NEWS FROM WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST | FALL 2024
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
Michael Burg, Esq. | Treasurer
Elizabeth C. Hucker| Secretary
Clarke Blynn
Bryan D. Colket
Wendy Cozzi
Kimberley H. Galligher, VMD
Lindsay Scott Leisenring
Molly Love
Michael J. McGraw
Linda I. McIsaac
Britton H. Murdoch
Silenia Rhoads
Justin N. Thompson
David L. Unruh
Jeanne B. Van Alen**
Rick Warden
Jason D. Weckstein, PhD
**President Emerita
STAFF
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
Fred de Long | Director of Community Farm Program
Michelle Eshleman | Motus Avian Research Coordinator
Alison Fetterman | Avian Conservation Biologist
Blake Goll | Education Programs Manager
Eliza Gowen | Community Farm Outreach Coordinator
Noah Gress | Rushton Farm Field Manager
Gretchen Groebel | Director of Community Engagement
Michelle Havens | Development Associate
Erik Hetzel | Director of Land Protection and Public Grants
John Holback | Stewardship Manager
Heidi Hole | Campaign Manager
Lisa Kiziuk | Director of Bird Conservation Program
Kelsey Lingle | Director of Communications and Marketing
Lindsay Martin-Carlson | Event Support Manager
Lauren McGrath | Director of Watershed Protection Program
Lindsey McQuiston | Communications Specialist
Zach Ruch | Farm Production Manager
Molly Scott | Events Coordinator
Anna Willig | Conservation Data and GIS Specialist
Indigo Bunting at Rushton Woods Preserve by Theresa Hunt Erbstein
Message from the Board Chair
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Fall is my favorite season of the year with so many wonderfully positive memories of crisp, cool days, stunning twilight sunsets, colorful leaves, high school football games, Eagles victories and Phillies playoff successes. Fall is a season filled with outdoor activities and opportunities to participate in, and enjoy, the many fall events and activities of the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT), including weekly bird banding; ECOcentric, a new adult educational series; Community Suppers and Field to Feast Demonstration Dinners at the Rushton Conservation Center; guided trail walks; and, more.
One of my favorite events is Run-a-Muck – an event for runners and walkers and their four-legged friends to celebrate land conservation successes while raising funds for WCT. This year’s Run-a-Muck on October 5 at On Point Farm was a resounding success, welcoming our highest number of participants ever. Thanks to Janice and Britt Murdoch for allowing us to hold this event at their magnificent farm, and thanks to the Run-aMuck Co-Chairs – Kathy and Rick Warden, Carolyn and Justin Thompson and Jamie and Tim Stapf for their outstanding work in planning and executing this special event.
Also, fall is a wonderful time to enjoy WCT's nature preserves which are open to the public every day. During this time when our lives are too often controlled by our smart phones, “Breaking News,” and the flood of social media posts, our days feel like we are in a Formula 1 car as we race through life. One healthy antidote to this frenetic pace with the blizzard of information inputs is to visit WCT’s preserves and take a peaceful walk to observe the beauty of nature. A visit to Ashbridge Preserve, Kirkwood Preserve, Rushton Woods Farm and Preserve, or the soon to open to the public Kestrel Hill Preserve can provide you with some serenity and a chance to embrace the wonders of our natural world. As Henry David Thoreau wrote in his 1854 book Walden the opportunity to journey into nature and reflect is a gift, so please take advantage of the “gift” of WCT’s delightful preserves.
Thanks to the leadership of WCT and the dedicated and amazing staff of WCT for making these wonderful opportunities available for our community to enjoy.
Happy Fall,
John
Stoviak Chair, Board of Trustees
Letter from the Executive Director
New Partnerships and Upcoming Events
Restoring the Land
Tracking Northern Saw-whet Owls in Nova Scotia and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Mussel Memory: Discoveries of the Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Program
Saving Birds through Coffee WCT’s Growing Bird Friendly® Coffee Coalition
Gardening for Cleaner Water
Saving Open Space
How WCT Helped a Young Birder Like Me
Impactful Giving
Welcome
In
ALetter from the Executive Director
s the vibrant colors of autumn grace our fields and forests, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable journey we’ve embarked upon together this past year. Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) has always been rooted in a deep commitment to preserving the natural beauty and ecological health of our beloved countryside. Today, I am proud to share stories of conservation, stewardship, and community that have defined our work in 2024.
This year has been one of unprecedented achievements. WCT helped protect over 200 acres from development and launched a capital campaign to acquire 90 acres for a new public nature preserve, Kestrel Hill, opening soon. Bird Conservation efforts have expanded to new territories, from the grasslands of southeastern Pennsylvania to the tropical rainforests where coffee is grown. River otters have been found in Ridley Creek, after a 100-year absence, and newly discovered mussel populations are thriving in Darby Creek. Rushton Farm remains central to our conservation efforts, blending sustainable agriculture with environmental stewardship. Beneficial backyard habitat has gained traction among individuals, corporations, municipalities, and others, who are transforming landscapes with an eye towards ecological health.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of supporters like you who sustain our work. As you read through the magazine, I hope you will feel inspired to renew your commitment to Willistown Conservation Trust. Together, we can ensure that this land, with all its beauty and biodiversity, remains protected for generations to come.
Thank you for standing with us in this essential work. It is an honor to lead an organization so deeply rooted in love for the land and community. With your partnership, we will continue to conserve, restore, and inspire.
With gratitude,
Catherine Etherington President & Executive Director kwe@wctrust.org
“WHEN
- Aldo Leopold
WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST
PROUDLY PARTICIPATES IN THE ART-REACH ACCESS PROGRAM
As part of Willistown Conservation Trust’s ongoing commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility we are excited to announce this step forward to ensuring WCT’s educational programs and events are accessible to a wider group of people. As WCT’s DEIA statement proclaims, �As conservationists, we celebrate the vast diversity of life on our planet, and work each day to preserve and protect these natural resources for future generations. Guided by this ethos, we commit to including a broader and more diverse group of people in our work.”
ABOUT ART-REACH | Art-Reach creates, advocates for, and expands accessible opportunities in the arts so the full spectrum of society is served. Art-Reach is a team of disabled and non-disabled advocates, educators, artists, and allies working to make the arts an inclusive space for the disabled, led by the disabled. We believe everyone should have the chance to engage with the arts. We seek to understand the intersectional relationship between disability, race, and poverty as we strive to learn from the lived experiences of our community to create lasting change.
ABOUT ACCESS | The ACCESS Program is a community initiative developed by Art-Reach to make arts and cultural spaces more accessible and affordable. The ACCESS Program provides $2 admission to over 85 cultural sites throughout Greater Philadelphia and Delaware for individuals receiving public assistance for food or medical benefits, as well as individuals who self-identify as having a disability.
Event Calendar
Visit wctrust.org/calendar or scan code for more event information and registration
NOVEMBER
November 2 | Butter, Bread, and Cheese – oh my! Workshop with Colonial PA Farmstead
November 9 | Mushroom Identification Walk
Lead by Sam Bucciarelli of the Philadelphia Mycology Club
November 15 | Rejuvenate at Rushton with Kristin Page
November 17 | ECOcentric Experience
Stewarding the Land with Tyler K. of Reviving Wisdom Earthcare
November 20 | Nature Walk with Gretchen: Leaf Your Worries Behind
DECEMBER
December 12 | Wild Winter Wreath Workshop
December 16 | Full Moon Hike with John Holback
VOLUNTEER
Stewardship Volunteer Thursdays
WCT maintains public nature preserves, spanning more than 300 acres and we rely on your help to accomplish our mission. Stewardship Manager John Holback leads Stewardship Volunteer Thursdays and all registrants will receive an email notification on the Tuesday before the workday with work details and location.
Events subject to change - check wctrust.org/calendar for the latest details.
PHOTOS BY MIKE CRANNEY
Restoring the Land
By John Holback, Stewardship Manager
In early 2024, Willistown Conservation Trust purchased a 90-acre parcel of land between Plumsock Road and Providence Road - the soon to open, Kestrel Hill Preserve. Mostly open rolling hills, the land had been a passively managed wildland with the exception of 25 acres of agricultural fields. The empty, mostly weed free agricultural fields offered the unique opportunity for WCT to convert the land to a more ecologically valuable resource and with minimal effort.
Historically, open spaces in our region were created and maintained by fire, caused either by lighting, or by indigenous peoples who used fire to manage the land. Before that, megafauna like mammoths, ground sloths, and others cleared the landscape through their activities. Nowadays, most grasslands and meadows have an agricultural past and are usually dominated by non native, cool-season grasses that were planted and used for animal fodder. Without regular disturbance (fire, mowing) these grasslands quickly fill in with woody cover (trees, shrubs) and no longer serve the species that have adapted to rely on them. And without active management, for example, establishing native grassland plants and removing nonnative ones, they will remain relatively low-quality ecosystems, dominated by non-native grasses.
Establishing a native grassland usually starts with removing undesirable plant species and then planting desirable ones. Modern no-till-drills, a type of agricultural equipment, allow land managers to plant lots of seed over large areas quickly and with minimal soil disturbance.
Planting this way ensures the seeds have good soil contact, minimizes erosion, and hides the seed from hungry birds and small mammals. Since the agricultural fields at Kestrel Hill were already free of plants, WCT opted to rent a no-till-drill to seed the two former agricultural fields.
Two different seed mixes were planted: one contained native grasses and forbs (flowering plants;) the other included native grasses and a cover crop of oats. The cover crop’s purpose is to hold the soil in place, help prevent establishment of undesirable plants, and provide cover for the native seedlings. The 10-acre field adjacent to Providence Road features three native grasses and 24 different forbs while the 15-acre field adjacent to Plumsock Road features four native grasses. Over the next few years, both areas will require regular mowing and spot treatments to prevent undesirable plants from establishing, while allowing the native plants to get established and begin spreading.
Establishing grasslands does more than simply aid displaced plant and animal species. Grasslands sequester large amounts of carbon, helping to cool a rapidly warming planet. They build soil health, and absorb excess stormwater. Healthy grasslands require little maintenance - only annual mowing or burning every few years, and some small spot treatments for non-native weeds. Soon visitors will be able to enjoy the recreational offerings of WCT ’s new grassland preserve. Hiking and equestrian trails and scenic vistas will improve as the native plants grow and thrive.
KESTREL HILL PRESERVE | STEWARDSHIP STAFF FAVORITES
Tracking Northern Saw-whet Owls in Nova Scotia and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
By Aaron Coolman, Motus Technical Coordinator and Avian Ecologist
This past summer, I embarked on a remarkable journey to unravel the mysteries of one of North America's most elusive bird species—the Northern Saw-whet Owl. My travels took me from the dense boreal forests of Nova Scotia, Canada, to the wild shores of Lake Superior, Michigan. In partnership with renowned researchers, I set out to capture and tag these tiny owls with cutting-edge Motus transmitters to unlock new insights into this secretive bird's migration and breeding behaviors.
Armed with Motus technology, which allows us to track wildlife movements in unprecedented detail, we hope to shed light on where Northern Saw-whet Owls travel after breeding, how they navigate vast landscapes, and the hidden corridors they follow as they move across North America. What we discover may change how we understand these charismatic birds—and it’s all part of WCT’s commitment to advancing conservation science.
My first stop was Nova Scotia, where I teamed up with Randy Lauff in the town of Antigonish. Just outside of town lies Archibald Lake, a freshwater lake recently designated a Provincial Wilderness Area. Spanning 684 hectares, this protected land is home to old-growth forests, wetlands, and critical habitat for moose, Brook Trout, Atlantic Salmon, and a diversity of breeding songbirds, including the Canada Warbler and Evening Grosbeak. Among these thriving species is the Northern Saw-whet Owl, which nests in the dense stands of Black Spruce, Balsam Fir, and Eastern Hemlock that blanket the region.
For more than 20 years, Randy has maintained a network of nest boxes for saw-whets in eastern Nova Scotia. When I heard that he was recording his most successful breeding season yet, I asked if he was interested in deploying Motus tags on the adult females tending their nests. He enthusiastically agreed, and I was on my way to Canada within days.
The process of capturing and tagging the owls was quick. The female owls were found sitting faithfully inside their nest boxes, incubating their eggs. After carefully weighing, measuring, and banding each owl, I attached the Motus tags, which are lightweight and harmless to the birds. Within 30 minutes, each owl was released back into her nest box, resuming her incubation duties. These were the first Motus-tagged Northern Saw-whet Owls in eastern North America known to be actively breeding—a milestone for our research!
Only a few days after returning from Nova Scotia, I was off again—this time to Lake Superior, Michigan. Here, owl banders Chris Neri and Nova Mackentley have uncovered a previously unknown breeding population of Northern Saw-whet Owls. Since the mid-2010s, they have banded over 200 juvenile Saw-whet Owls every summer, from July through mid-August. This discovery is especially significant because saw-whets were not previously known to breed in such numbers in the lower 48 states, particularly at this low elevation. Most breeding activity in the U.S. occurs in highaltitude regions like the Rocky Mountains or the cloud forests of New Mexico and Arizona.
With the help of Chris and Nova, we successfully deployed 22 Motus tags on adult and juvenile owls. If you take a close look at juvenile Saw-whet Owls, you’ll notice that their plumage is quite different from the adults. Juveniles sport dark chocolate feathers on their heads and backs, while their bodies are rich golden-brown, resembling freshly baked cookies. Remarkably, within 12–16 weeks, they’ll molt these feathers and take on the appearance of an adult owl—a stunning transformation that’s like a tiny owl magic trick!
By tagging both adult and juvenile saw-whets, we aim to answer important questions about their post-breeding behavior. Where do they go after the breeding season? When do they leave their nesting areas? Will they return to the same locations next year? And where will they spend the winter months? The Motus Wildlife Tracking System offers us an unprecedented opportunity to gather this data, and WCT is proud to be leading the charge in this vital area of migration science. Be sure to follow along by keeping up with our owls at Project #753 on motus.org!
While my research has taken me deep into northern forests, you don’t have to travel far to encounter the magic of the Northern Saw-whet Owl. In fact, these migratory owls visit our very own backyards in Willistown! Every winter, sawwhets find shelter in the dense hedgerows, riparian corridors, forest pockets, and native shrub gardens scattered throughout the region. WCT has been actively involved in monitoring saw-whet owl migration since 2012, banding these charming little owls at Rushton Farm as part of Project Owlnet.
This research forms the basis of my Master’s of Science thesis at the University of Delaware, with significant support from Project Owlnet. With your help and support, we are uncovering the hidden lives of Northern Saw-whet Owlsilluminating previously unknown parts of their lives.
Photo 1: Aaron with a tagged Northern Saw-whet Owl in Nova Scotia
Photo 2: A juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owl
Photo 3: Aaron and Chris tag a Northern Saw-whet Owl
Mussel Memory: Discoveries of the Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Program
By Lauren McGrath, Director of the Watershed Protection Program, and Susan Lea, Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Volunteer
In 1919, naturalist and zoologist Arnold Ortmann, in connection with his taxonomic studies of freshwater mussels (Unionidae), recorded approximately eight species of mussels in Darby Creek. As of a decade ago, surveys of more than sixty stream reaches in Southeastern Pennsylvania yielded only about six relic populations of the eastern elliptio (Elliptio complanata). Freshwater mussels are the most at-risk animal group in the United States due to pollutants and poor water quality, habitat loss, and barriers to host fish. Yet, the eastern elliptio remains a common mussel in the tri-state area and has been previously identified by the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) Watershed Protection Program Team within the headwaters of Crum and Ridley Creeks. However, among the local scientific community, it was believed that historic pollutants had eradicated freshwater mussel populations in Darby Creek; discovering a mussel shell was merely an artifact of what once was. That is, until now.
The Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Monitoring Program (DCCCS), a collaborative project among WCT, Darby Creek Valley Association (DCVA), and Stroud Water Research Center, was established in the spring of 2021. Since the fall of 2021, a DCCCS volunteer has monitored two sites in the Darby Creek headwaters in Berwyn, about 275 yards apart and bifurcated by an unnamed tributary. After noting several mussel shells in the stream (eastern elliptios can live up to 80 years), the volunteer discovered a small mussel bed of about a dozen live eastern elliptio mussels in 2022. The following summer with the assistance of staff from WCT and DCVA, several more eastern elliptio beds, with mussels numbering over one hundred, were identified between the two sites. Curiously, the mussel beds seemed to stop downstream from where the unnamed tributary entered Darby Creek even though their preferred sandy substrate continued further down the waterway.
Equipped with this discovery, curiosity about the impact of these amazing bivalves on the watershed, and innumerable questions, DCCCS reached out to Dr. Erik Silldorff, Restoration Director & Senior Scientist at Delaware Riverkeeper Network, who agreed to lead the survey effort in Darby Creek to gain a better understanding of the
health of this special mussel bed. Dr. Silldorff has years of experience conducting mussel surveys in the Delaware River watershed and was enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge and training a new cohort of mussel advocates on identification and survey techniques.
On a balmy morning in late May, the team of mussel enthusiasts came together: staff from WCT, DCVA, and Brandywine Conservancy; students from Drexel University and Oberlin College, high school students, residents, educators, and township officials eager to learn more about these fascinating stream residents. All gathered together to learn how to discern the difference between common species of mussels based on their shell morphology and to learn more from Dr. Silldorff about the fascinating biology and ecological decline of mussels in the Delaware Watershed.
After two days of careful inspection of the stream bed through goggles and snorkels and using clear-bottomed trays, over 850 mussels were documented in Darby Creek, a population large enough to be a remnant that survived the colonization of North America. The majority of mussels found were eastern elliptio, but to the delight of all, two live Alewife floater mussels (Utterbackiana implicata) were also found in the waterway. Alewife floaters use a broad variety of habitats, including ponds and lakes, as well as streams, rivers, and tidewaters; their presence in Darby Creek suggests that there may be additional populations somewhere upstream.
Truly the most exciting discovery of the survey was two juvenile mussels, less than one inch long, that were found perched on the edge of two separate fish nests. Juvenile mussels bury themselves in the sediment and are difficult to find without the use of specialized survey techniques. Fate and fish worked with the survey team as the nestbuilding fish had excavated the young mussels in time to be found and documented.
Curiously, there were fewer mussels downstream of the unnamed tributary, and no mussels within the tributary. These observations line up with three years of water quality data collected by DCCCS volunteers at sample
sites upstream, on, and downstream of the unnamed tributary (see map). The upstream site has better water quality than the downstream site, and the site on the unnamed tributary has the poorest water quality of all. This suggests water conditions in the unnamed tributary are negatively impacting the mussel population. Further investigation is needed to understand this pattern and ensure this historic mussel population continues to thrive for generations to come.
Freshwater mussels are generally considered inedible, yet they are top-tier bioindicators of water quality, as they are sensitive to pollutants, including road salt, and water temperature. They are also integral to healthy stream ecosystems. Despite Darby Creek’s status as an impaired watershed, the presence of these amazing organisms tells an important story about the resilience of natural systems. However, this resilience cannot be taken for granted, and further research is needed to understand why this population disappears below the unnamed tributary and why there are no additional mussel beds as the stream flows further downstream. Protecting these most delicate and sensitive stream creatures translates into safer, healthier water for all residents who live in and alongside Darby Creek.
An eastern elliptio mussel filter feeding under the surface of Darby Creek. Photo by Lauren McGrath
Saving Birds through Coffee WCT’s Growing Bird Friendly® Coffee Coalition
By Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager
Bird populations in the U.S. and Canada have declined by 29% — almost 3 billion birds — in just five decades. Such a rapid loss signals a widespread ecological crisis and the inability of our ecosystems to support the rich levels of biodiversity they once did. The root cause of this tragic avian decline is habitat loss. Aside from development and urbanization, unsustainable conventional agriculture plays a major role in habitat degradation. Because many of our birds lead trans-hemispheric lives, dividing their year between temperate and tropical biomes, we must consider the origins of our agricultural products as far as Latin America to save migratory birds.
Coffee, one of Earth’s most valuable tropical export crops, is cultivated across 27 million acres. Traditionally a shadeloving tree, coffee naturally thrives in the understory of diverse tropical forests. In 1972, a sun-tolerant variety was introduced for near-sighted production gains. Today, three-quarters of the world’s coffee farms grow sun coffee in the wake of rainforest clear cuts. Destroying the habitat renders these sun-coffee farms devoid of ecosystem services (like naturally fertilizing leaf litter), and makes synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides a necessary evil.
To conserve tropical habitats and protect migratory songbirds, scientists with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center developed a certification for coffee in the late 1990s called Bird Friendly®. This certified coffee is grown under a shade canopy of native trees, shrubs, and other plants that provide critical refuge for migratory and local birds as well as other wildlife of the tropical forest. The certification is the environmental gold standard in sustainable coffee farming because it uses a third party Bird Friendly® certification agency to inspect the farms for a stringent list of criteria, which also contributes to fighting climate change.
Last year, WCT formed the Bird Friendly® Coffee Coalition to increase awareness of and demand for Bird Friendly® coffee through educating and encouraging local roasters, merchants, and the public. As more consumers demand Bird Friendly®, more farmers will want to do the right thing, which in turn helps to conserve and regenerate tropical bird habitat. Thanks to the efforts of one exceptionally dedicated volunteer, Kirsten Snyder, who has immeasurably compounded the efforts of our limited staff, we now have twelve partners including local roasters, cafés, stores, and bird conservation organizations!
GRYPHON COFFEE CO. is based in Wayne with two other thriving café locations in West Chester and Philadelphia. Once they learned about Bird Friendly® coffee and visited our bird banding station at Rushton Woods Preserve, the owners were excited to join our mission. They enthusiastically developed a Bird Friendly® certified coffee to add to their line, called Blackburnian Brew, in honor of one of our most beautiful warblers that is known to overwinter on Bird Friendly® coffee farms. This medium roast is now available for purchase at all three of their cafés as well as on their website.
WCT BIRD FRIENDLY COFFEE COALITION PARTNERS
KIMBERTON WHOLE FOODS is a popular and influential chain of eight markets in Berks, Bucks, and Chester Counties. Kimberton management decided to offer Bird Friendly® coffee at all of their store cafés with Gryphon as the sole supplier! Rich Mattis, owner of Gryphon Coffee Co., said, “I now have a desire to learn more about the specific requirements of each (bird) species and more about the specifics of a healthy ecosystem. Bird Friendly® now has a place in the equation for all of my purchases, and I’m pleased I’m creating demand for it.” He has begun conversations with old suppliers and new ones, even teaching some of the suppliers about Bird Friendly® certification. Rich is looking forward to expanding his line of Bird Friendly® coffee, and he and his wife are now counseling Central American coffee farm investors on the critical importance of Bird Friendly® farms.
THE COFFEE SCOOP is a second generation roaster in Pipersville, PA that imports over $100,000 in coffee beans each year. Owner Bethani Wright speaks fondly of her hard-working parents who started the business from the family farm she grew up on. They loved visiting local cafés in search of the best cup of coffee and because they couldn’t find that perfect cup, they started roasting their coffee. Bethani’s dad worked to become a Master Roaster, the milk house of the farm was converted to the roast house, and in 2005 The Coffee Scoop launched! It became the artisanal pioneer of Fair Trade Organic coffee in Bucks County and surrounding areas.
“As long as I can remember, the love of birds runs deep in our family. Both of my parents taught me about birds. I still have the bird book they gave me decades ago, and it is rarely put back on the shelf,” Bethani reflects. “Roasting is not a job. It’s a passion and responsibility of which we must intentionally steward.” Since she took over her parents’ business in 2020, she has been seizing every opportunity to move towards ethical sustainability, so Bird Friendly® was a natural fit. Bethani smiled, “I would like to believe that I’m making Dad proud as I continue his amazing legacy. I picture my dad giving me his wink as I now partner with WCT’s Bird Friendly® Coffee Coalition. The Coffee Scoop’s first Bird Friendly® coffee, called Featherweight, is now available for purchase through their website and at Kimberton Whole Foods markets.
TOMORROW’S COFFEE has been added to our rapidly growing list of partners. Kelsey Illuzzi-Koval and her husband founded the company after learning about Bird Friendly® coffee with their small children during a trip to Disney World. In addition to their affinity for coffee, they are nature lovers. As parents, they want to preserve Earth’s beauty and wonder for generations to come, and so Tomorrow’s Coffee was born.
It is heartening to know that every one of us has the power to make an impactful difference for birds and our planet by simply being mindful of the coffee we hold in our mugs each morning. Every cup counts; make yours Bird Friendly®!
Gardening for Cleaner Water
Chanticleer Joins the Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Program
The Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Program (DCCCS) is a collaborative research project between the Darby Creek Valley Association and WCT’s Watershed Protection Program.
In May, Chanticleer became the first public garden to join the program as a community science sample site, with garden staff monitoring the health of Bell’s Run as it flows through 50 acres of Chanticleer’s property, 35 acres of which are open to the public. The garden is a study of textures and forms, where foliage trumps flowers, the gardeners lead the design, and even the drinking fountains are sculptural. It is a garden of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home. Visit chanticleergarden.org to learn more.
Chanticleer strives to reduce its environmental impact. Solar panels produce 20% of their electricity. Cisterns capture 50,000 gallons of rainwater for irrigation, storm water basins help recharge groundwater, and most paths are permeable. Integrated pest management keeps plants healthy and promotes a strong population of insects. Meadows, sedges, ferns, and other lawn alternatives replace some turf. Since 1990, gardeners have planted hundreds of trees at the garden and along local streets in Wayne.
The addition of Chanticleer as a sampling location for the DCCCS Program was facilitated by volunteer turned WCT Director of Community Engagement, Gretchen Groebel, who has had the pleasure of collaborating with the garden in the past on meaningful environmental programming focused on backyard habitat. DCCCS volunteers, including those at Chanticleer, visit their sites once per month to measure key water quality indicators. Frequent monitoring at sites throughout the watershed enables the identification of healthy areas that should be protected and areas in need of restoration.
The Darby and Cobbs Creek Community Science Program has 33 sample sites, monitored monthly by over 40 volunteers, on Darby Creek and its tributaries, including Cobbs Creek. You might notice an extra “C” in our name. We recently added “Cobbs” to our name to reflect the importance of the largest tributary of Darby Creek. Visit darbycreekcommunityscience. com to learn more about the program and explore our results.
Saving Open Space
Another successful initiative takes root at Kestrel Hill Preserve
What can be done to protect beautiful but rapidly disappearing wilderness, vulnerable wildlife, and precious natural resources? Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) offers a myriad of practical solutions.
For over 30 years, WCT’s expert staff, dedicated volunteers, and private landowners have worked strategically to conserve thousands of acres in southeastern Pennsylvania through a comprehensive program including carefully-curated conservation easements and public nature preserves.
Last year, WCT's team mobilized quickly and implemented a plan to save a 220+/acre farm that was listed for sale. First, WCT partnered with a concerned neighbor who purchased the property to pre-empt development. Next, permanent deed restrictions were placed on 130+/- acres, restricting future development. Finally, WCT entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining 90+/- acres and establish a new public nature preserve.
WCT’s fifth public nature preserve, Kestrel Hill Preserve is situated at the heart of over 7,500 conserved acres that extend across Chester and Delaware counties. The Preserve is named in honor of the American Kestrel, a small, colorful falcon that thrives in expansive grasslands. Kestrel populations are declining throughout North America due to habitat loss, but breeding kestrels near Kestrel Hill Preserve and at WCT’s nearby Kirkwood Preserve, indicating that our open space, habitat, and bird conservation programs are taking flight.
To date, an enthusiastic group of supporters have contributed $6.7 million towards the $12.5 million cost to acquire and open Kestrel Hill Preserve. Now, we need your help to: complete the acquisition, establish public access and parking; clear hiking and equestrian trails; restore agricultural fields and wetlands to native habitat; and support wildlife and the watershed that connects to our region’s water supply.
Instead of 40 new homes, idyllic Kestrel Hill Preserve will open soon for you to enjoy, with rolling hills including a 160’ elevation drop; lush meadows; mature woodlands; freshwater streams; miles of peaceful trails; 85 species (and counting!) of native and migrating birds, and an internationally-recognized “Important Bird Area.” The Preserve will operate 365 days a year, from dawn to dusk–and 24 hours a day for wildlife! – in perpetuity, no less!
Can we count on your help to secure this spectacular Preserve, build new homes for wildlife, and protect the critical watershed?
Visit our website or contact our conservation team at 610-353-2562 to learn more and please donate, today!
How WCT Helped a Young Birder Like Me
By Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager and Sid Ghatta, Rushton Nature Keeper
“My name is Sid Ghatta. I am a rising 5th grader of Great Valley School District. I am also a student of Rushton Nature Keepers. Eastern Bluebirds cannot make their nest cavities because of their small beaks. Therefore, they are vulnerable. Generous people put up bluebird boxes to help increase their population. In April 2023, WCT put up a bluebird box in our backyard and that started my love for bluebirds.”
So I do my everyday ritual. I go and get the mealworms from the refrigerator, and I blow my whistle to let the bluebirds know their food is ready. Last year, there were four eggs, but unfortunately one egg did not hatch. This year there are five eggs, and all of them hatched! Now we installed two more boxes, and one was occupied by tree swallows.
“WCT taught me to protect bluebirds and I am doing that. Audubon website says the bluebird population is growing and it’s because of bluebird boxes along open countryside. I would like to speak with my new school Principal to install more bluebird boxes to help more bluebirds.”
The Willistown Conservation Trust has been running our popular Bird Box Program for twelve years. Under the foresight of Dick Eales, chair of our Bird Conservation Committee, we began the program with the intention of boosting bluebird populations in our area. Threats to Eastern Bluebirds include habitat loss, particularly of standing dead trees (otherwise known as snags) that offer nesting cavities in open fields or grasslands. This loss of nest sites coupled with competition from aggressive alien species (namely the House Sparrow) rendered bluebirds a rare sight in the late 1960’s. It was the advent of well monitored bluebird trails and programs such as ours that enabled these beautiful blue thrushes to make a comeback in Pennsylvania.
To date, we have installed over 400 bluebird boxes for homeowners and preserves throughout our program area (Malvern, Newtown Square, Wayne, and West Chester!) In addition to helping native birds, these nest boxes represent meaningful opportunities for people of all ages to connect to nature and wildlife science in their own backyards. The above story was written by Sid Ghatta, a young student who is an avid participant in Rushton Nature Keepers, our award-winning children’s environmental education program. We have a feeling this budding conservationist will do great things for the earth!
PHOTOS BY BLAKE GOLL
Impactful Giving
By David L. Unruh, Board of Trustees
Most donors to Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) are likely familiar with the common methods of contributing, using cash or appreciated securities to fund an annual or campaign gift. Many people tend to be reactionary with charitable giving, making multiple gifts throughout the year with no real plan in mind. This approach may result in donations that fall short of the impact donors hoped to make and fail to maximize the potential charitable gift tax deductions. Two potential solutions are proposed below:
DONOR ADVISED FUNDS | The primary benefit of a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is that it allows you to donate assets to charity today, and receive a current tax deduction, even though the actual funds may not be granted to the charity until some point in the future. In other words, the DAF essentially functions as a conduit, where the donor receives a tax deduction when the money goes into the DAF but the donor retains discretion about when the assets will finally leave the DAF and go to the charity. And in the meantime, assets inside the DAF grow tax-free.
Some key benefits of DAFs follow:
• You can make gifts to your DAF as often as you’d like over your lifetime. You receive an immediate potential tax deduction for every charitable contribution you make, even though you may choose to wait until future years to recommend that grants be made to your favorite causes.
• Simplicity! The calendar year-end paperwork involved with documenting charitable donations for tax compliance will be significantly reduced and DAF management can be accomplished on-line.
• You can establish a named family DAF to involve younger generations in decisions about charitable giving and build a tradition of philanthropy.
• You can take advantage of DAFs during high-income years or after liquidity events to maximize charitable tax deductions, and then make gifts from the DAF over many years to provide sustained support.
QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTION (QCD) | Thanks to the Pension Protection Act of 2006, eligible donors may transfer up to $100,000 annually from an IRA directly to charity without including that amount in income. A QCD from an IRA to WCT may be the right gift if:
• You want to make a charitable gift and your IRA holds the largest share of your available assets.
• You are age 73 or older and must take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA, but you don’t need (or want to pay income tax on) the additional income. Note that you are permitted to make IRA charitable rollover gifts when you turn 70 ½.
• You do not itemize deductions on your income tax return. If you don’t itemize, taking your IRA’s RMD and donating it to WCT, a qualified charity, will increase your taxable income without the benefit of an offsetting deduction. However, the amount of a QCD from your IRA will be removed from your taxable income for the year. Even if you do not itemize, this may reduce the amount of income tax owed.
• You would like to make an additional gift to WCT, but it would not be deductible because of the annual limitation of 60 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI) for charitable contributions. The IRA QCD works as a tax-saving strategy similar to a deduction because it is not included in taxable income.
Whether you elect to utilize these or other mechanisms to support Willistown Conservation Trust, your contributions are deeply appreciated. Thank you for your commitment to protecting our open space, nature preserves and the wildlife and watersheds they sustain.
David L. Unruh serves as a member of the WCT Board of Trustees and is the Senior Vice President of Drexel University’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
Britt is the Founder and Managing Director of Strattech Partners, a business consulting and venture capital firm and also serves as a Senior Advisor and Investment Committee member at Rittenhouse Ventures II, an early-stage venture capital firm. In the past, Britt has served as the Chairman/Lead Director of Bryn Mawr Trust Company, the Owner and CEO of BMW/MINI of the Main Line, Acting CFO at Fiberlink and V-Span, CFO for Internet Capital Group and CFO for Airgas, Inc.
In the non-profit area, Britt is on the boards of the E. Murdoch Family Foundation, the Radnor Hunt Foundation and Delchester Group, Inc. Mr. Murdoch is also a Trustee Emeritus at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital.
Britt graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics, with majors in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management. He also received his MBA Degree from New York University.
Britt resides with his wife Janice and family in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania and has six children, all of whom completed college in four years!
ZACH RUCH
Farm Production Manager
Zach comes to the trust with a Bachelor’s in biology from Gettysburg College and a Master’s in Natural Resources from Oregon State University.
He spent three years working with the USFWS at the Erie National Wildlife Refuge and three years assisting passerine banding and waterfowl monitoring with the Erie Bird Observatory. Before working here at Rushton Farm, he was working at the Tyler Arboretum in their horticulture department. When he’s able, he also helps out with WCT’s songbird and saw-whet owl banding
BRITTON H. (BRITT) MURDOCH
OF WCT
MARK T. LEDGER | 1943-2024
The Trust lost a great friend and ambassador when Mark passed away in May. Mark was born in Northbrook, IL but moved to the Philadelphia area in 1970, bringing with him a passion for time spent outdoors, especially flyfishing in Montana. Mark’s professional business experience during his life rested in the fields of international banking and real estate investment.
Mark joined the WCT Board of Trustees in early 2007, and was passionate about developing a program to remove invasive species from the Willistown area, among other things. Later in his 16-year tenure on the Board, he advocated for a Native Plant Garden at Rushton Woods Preserve for showcasing what homeowners could use in their backyards to support native habitat and help reduce the effects of climate change. Mark served as Chair of the Board from 2012-2014 and later as Treasurer from 2017-2020. Mark served on the Finance, Long Range Planning and Executive Committees of the Board. In every role, Mark’s insightful and thoughtful approach to the topic at hand reflected his intense desire to see the Trust remain sustainable in an ever-changing environment. Along with his wife, Ann, their two children and four grandsons, the Trust and many others will miss Mark’s kindness, love of nature and generosity of time, talent and treasure.
LIDA A. WRIGHT | 1937-2024
The WCT community lost a friend and champion of open space this year when Lida A. Wright passed away. Raised and educated in the Philadelphia region, Lida’s life was filled with many interests including genealogy, gardening, traveling, breeding golden retrievers and driving her ponies throughout Willistown Township and North Carolina. Lida believed strongly in land conservation and was a very generous supporter of WCT. She contributed generously to the Annual Fund for over 20 years. In addition, she was a member of the Legacy Society and promoted the importance of planned giving by sharing her own personal testimonial.
Lida’s legacy will advance the WCT Campaign for Kestrel Hill. Kestrel Hill is WCT’s newest 90 acre nature preserve with public open space access available for all in perpetuity. Lida was a special member of our community and she will be missed dearly by her friends and family members and all those lucky enough to make the pleasure of her acquaintance.
“When you think about it, there isn’t a lot you leave your children, you raise them and give them your name, but to leave open space that no one will ever take away? That to me is a great gift.”
WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST
925 Providence Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073
Corporate Partnership Program
John B. Ward & Co, Inc., is a second-generation, family-owned and operated Tree Care business founded on John's simple principle of “treating clients in an honest and informed manner.”
Since 1957, we have developed long-term relationships with our clients because we share their vision and embrace their values.
We are inspired by the evolution of Willistown Conservation Trust and are excited to become a Corporate Partner. Through this partnership we look forward to providing our support to continue their conservation efforts. Having worked in the area for over 65 years, we have seen the remarkable impact of their programs firsthand.
The preservation of mature trees goes hand-in-hand with bird and watershed protection. Our team looks forward to sharing their knowledge and expertise with WCT.
