. Lindsay lives in Paoli with her husband and two daughters.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Learn More
How Yoga to Create a Meadow in Page and Rachael Hunter –Meadows and Prairies: Wildlife-Friendly Retreat with Kristin Finding Your Center in a Season of Change October 11, 9:30 AM 2:30 PM Southeast Pennsylvania: The Basics Alternatives to Lawn Run-A-Muck conservationtools.org/library_items/1441 conservationtools.org/library_items/1442 October 19, 2:30 - 8:00 PM Biergarten Rushton Farm - Featuring Deer Creek Malthouse’s Malt-a-Palooza Alternatives to at Lawn: The Landscape Plug Manual October 26, 1:00 5:00 PM Choosing What’s Right for You ow.ly/YYSMB Opening Reception for Genevieve Snyder Art Show conservationtools.org/library_items/1443 December 8
Wildflower Meadows: Let’s Get Real See our full calendar at lweanerassociates.com/?p=1203
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wctrust.org/calendar
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Interns, Co-Op Students, and Conservation Associates Gage Bailey worked as an intern for his second season at Rushton Farm this past summer. A sophomore archaeology major at the University of Minnesota, he took a break from the farm in July at an archaeological dig in Peru. As a senior at Strath Haven High School he was the first high school student to complete the Rushton Farm Agroecology curriculum for high school students.
Cole Beckstrom recently graduated from Conestoga High School where he elected to serve his senior year internship with the Willistown Conservation Trust in May, 2019. Cole assisted the Trust’s Stewardship Department with a variety of projects ranging from planting trees at Kirkwood and Ashbridge Preserves to maintaining a variety of the Trust’s habitat restoration project sites. Cole will carry his interest in the environment to the University of Wyoming this fall where he plans to major in Environmental Systems Science and nurture his love of hiking, rock climbing and kayaking.
Regan Dohm joined Willistown Conservation Trust in January 2017 where she was responsible for supporting the newly created Watershed Protection Program’s water quality monitoring and outreach efforts. Prior to this, she studied the
interactions between hawks and wind farms and worked as a Teaching Assistant, while achieving her Master in Environment and Resources degree from the University of WisconsinMadison. Regan hopes to create a positive impact on our natural world and its human communities by sharing the valuable work of researchers and environmental stewards through science stories.
Kristen Johnson has been a devoted volunteer at the Rushton Bird Banding Station since its inception, when she was just eight years old. She learned to extract and band birds under the instruction of Doris McGovern and helped with the seasonal migration, MAPS, and Northern Saw-whet Owl banding programs. As a graduating senior from Friends’ Central School this past spring, she devoted her senior project to a bird banding internship at the Trust. In addition to birds, Kristen has a keen eye for caterpillars, butterflies, and moths, and enjoys nature photography, riding horses, and playing the violin. This fall, Kristen will begin her studies at Mount Holyoke College where she plans to major in Biology and Music.
Cole Beckstrom Kristen Johnson
Gage Bailey
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Maddy Sabo also worked with us as a watershed co-op this summer. She is studying environmental science at Drexel University and will graduate in March of 2020. This is her third co-op through Drexel; she has worked at Catawba Lands Conservancy in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Through these experiences she has discovered a passion for entomology and hopes to purse a career studying incredible insects across the globe.
d Aiden Kelly worked as an intern at Rushton Farm this past summer, helping out with weeding, planting, harvesting and heavy lifting. He is a junior at Conestoga High School. He is an excellent lacrosse player who played on a summer league team that won the national championship this year. When not playing lacrosse he enjoys spending time at the shore and loves canine companionship.
Kacy Reitnauer is a senior at Drexel University majoring in environmental science with a concentration in ecology and conservation. She is working in the watershed department at Willistown Conservation Trust for her final co-op position. Her past two co-op positions have been at Valley Forge National Historical Park and the Academy of Natural Sciences. Kacy is interested in environmental education, community based conservation, and watershed protection. By choosing a career in environmental science, she hopes to inspire others to appreciate, respect, and learn about the natural world.
Laryssa Terleckyj, a junior Environmental Engineering major at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, was an invaluable member of the Trust’s staff this past summer. As a Stewardship intern, Laryssa contributed to numerous efforts, including the preparation of easement monitoring reports, a draft preserve management plan and several documents to assist the Trust in its re-accreditation process with the Land Trust Alliance. Laryssa also contributed numerous hours outdoors assisting with the management of our office wildflower restoration project, tree planting at Ashbridge Preserve and overall preserve maintenance.
Brint Van Alen is a sophomore at Westtown School. He spent several weeks last summer working at Rushton Farm and helping with stewardship projects. From weeding and harvesting to helping maintain young tree plantings at our preserves, Brint was a huge help and a very hard worker. Made possible with help from
The Bob and Carolyn Turner Fund for Interns and Conservation Associates
Kacy Reitnauer
Laryssa Terleckyj Aiden Kelly
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Maddy Sabo
Brint Van Alen 9/23/19 9:09 AM
The Sycamore
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SOUTHEASTERN, PA PERMIT NO. 96
WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 925 Providence Road Newtown Square, PA 19073
MARY HUNT DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY
October 21, 2017*
Fall 2019 Sycamore_FINAL_HarrisVersion_Cover2.indd 24
Thank You! Run-a-Muck Business Sponsors Almanack Investment Partners Altus Partners Armond Aquatech Pools Audi Devon Barbara Gisel Design, Ltd Bartlett Tree Experts Benner & Sons Bernard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie and Seelaus, LLP Brandywine Realty Trust Bryn Mawr Landscaping Bryn Mawr Trust Company Cherokee Construction Conlin’s Digital Print & Copy Center Country Properties Countryside Consulting Crumdale Partners Cullen Construction Inc. E.C. Trethewey Building Contractors, Inc. Energy Management Systems F.L. Bissinger, Architect Gardner/Fox Associates Glenmede GreenWeaver Lanscapes Griffiths Construction, Inc. Jackson Lewis P.C. James Brown Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning John Milner Architects King Construction Company, LLC KingsHaven
Oct. 19, 2019
KPW Productions Kreischer Miller Liz Walton Home Mill Creek Capital Advisors, LLC Oliver Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical Pancoast & Clifford Inc. Penn Systems Group, Inc. Peter Zimmerman Architects, Inc. Pinemar, Inc. Pohlig Homes Quadratec Ranieri & Kerns Associates LLC Refugia LTD Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr Shreiner Tree Care Spire Builders Stoltzfus Construction of LanChester LLC Stoney Bank Nurseries, Inc. Sycamore Racing Tague Lumber Inc. The Mundy Wealth Management Group / Morgan Stanley Wealth Management US Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management Warren Claytor Architects Weeds, Inc. Wells Fargo White Horse Village
Tickets & info
wctrust.org 9/23/19 9:09 AM