NEWS FROM WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST | FALL 2025
Catherine W. Etherington President & Executive Director
Julie S. Graham
Associate Executive Director
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
John Stoviak | Chair
Leanne M. McMenamin | Vice Chair
Meg Tegler Hardesty | Vice Chair
Elizabeth C. Hucker| Treasurer
Michael Burg, Esq. | Secretary
Clarke Blynn
Maggie Brokaw
Bryan D. Colket
Wendy Cozzi
Kimberley H. Galligher, VMD
Lindsay Scott Leisenring
Molly Love
Michael J. McGraw
Linda I. McIsaac
Britton H. Murdoch
Justin N. Thompson
David L. Unruh
Jeanne B. Van Alen** Rick Warden Kyle Wichser **President Emerita
STAFF
Sarah Barker | Watershed Program Technician
Molly Clark | Rushton Farm Part-Time Production Manager
Christina Classon | Accounting Associate
Aaron Coolman | Motus Technical Coordinator and Avian Ecologist
Mike Cranney | Director of Stewardship
Nicole DeLizzio | Stewardship Manager
Michelle Eshleman | Motus Avian Research Coordinator
Alison Fetterman | Avian Conservation Biologist
Blake Goll | Education Programs Manager
Eliza Gowen | Community Farm Outreach Coordinator
Noah Gress | Director of Community Farm Program
Gretchen Groebel | Director of Community Engagement
Michelle Havens | Development Associate
Erik Hetzel | Director of Land Protection and Public Grants
Heidi Hole | Campaign Manager
Lisa Kiziuk | Director of Bird Conservation Program
Kelsey Lingle | Director of Communications and Marketing
Tricia Mackay | Events Coordinator
Lindsay Martin-Carlson | Events and Programs Manager
Lauren McGrath | Director of Watershed Protection Program
Zach Ruch | Farm Production Manager
Anna Walsh | Conservation Data and GIS Specialist
Andrew Wraith | Conservation Associate
COVER IMAGE | Sharp-shinned Hawk by Gary Gittis
DESIGN | Kelsey Lingle
Letter from the Board Chair
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANQUILITY DURING TUMULTUOUS TIMES
We live in an era of great change and uncertainty. In the past decade, we have experienced a global pandemic, political tensions, and social unrest that often leave us feeling unsettled. These moments remind me of my college years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, another period marked by upheaval and division in our country. During that time, I found solace by driving out to Walden Pond on Sundays, where I could walk, sit quietly, and reconnect with the simple beauty and peace of nature. That time of reflection and restoration was invaluable to me.
Today, I am reminded how fortunate we are to have our own places of respite right here in our community, thanks to the vision and dedication of Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT). Under the inspired leadership of Kate Etherington and Julie Graham, supported by our talented staff, WCT provides spaces where people can experience the same tranquility I once found at Walden Pond.
Our preserves—Kestrel Hill, Kirkwood, Ashbridge, and Rushton Woods—offer opportunities to reflect on the wonders of the natural world. You can listen to the chorus of birds, watch the industrious work of beavers, stroll through flourishing meadows, or enjoy the bounty of organic produce from Rushton Farm. Even a short visit can lift your spirit, restore a sense of calm, and remind you of the enduring beauty that surrounds us. In times that feel unsettled, I encourage you to step onto the trails, breathe deeply, and let nature bring perspective and peace. Together, let’s embrace the tranquility that Willistown Conservation Trust so generously provides while we navigate the challenges of our times.
John Stoviak Chair, Board of Trustees
Letter from the Executive Director
State of Our Streams Report: New Edition! Connected by the Hive
Kestrel Hill Preserve In Bloom: From Fallow Fields to Flourishing Meadows
From Data to Discovery: How Volunteers Are Safeguarding Our Watersheds
YOUNG VOICES | Where Ideas Take Flight
• My Amazing Monarch Butterfly Experience
• Classrooms Without Walls
• Nestbox Monitoring in Action!
Join The Campaign for Kestrel Hill Preserve
ILetter from the Executive Director
t’s easy to look out across a wide expanse of open space and be awed by its beauty: the sweep of green meadows, the brilliant blue of the sky, fields alive with purple and yellow wildflowers. Nature can take our breath away in these grand moments.
But just as powerful are the small wonders that often escape our notice: a bird carefully selecting a twig for its nest, a caterpillar inching its way across a leaf, or a mussel silently filtering pollutants from a creek. These moments, large and small, invite us to pause, look more closely, and reconnect with the world that surrounds us.
At Willistown Conservation Trust, our mission is to protect these places and moments, ensuring that nature not only survives but flourishes, and that people have the opportunity to experience it in ways that inspire, heal, and connect.
Yet, at a time when federal funding for conservation science and research is under significant threat, our mission takes on even greater urgency. Across the country, critical programs that support habitat restoration, bird monitoring, and water quality science face cuts or elimination—changes that could ripple through the conservation field for years to come. While these challenges are real, they have strengthened our resolve.
WCT is responding with determination and creativity. We are adapting our programs, diversifying funding sources, and investing in resilient strategies to ensure that the lands we protect continue to provide ecological, recreational, and educational benefits for our community.
In 2026, WCT will celebrate its 30th year of conservation. This milestone is possible only because of the remarkable community that has stood with us: neighbors, friends, and partners near and far who give their time, talent, and resources to make our work possible. From volunteers who clear trails and tend gardens, to guests who gather at Barns & BBQ and Run-a-Muck to celebrate open space, to the generous donors of our Annual Fund and the Campaign for Kestrel Hill, to our dedicated Trustees, committee members, and staff—you are the reason this landscape, and all its quiet wonders, remain protected.
As we look toward this anniversary and beyond, I am filled with gratitude for your care, your commitment, and your belief in the power of conservation. Together, we are safeguarding the land, the wildlife, and the everyday miracles of nature, for today, and for generations to come.
With gratitude,
Catherine Etherington, President & Executive Director
State of Our Streams Report: New Edition!
By Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program, Anna Walsh, Conservation Data and GIS Specialist and Sarah Barker, Watershed Program Technician
Aquatic ecosystems, like the headwaters of Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks studied in the State of Our Streams (S.O.S.) report, are facing a devastating reality: if human activity continues unchecked, it will result in the destruction of this invaluable resource. Studies around the world have shown that climate change and human development have had disproportionate impacts on aquatic systems, causing as high as an 85% decline of all aquatic habitat.1 As this ecosystem declines and species are lost, it becomes weaker in the face of future disturbances. At the state level, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Integrated Water Quality Report published in 2024 shows that across Pennsylvania, 34% of stream miles are considered impaired for one or more uses, an increase over the 2022 report. More locally, 79% of stream miles in Chester County and 95% of stream miles in Delaware County are considered impaired.2
Since 2018, WCT's Watershed Protection Program has monitored water quality at ten sites in the headwaters of Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks, visiting these sites once every four weeks to collect data. The goal of the program is to understand local trends in water quality and how water quality relates to land use. To provide a biological context to water quality data, we have also conducted surveys of stream insects, freshwater mussel, and diatoms. The updated S.O.S. report contains findings from all of this data, as well as data from the Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Program and observations of local wildlife.
In the study area covered in the 2025 edition of the S.O.S., Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks are considered impaired for their designated aquatic life uses, meaning water quality is not high enough to support the full diversity of fish and other organisms that should live in the stream. The data presented in the S.O.S. showcases the intricate relationship between activity on the landscape and the reaction of the waterway. From the compelling complexities of water chemistry, to the biology of stream insects and diatoms, similar patterns are emerging from the data:
the region’s streams have warm waters, high chloride levels (from the application of road salt before winter storms), and elevated nutrients. However, there is a relationship between concentrated land protection and restoration efforts: where there is more development, water temperatures rise, as does the impact of road salt and nutrients. Where there is more protected open space and, importantly, more forest cover, these impacts are reduced (Figure 1).
Over the last seven years, Watershed Protection Program staff have witnessed the increasing instability of these systems first hand. Extreme flooding, like that of 2021’s Hurricane Ida, has caused substantial erosion and contamination. The historic drought of the fall of 2024, where no rain fell in the month of October, led to dangerously low flows and elevated chloride levels – an indication of salt build up in the soils and groundwater. It is difficult to overstate the impact that events like these have had on the wildlife that call this region home. Predictions are that climate change-driven instability will continue to be a significant hurdle for aquatic ecosystems to clear as we move into the future.
Alongside the observed realities of climate change, Watershed staff could have never predicted that we would document so many unexpected new wildlife species in these watersheds over the last seven years. Despite the combined pressures of human expansion and increasing climate instability, this region retains an incredible ability to recover and support sensitive and declining populations – from freshwater mussels, one of the most at risk groups of organisms on the planet, to the American river otter, which had been driven almost to extinction in Pennsylvania due to poor water quality.
Our hope is that this report will help community members throughout the region understand the science behind the stream research and offer tangible suggestions for ways to improve watershed health. We know that we can improve the health of our streams when we work together. Life depends on it.
Figure 1. Relationship between land use and chloride levels in Ridley (blue), Crum (green), and Darby Creeks (purple). 1a. Chloride levels decrease as forest cover on the landscape increases across all watersheds. Fewer slippery surfaces and increased stormwater capture and filtration reduces the chloride levels at more heavily forested sites. 1b. Chloride levels increase as impervious surface, representing development, increases on the landscape. Chloride increases as a result of the application of road salts ahead of winter storms on slippery surfaces such as roads, sidewalks and driveways.
References:
1. World Wide Fund for Nature. (2024). Living Planet Report 2024 [Online report]. WWF. Retrieved [July 15, 2025], from Living Planet Report website.
2. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. (2024). Pennsylvania integrated water quality report 2024 [Interactive report]. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved [July 15, 2025], from Pennsylvania DEP website.
Funding for the S.O.S. publication was awarded through the “Protect Your Drinking Water” grant program, administered by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council with funding from Aqua, an Essential Utilities Company.
Connected by the Hive
By Noah Gress, Director of Community Farm Program
People often ask at Rushton Farm, “How are the bees?” reflecting their fascination. It might be the sweet elixir of honey that sparks this interest—satisfying a sweet tooth, evoking nostalgia, or awakening primal senses shared with early ancestors. Historically, honey was a rare and valuable commodity due to its sweetness and medicinal qualities. Evidence of early humans collecting honey is seen in cave paintings and hieroglyphics. The Egyptians were among the first to domesticate honeybees, using clay pots turned upside down for hives. When visitors see the wooden hives at Rushton Farm, they might sense some ancient magic or power in the bees. A hive filled with honey and bustling with nearly 60,000 bees can be truly awe-inspiring, each capable of producing up to 70 pounds of surplus honey during the spring nectar flow.
Some visitors are intrigued by the honeybee as she goes about her day. Most often, people encounter honeybees while admiring the many flowers blooming in fields and hedgerows; the bee moves methodically, almost dancing, around each flower, filling the pollen baskets on her hind legs. Look closely to see her dip her straw-like proboscis into a drop of nectar. The bee doesn’t eat the nectar but stores it in her honey crop. Once filled, she flies straight back to the hive. The work of a forager may take her as far as three miles from her home. Very rarely does she lose her way. Through dead reckoning and the sun’s position, the honeybee is an excellent navigator. A summer’s lifespan is about a month, and she brings home not much more honey than what clings to a fingertip dipped into a jar of honey. Now that the goldenrod is blooming, the hive’s foragers will make nearly a million trips to gather enough nectar to produce one pound of honey.
Honeybees collect more than just pollen and nectar; some are water enthusiasts. They can be seen by the hydrant gathering water to cool the hive. Others prefer mineral-rich water from a freshly watered seed flat. Sometimes, the Rushton Farm staff notice their bee coworkers drinking from the irrigation tubes that water the fields.
Some bees specialize in collecting tree sap and plant resins from essential oil-bearing plants. Bees then use these ingredients to craft a medicinal, glue-like substance called propolis. Honeybees use propolis to seal tiny cracks in their hive. The ingredients in propolis help keep the colony healthy. Historical records show that propolis was used during mummification in ancient Egypt. It is also used for mouth ailments and topically for skin conditions, infections, and inflammations.
When the sun begins to set and the day’s work ends, the honeybee returns to her hive. She is greeted by an elder bee who has retired from their more active job as a forager to become a guard bee. The guard bees gather at the entrance and welcome the homecoming forager to ensure she belongs to the hive. Once inside, the bees
Noah explaining the Rushton Farm bee apiaries for an ECOcentric Experience event. Photos by Blake Goll.
resume housekeeping chores and rest until dawn. The fact that bees spend the night in the hive has become the foundation of a thousand years of beekeeping.
We have been told about the importance of honeybees to our food supply. What makes them vital for maintaining it? Simply put, their home can be moved. The hive can be screened off and carried along as civilizations migrated. They were loaded onto wooden ships, modern container ships, wagons, and tractor trailers. As the fruits that sustain humanity bloomed, the hive was there to pollinate them. For millions of years, honeybees have played a crucial role in spreading pollen and other floral materials across the Earth. They ensured pollination, which became the foundation of the environment, and sparked the development of new species and varieties.
Despite the close intertwining of humanity and honeybees, bees often escape domestication and return to the wild. In spring, when the hive is filled with honey and the bees are running out of space to raise their young, the hive naturally develops the urge to split. This is how honeybees reproduce. The workers build special combs to raise new queen bees. The queen lays an egg in this “queen cup.” About two weeks later, the new queen will be fully developed and emerge to replace her predecessor as the hive's leader. Just before the new queen matures completely, experienced foragers will push the queen, who led the colony through the previous winter, out of the hive’s entrance. Then, the queen and around 15,000 foragers fly off to start a new colony. Many people become inspired to take up beekeeping after seeing a swarm flying across a field.
When folks ask me, “How are the Bees?” I find it hard to know what to say. I usually reply that they are doing well or that they’re collecting more and more honey everyday. Inside, I think to myself, where to begin. To me, they are amazing, magical, and make me feel connected to nature and my ancestors. Sometimes I see them as a worthy adversary, especially when the hive is 60,000 bees strong and it’s the day I‘ve come for their honey. When Fred passed away, the bees, through the ancient ritual of “the telling of the bees,” helped me mourn and remember the good times we had when Fred would visit me while I was working with the bees.
From the first time I saw a swarm fly across a field I was farming, I knew I wanted to be a beekeeper. Wearing the hat of a beekeeper has allowed me to connect with all kinds of people in a way that reveals our shared humanity. We are all one people living in one world. The next time you visit Rushton Woods Preserve and see a bee, don’t hesitate to ask her how she is doing. You might be surprised by what you discover.
Noah explaining the world of bees to Rushton Nature Keepers.
OCTOBER 2024 | SEASON ONE: EARLY GROWTH
JUNE 2025 | SEASON TWO: IN BLOOM
Kestrel Hill Preserve In Bloom: From Fallow Fields to Flourishing Meadows
By Mike Cranney, Director of Stewardship
In 2024, WCT set out to restore roughly 25 acres of fallow farm fields to native meadow and grassland at our newest property – Kestrel Hill Preserve. In June of that year, an 11-acre (upper) field adjacent to Providence Road was seeded with three native grasses and 24 different native wildflowers, while a 14-acre (lower) field next to Plumsock Road was seeded with four native grasses. These different seed mixes diversify the habitat, allowing the entire area to support a broader range of birds and pollinators more quickly, while simplifying some management strategies.
In just one year the changes at Kestrel Hill are remarkable. While native meadow species like the ones that were seeded can take multiple years grow, we saw positive results almost right away. By the end of the first summer, the upper field was painted gold with black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), while smaller germinating buds of numerous other species signaled an even more productive second year. Similarly, we noticed abundant germination of grass species in the lower field, while the cover crop of annual rye held the soil in place through the first winter.
Things really took off in 2025. After a wet spring, the newly seeded grass filled the lower field almost entirely, with some wildflowers already beginning to creep in as well from the adjacent meadows. By early summer, the upper field glowed even more brilliantly than the year before. If you drove by the Preserve on Providence Road this past May or June, you may have noticed the stunning sunny display of lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) blanketing the top of the hill. Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) could also be found sprinkled throughout, adding spots of color and more blooms for the insects to enjoy. When the coreopsis flowers began to fade, an abundance of false sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) filled the field with even more yellows that maintained through the summer. As the season faded into fall, the warmseason grasses in both fields began really showing off. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Virginia wildrye
(Elymus virginicus), and Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) turned both the upper and lower fields beautiful shades of golden brown, yellow and orange. Even the goldenrods and asters are beginning to pop up, which suggests that there may be an eruption of color next fall.
This early success is encouraging and beautiful to see, but meadow restoration does require a little patience. Unlike these few key examples, many species will spend the first few seasons establishing their root systems before growing, making this time especially critical for management. Over the next couple of years, both areas will require regular mowing to prevent undesirable plants from invading, while allowing the native plants to establish and spread. Stewardship staff and volunteers are also regularly scouting the fields for particularly damaging invasive species, such as Canada thistle, so that they can be promptly removed before they take over. During this time, a greater diversity of species will begin filling in, shaping the meadow into an even more striking and beneficial habitat.
The impacts of this restoration are already being observed. This summer, WCT’s Stewardship Intern Ian Salisbury completed a study focused on documenting the diverse species that call Kestrel Hill Preserve home. Using the meadow as his template, he aimed to record the variety of butterflies that are now utilizing this beautiful beneficial habitat. In just one morning, participants observed over 20 different species of pollinators, including monarchs, buckeyes, bumblebees, and hoverflies. WCT staff will continue ongoing monitoring at the Preserve to better understand how these restored meadows and grasslands support a richer, more resilient ecosystem.
Kestrel Hill Preserve is not yet open to the public, but as soon as it is (stay tuned!), you will be able to walk right alongside these blossoming meadows and grasslands to see them up close and personal.
From Data to Discovery: How Volunteers Are Safeguarding Our Watersheds
By Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program, Anna Walsh, Conservation Data and GIS Specialist and Sarah Barker, Watershed Program Technician
The Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Program (DCCCS) was established in 2021 by the Darby Creek Valley Association and Willistown Conservation Trust with technical support from Stroud Water Research Center. While the initial goal of this collaborative project was to supplement the existing water chemistry data set collected by WCT Watershed Protection Program staff in Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks, this program has evolved into much more. DCCCS aims to create a network of training and mentoring opportunities to empower the residents and neighbors of Darby and Cobbs Creek watersheds to collect high quality environmental data and become advocates for healthy water in their communities. Detailed monitoring data also helps to identify pollution sources and areas of the landscape that pose a risk to watershed health and integrity.
At the time of publication of this article, the DCCCS program has 37 active sites across the Darby and Cobbs watershed. Each site has a dedicated volunteer who goes out every four weeks to collect data. In a watershed that is home to over half a million people, it is crucial to understand the relationship between human activity on the landscape and the function of these waterways. The data collection efforts of DCCCS volunteers have been making great strides towards aiding that understanding.
The network of DCCCS volunteers has captured the influence of overapplication of road salts and other contaminants on the landscape, as well as the impact of climate-related issues such as the severe drought during the fall of 2024. Additionally, the discovery of sensitive wildlife by volunteers is particularly notable. In 2024, a large bed of breeding freshwater mussels was documented as a result of volunteer sampling and exploration. Over the summer, the Watershed Team, led by Dr. Erik Silldorff of the Delaware RiverKeeper Network, and supported by community volunteers and students, completed a second year of freshwater mussel surveys in the headwaters of Darby Creek. To date, over 1,000 mussels (including two species) have been identified! This incredible community science discovery was shared at the Ecological Society of America conference in Baltimore, MD this past August.
The DCCCS website has also acquired a brand new time-slider tool to visualize the data collected by volunteers. Every month, when volunteers upload their data to the DCCCS portal, it is added to the website, where it is
Sample site in the Cobbs Creek watershed. Photo by Daehan Bong.
publicly accessible. Now, each site can be observed both in comparison to other sites within the study area, as well as how it changes over time, allowing you to watch how each winter’s salt application ahead of winter storms influences the water chemistry at every site. The relationship between land use type and water quality data is complicated, but several trends have become apparent in the data set: as impervious surfaces increase, so do the negative impacts on water quality. However, as forest cover increases, regardless of impervious surfaces, water quality improves.
These patterns are best reflected in water temperature, conductivity (water’s ability to transmit electricity as a result of dissolving minerals and contaminants from the surrounding environment), and chloride (primarily an indicator of road salt) data. This means that where there is more undeveloped open space, as is found in the northern portions of the watershed, planting more native trees and shrubs along the stream can support healthier waterways. In the sections of Darby and Cobbs Creek closer to Philadelphia, where undeveloped open space is limited, actions like reducing the amount of road salt applied to the landscape and sweeping up road salt after winter storms, may be more impactful. The key to a healthier watershed lies in the collaboration between individuals, organizations, and municipalities across the Darby and Cobbs watershed, from the headwaters all the way to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Visit the website, darbycreekcommunityscience.com, to see the data from the DCCCS program, and check out the new edition of the State of Our Streams Report to learn more about the relationship between land and water!
The critical work of the DCCCS Program volunteers was recognized through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Grants Program. The award will support the continued education and empowerment of the Darby and Cobbs Creek communities, and highlight the data collected by the DCCCS program, what it means, what questions are raised, and actionable steps participants can take to positively affect the health of their local waterways. Three workshops across Chester and Delaware Counties are being scheduled for early spring 2026.
Conductivity meter reading. Photo by Aurora Dizel.
Leaf on the water. Photo by Deirdre Gordon.
Scan the QR code to find out more about the DCCCS Monitoring Program
YOUNG VOICES | Where Ideas Take Flight
Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) is committed to inspiring the next generation of conservationists through its immersive, experiential education initiatives. Throughout the year we are fortunate to work with some talented and motivated young people, from middle schoolers to graduate students and everyone in between, who are passionate about saving land and wildlife. Featured here are some of those young voices and the projects they accomplished alongside WCT’s program staff.
Sid is a young naturalist in 6th grade at Great Valley School District who has been involved with the Willistown Conservation Trust since he was 9 years old. He participated in Rushton Nature Keepers for two years, has contributed an article about bluebirds to a previous WCT publication, and is the winner of this year’s John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest!
Julia Griffin, 10th Grade, “Classrooms Without Walls”
Julia Griffin was a volunteer in the WCT Communications Department this summer, shadowing various educational activities to capture the exciting impact our programs have on the community. She is a sophomore at Episcopal Academy who enjoys horseback riding, nature, and the conserved spaces of Willistown. Her involvement with WCT began when she was just a little girl participating in our Jr. Birding Club (now known as Rushton Nature Keepers).
Catherine Oblack, 12th Grade, “The Bluebird Project”
Catherine Oblack is a senior at Radnor High School who has been involved with Willistown Conservation Trust since she first visited the bird banding station when she was 8 years old. She has since participated in Rushton Nature Keepers both as a student and now as a mentor to the younger children in the club. She has contributed her writing to our blog in recent years. This summer she volunteered to monitor the bluebird boxes on five of our preserves to contribute data to our Bluebird Project (wctrust.org/programs/birds/bird-box-program).
YOUNG VOICES | My Amazing Monarch Butterfly Experience
By: Sid Ghatta
When I learned that the scientific name for the Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus, means “sleepy transformation” in Greek, I became really curious. These big orange, black, and white insects have a 4-inch wingspan and depend completely on milkweed, it's the only plant their larvae can eat. Monarchs travel up to 3,000 miles from the Eastern U.S. to Mexico (a little less for the Western ones heading to California). Their migration is one of the most amazing in the insect world! Sadly, climate change and land development are reducing milkweed, making it harder for monarchs to survive.
The Monarch Larvae Monitoring Project (MLMP) collects data about monarch eggs, larvae, and milkweed across North America. This helps scientists understand how to protect them, because without monarchs to pollinate plants, our meadows would lose much of their beauty.
Rushton Woods Preserve has lots of Common Milkweed right next to farm fields, a perfect habitat for monarchs. I first learned about them from Ms. Blake in Willistown Conservation Trust’s Rushton Nature Keepers program. When my mom saw how interested I was, she asked Ms. Blake if I could help with the MLMP, and she said yes! Thanks to Ms. Blake for deciding to give me a shot and helping with my interest in nature conservation.
My dad and I started monitoring every weekend. At first, we had no idea what we were doing, but Ms. Blake taught us how to identify eggs, larvae, and instars (and not to mistake latex drops for eggs!). Each visit, we chose milkweed plants, flipped the leaves, and recorded what we found. Between May 30 and August 4, we monitored nine times and found 21 adults, 10 caterpillars, and 94 eggs!!!
One time my dad got too close to take a butterfly photo and, bam!, he got a shock from the electric fence. This project was a super fun experience for me (and my dad despite the shock!), and I hope we made an effort to help save this endangered species for future generations to see.
“Nature is life’s greatest form of happiness. Of course, my MLMP partner, my Dad, agrees with me too! Hope you do, too” -Sid
YOUNG VOICES | Classrooms Without Walls
By: Julia Griffin
At Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm, learning begins not from books but from the sound of wind whispering through tall grasses, the sight of a purple martin soaring across the meadow above, and the feel of footsteps on a woodland trail. In an era when children are easily drawn indoors by screens, environments such as Rushton remind us that nature itself is the most valuable teacher.
This summer, WCT hosted a group of girls, ages 8-11, from Girls Inc. The nonprofit focuses on evidencebased programs, pro-girl environments, and mentorship. Girls Inc. equips young girls, especially those from underserved communities, with the tools to achieve their full potential. After two visits the once-reluctant girls gained comfort in Rushton’s natural spaces. From their first forest walk to confidently harvesting and identifying crops, their creativity and imagination seemed to thrive with the gardens and meadows that grew around them.
The girls practiced “forest bathing”, essentially a walk in the woods surrounded by the visual, auditory, and olfactory components of the outdoors. At first, the prospect of insects and mud created discomfort, but within a few minutes hesitation had given way to curiosity as they saw bugs and overturned logs in search of worms. They stopped repeatedly to examine fallen leaves, follow the movement of woodland animals, and listen to birdsong overhead. Next, the girls observed the banding of some of Rushton’s breeding birds like Gray Catbirds and Purple Martin chicks. Watching these delicate birds up close, the girls experienced firsthand the fragility and complexity of life, learning that patience and careful observation can reveal the beauty of the natural world. The girls continued to the farm fields, harvesting vegetables, tasting honey from Rushton Farm’s hives, and making tea with herbs from Rushton’s gardens. Through these activities, the girls were encouraged to use all five senses and to notice the connections between themselves, the land, and the life it sustains.
Introducing children to a greener world involves more than reading about it in books. They need to be able to feel it with their own hands and hearts, see it, and listen to it. The forest, farm, and trail spaces of Rushton are classrooms in which wonder is kindled, imagination is developed, and confidence is gained.
"Nature is a living teacher, a lifelong sanctuary, and an endless source of inspiration" -Julia
YOUNG VOICES | Nestbox Monitoring in Action!
By: Catherine Oblack
As a long-time Rushton Nature Keeper, I treasure each moment outside surrounded by Willistown’s beautiful landscapes. After exposure to nest boxes at WCT’s nature preserves, I was inspired to track how birds are using our preserved lands. This season I tracked nesting activity on the WCT preserves, an amazing experience that led me to realize how important conserved habitat is for the continued survival of bird species.
At the beginning of the nesting season, Education Programs Manager, Blake Goll, showed me how to make sure that each nest box had the optimal conditions for the birds, such as clearing long grass around the pole to prevent snakes or mice from entering the boxes. I also learned how to make sure that I minimized disruption to the birds, such as knocking before I opened boxes and keeping my visits quick. I set up a Cornell Lab of Ornithology NestWatch account, an easy tool to input and track data while in the field. There were over 100 chicks in 50 nesting boxes this season including 47 bluebirds, 37 tree swallows, and 24 other native birds including house wrens and chickadees.
During the spring and early summer, the preserves were full of emerging life. It was exciting to see birds building up their nests or raising their first brood of chicks. These months were very productive, with many of the nesting attempts resulting in successful fledging. It was an amazing experience watching a bird box from the construction of the nest to adorable, vocal feathered fledglings. In the heart of midsummer, there was still plenty of activity to observe. It was fascinating to see the landscape shift around me while the birds persisted in their nesting attempts. Later in the season, my focus shifted to bird box “housekeeping”. When appropriate, clearing out old and dirty nesting material after birds fledged allows the box to be used for another nesting attempt and prevented pests that could potentially harm future nesting success.
Monitoring nest boxes is an amazing opportunity to learn how birds use their surrounding habitats as well as adapt to the many challenges that they face today. It provides not only interesting data, but a deeper connection with nature through the season. If you have bird boxes on your lands, consider checking in on your feathered friends through the spring and summer months!
"I got to learn from the bird boxes, but also from all nature around me as I walked along the beautiful trails" -Catherine
Join The Campaign for Kestrel Hill Preserve
For over 30 years, Willistown Conservation Trust has worked to safeguard the open space, farmland, and wildlife habitat that defines our region. The newly acquired Kestrel Hill Preserve is the latest jewel in the crown of WCT’s nature preserves, and we eagerly anticipate the day we can open this beautiful landscape for all to enjoy.
Exciting plans are underway to create public access, including a welcoming trailhead and a network of hiking and equestrian trails. These paths will invite visitors to explore the Preserve’s rich habitats and to take in breathtaking and inspiring vistas across 90 acres of protected land. This will be a place where wildlife thrives, and the community can explore, learn, and connect with nature.
We invite you to turn your love of open space into action. Join the Campaign for Kestrel Hill Preserve and help us continue to protect land from development, restore native habitats, and leave a lasting legacy of conservation for generations to come.
Ready to give? Donate online, or send a check to Willistown Conservation Trust (925 Providence Road, Newtown Square, PA 19073). Kindly note that your gift is for the Campaign for Kestrel Hill Preserve.
John and I were so happy to support WCT’s acquisition of the beautiful rolling landscape that makes up Kestrel Hill Preserve. We look forward to walking among the fields that are filled with the sights and sounds of nature’s beauty. From the early summer carpet of golden coreopsis, to the russet hues of autumn, to the bird call of red wing blackbirds taking flight, there is always a magnificent display to behold. We feel so fortunate to have this special place virtually in our backyard and are thrilled that it will be available for all to enjoy. -Wendy & John Cozzi
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WELCOME | NEW STAFF
NICOLE DELIZZIO | Stewardship Manager
Nicole has an extensive background in arboriculture, natural lands management, and ecological gardening. Her past experience includes positions at Longwood Gardens, Kendal Arboretum, and most recently Mt. Cuba Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Delaware and is an ISA certified arborist. As the Stewardship Manager, she will be combining these skills to oversee the care of WCT’s nature preserves.
Outside of work, Nicole enjoys trying new restaurants, tree and rock climbing, and blending her love of trees and art through pyrography – the art of woodburning.
TRICIA MACKAY | Events Coordinator
Tricia joins WCT with over 25 years of experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Her background includes marketing and communications, sales strategy and execution, client relationship management, and donor engagement and cultivation. As the Events Coordinator, Tricia will assist with the planning and execution of WCT’s outreach programs and fundraising events.
Outside of work, Tricia enjoys spending time on the tennis court and golf course and practicing her Portuguese. She especially loves traveling with her two boys and visiting her family around the globe.
STAFF RECOGNITION | LISA KIZIUK
On September 27 Lisa Kiziuk, Director of Bird Conservation, was awarded the prestigious Earl Poole Award from the Pennsylvania Society of Ornithology (PSO). This award is given annually to a person or persons who have made significant contributions to PA’s ornithology, including research, field work, publications, or any other pursuit that has increased the understanding and knowledge of birdlife in PA.
PSO President Brian Byrnes, a member of WCT’s Environmental and Bird Conservation Committees, recognized Lisa’s leadership, dedication, and impact on bird conservation in PA. Some highlights of her work include the establishment of the Rushton Woods Banding Station and her critical role in founding the Northeast Motus Collaboration. Through her work at WCT Lisa has created programs that connect people of all ages to nature through birds and inspired countless students in their academic and professional journeys.
Congratulations, Lisa, on this recognition of all your hard work! Visit pabirds.org/lisa-kiziuk for the full article.
PHOTO BY BARRY BLUST
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