Campaign for
KESTREL HILL PRESERVE
DAVE TAVANI
MAKING HISTORY. LEAVING A LEGACY.
SAVE THE LAND A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose when 218 acres of farmland was listed for sale in the heart of Willistown Township in 2022. A widespread consensus formed quickly that it was urgent and imperative to protect the land from development.
SHARE THE LAND To that end, Willistown Conservation Trust proposed a bold and ambitous plan, to acquire a large portion of the property, conserve the land, and establish a new public nature preserve: Kestrel Hill Preserve.
NOW AND FOREVER With your help, we can now save the undeveloped open space, protect wildlife, habitat, and waterways, and share the land forever with everyone.
DAVE TAVANI
ENVISION THE FUTURE
From the crest of the Sledding Hill, an expansive vista stretches out before you, reaching to the sky. Hiking and equestrian trails crisscross wildlflower meadows, descend into the valley, step over streams, and ascend into Owl Woods forest. This idyllic countryside will be protected in perpetuity for generations, forever grateful for your foresight.
KATE ETHERINGTON
LEARN FROM THE LAND
Owl Woods hosts native bees, moths, and caterpillars in an Oak-Hickory habitat that sustains the food web. Nuthatches, goldfinches, and chickadees flit among fragrant spicebush shrubs. Toads and salamanders hide in leaf-litter, beneath rocks, and among scattered ferns, sedges, and woodland wildflowers. Songbirds, scampering squirrels and chipmunks feasting on nuts, insects, and berries attract foxes, raccoons, hawks, and owls. Studying ecosystems enables us to provide thoughtful stewardship.
AARON COOLMAN
SHARE THE LAND
Sightings of the American Kestrel at WCT preserves evidence that our many conservation initiatives are succeeding; elsewhere, populations of this colorful little falcon are declining, as development consumes open space. Kestrel Hill Preserve will secure ecologically rich grasslands and wetlands as well as corridors for wildlife to travel among adjacent protected lands held in private conservation easements and WCT’s neighboring Rushton Woods Preserve and Kirkwood Preserve.
DAVE TAVANI
CONSERVE RESOURCES
Sprawling development and climate change significantly stress waterways, whereas undeveloped open spaces mitigate the effects of extreme weather and protect streams, rivers, and ultimately, the water supply. Two valuable headwater streams, Hibberd Run and Yarnall Run, pass through Kestrel Hill Preserve, join nearby Ridley Creek, and connect downstream to the Delaware River.
DAVID HUCKER
FOR THOSE FOLLOWING OUR FOOTSTEPS
GENEVIEVE SNYDER
Kestrel Hill Preserve will establish a sanctuary in a surrounding sea of development, a retreat from the modern world, and serve as a perennial reminder for future generations of their inextricable connections to the natural world.
MAKING HISTORY. LEAVING A LEGACY.
Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) has served as stewards of Chester County’s prized and picturesque countryside for over 30 years. WCT has helped to protect over 7,500 acres of open space in three critical watersheds through conservation easements, public wildlife preserves, and a regenerative farm, and has established bird conservation, water research, and education programs. WCT will now acquire an additional 90 acres of undeveloped land to establish Kestrel Hill Preserve and make accessible to all, forever, a secluded and idyllic property that has been privately owned for hundreds of years. You can help. Friends of WCT, Chester County, and Willistown Township have pledged generous financial support for Kestrel Hill Preserve, recognizing that opportunities to conserve undeveloped open spaces are fewer and farther between than in the past. While the cost to acquire the land is significant, greater still are long-term costs associated with development, including negative impacts on quality of life, water quality, wildlife, and the environment. By contributing generously to WCT, you can help WCT acquire the land and: Restore existing farmland and wetland areas to native habitat; Plant riparian buffer areas adjacent to headwater creeks that flow through the preserve; Clear and maintain trails for equestrians and hikers; Provide public access; and, Establish an endowment to assure WCT can maintain the Preserve, in perpetuity. Willistown Conservation Trust’s plan upholds the aspirations of conservation-minded citizens locally and throughout Pennsylvania who wish to conserve undeveloped, open spaces, protect the environment and native wildlife, and make accessible to all the beauty and life-sustaining wonders of the natural world. Join us at Kestrel Hill Preserve. Make history and establish your enduring legacy.
SPRING WALK AT KIRKWOOD FARM The rhythm of my footsteps shaping themselves to the changing contour of the greening earth. The softly rattling brook by the winter wrecked willows. Coal black crows scolding by the white-walled bank barn-empty for decades. Two evil looking vultures leering from their black walnut perches, Dixie, my ever-present four-legged partner, sensing their menace. Canada geese gliding across the meadow pond surface, honking warnings of the dog's looming presence. Sand-colored corn stalks--forlorn, broken, leafless, and silent-so distant in time from Fall's leafy green rustlings. A red-tail perched high, surveying his domain; V-shaped raptors circling, diving, soaring on gentle spring breezes; The twittering and chattering of birds seen but unknown; The glorious undefinable scent of the rebirthing land. The land, the land, the land! I want to immerse myself in it, inhale it, Listen to its message, forever.
DAVE TAVANI
Author: Peter S. Strawbridge, Founding Trustee
WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 925 PROVIDENCE ROAD | NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA 19073 | 610.353.2562 | WCTRUST.ORG