Land Conservancies A WEALTH OF OPEN SPACE COMES FROM PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY.
Ellen Ferretti Brandywine Conservancy
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RIVATE PHILANTHROPY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE heart and soul of the conservation efforts here in Chester County. Whether through personal giving, voter referendums or community support for government-led open space programs, Chester County is regarded as a leader in land conservation throughout the nation. Before becoming Director of the Brandywine Conservancy, I was already aware of the preeminence of Chester County’s conservation efforts from my experience as Secretary of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Now that I live and work in the area, I’ve seen first-hand the conservation successes that were made possible by the astounding generosity and philanthropic giving of so many. EARLY ORGANIZING Private philanthropy for conservation is what created the Brandywine Conservancy—then called the Tri-County Conservancy— 62
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as well as other conservation organizations. In 1967, a private company was planning to build a manufacturing plant in Chadds Ford that would have permanently altered the character of the community and created a negative impact on the environment. A group of individuals—including the Brandywine Conservancy’s co-founder, George A. “Frolic” Weymouth—rallied against this threat and organized to purchase the land and place it under conservation easement. Soon philanthropic landowners, including Harry G. “Hal” Haskell Jr., Jamie and Phyllis Wyeth, and Ford B. and Katharine Draper, joined the efforts to protect our area’s critical land and drinking water, creating the beginnings of a conservation corridor along the Brandywine River. FIRST PHILANTHROPISTS Stories like these are a reflection of the many conservation successes land trusts have achieved throughout the County. “We have witnessed firsthand the power that philanthropy plays in saving
