ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL variety of growing conditions through the
Turning Rain into Pollinator Habitat
Using funds from an Audubon mini-grant, members of the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) and Citizen's Stormwater Task Force have begun transforming the flower bed along the sidewalk of the Tredyffrin Library into a native plant garden. The area features over half a dozen different pollinator-friendly native plants and a newly-installed 55 gallon rain barrel, which waters the area via a soaker hose. Rain barrels are an easy way to reduce residential stormwater runoff. Not only are they a free and sustainable source of water for your garden, they also reduce the volume of water running into our overloaded storm drain system, and they are relatively easy to install! A simple diverter is installed into a downspout, directing some rain into the barrel. Once the barrel is full, an overflow tube allows the water to flow back into the downspout, preventing the barrel from overflowing. A spigot with an optional soaker hose allows for convenient access to the stored water when needed.
world, most insects tend to be specialists. Entomologists have found that 90% of insects can only thrive with plants with which they share an evolutionary history. While more bugs are not often at the top
More projects are on the horizon: a rain garden is scheduled to be installed at Tredyffrin Library this fall, the Stormwater Task Force intends to propose a Township Tree Canopy Plan at its next meeting, as well as a variety of educational and volunteer opportunities. If you would like to learn more and/or get involved, please check out: https://www.tredyffrin.org/boards/ environmental-advisory-council https://www.tredyffrin.org/projects/ stormwater-task-force
Why plant natives?
A “native” plant is a plant indigenous to the area in which it grows and, because the plant evolved to be part of the environment, is a part of that location's food web. While plants can adapt to a
of most people's wish lists, insects are an important indicator of the health of an environment including our own backyards! Doug Tallamy, an entomologist at the University of Delaware, estimates that 86% of the land east of the Mississippi is private property. Every space where we can add native plant life, whether it be libraries, back yards, or parking lots, increases and supports the biodiversity of our own community. Check out a book like Tallamy's Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard to learn more about the difference you can start making today.
Or follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ TredyffrinEAC/ Throughout history, people have collected rain water - probably including cavemen
https://www.facebook.com/ TEGreenTeam/
HISTORICAL COMMISSION Preserve · Protect · Perpetuate
Pearl M. Nudy, Historical Commission Member
The Historical Commission are happy to report that the Mount Zion AME Church in Devon will be awarded a $35,220 Keystone Historic Preservation Grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to restore the building's beautiful stained-glass windows. We are grateful to all those who helped the Church secure this Grant. In addition, we are happy to report that after publication of last quarter's Tredyffrin newsletter story regarding Mount Zion Church's needs, several readers contributed to the Church fundraising, and we thank them! Had you noticed? During the months of June and July, members of the Historical Commission walked and drove through a few of the Township's historic neighborhoods. Clipboards in hand and walking the sidewalks, the volunteer commissioners familiarized themselves with buildings listed in the Township Historic Resources Survey. One important role of the Commission is to document pertinent and interesting information about the known historic properties within the Township. But this is not limited to just buildings. Historical viewscapes, railroad stations and roadways, cemeteries, and bridges all contribute to the Township's built heritage. The way to assess the condition of these treasures is with some good old fashioned “walk-abouts”. 26
TREDYFFRIN TOWNSHIP
Commission members worked in pairs to canvas the designated historic locales. From a “street view”, they recorded current information, such as style of architecture and modifications, current use of the structure, and most importantly whether the building is still standing. The last time this type of historic recon was undertaken was more than 20 years ago, in 2003. Periodic review of the historic survey is necessary to sustain the Township's historic preservation designation as a Certified Local Government (CLG). The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in Harrisburg recognizes Tredyffrin Township as one of 45 CLG communities in Pennsylvania, out of more than 2,600 municipalities in the Commonwealth. As explained by the Federal and State funding sources: “Community certification opens doors to funding, technical assistance, and other preservation successes…. Being a CLG demonstrates your community's commitment to saving what is important from the past for future generations. As a certified community it becomes easy to demonstrate a readiness to take on successful preservation projects, making your community able to compete for new opportunities!” US National Park Service “…the CLG program gives municipalities the option of strengthening local historic preservation activities through exclusive
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Photo by Pearl M. Nudy; pictured are Rob Williams, Commission Chairman, and Greg Reif, Commission Member
funding incentives and enhanced technical assistance.” PA SHPO Because Tredyffrin is recognized by the Commonwealth as CLG, historic properties, such as the Mount Zion AME Church, are given priority within the SHPO Grant program that awarded the Church the funds for the restoration. And that is just the beginning for our local commitment to preserving historic resources.
