Th e S y c a m o r e Newsletter of
Vol. X, Issue 1
Spring 2009
W i l l i s t ow n C o n s ervat i o n Tru s t
Rushton Woods An Eighty-Acre Preserve in the Making A story of great neighbors, a “love for the land” and proof that “good deeds beget good deeds”
That the Willistown Con-
ley/Crum Important Bird servation Trust is now enjoyArea. Later that year, Janet ing the exciting possibility and John and the Haas of increasing the Rushton Charitable Trusts enabled Woods Preserve to eighty the acquisition of the acres over the next couple of thirty-acre Rushton Woods years is proof of the adage by the National Audubon that “good deeds beget good deeds”. Society. (Love for the land and The story began in 1986 good deed #2) . In 2007, when Elizabeth and William National Audubon transVan Alen took the bold step ferred the woods to the of placing a conservation Willistown Conservation easement on their land Trust with an agreement at Delchester and Goshen to eliminate all building There are only two known nesting pairs of Kentucky Warblers in the Roads when donating ease- area, and one of them can be found in the Rushton Woods Preserve. rights under the original ments was still a new and easement and to ensure that The species has experienced a three-fold decrease in population courageous thing to do. during the last 25 years due to loss of habitat. it be preserved and managed While the easement allowed as primar y woodland for four house sites on the eighty acres, it precluded outright habitat forever. It is now known as the Trust’s “Rushton development of the land in perpetuity. (Love for the land and Woods Preserve”.
good deed #1).
Fast forward to 2003, when Janet and John Haas visited the 30 acre portion of the Rushton Woods fronting on Delchester Road (see map p. 3) and were inspired by its majestic beech, hickory and oak canopy trees (some over 200 years old) and the health of the understory of native shrubs and wildflowers. At about the same time, experts from Audubon Pennsylvania had identified the Rushton Woods as a prime stop-over and nesting habitat for the many migratory songbirds that visit it each year, and one of the most critical sites for bird conservation in Audubon’s newly designated Rid-
The next chapter in this conservation story focuses on the remaining critical fifty-acre tract of land that lies between the thirty-acre Rushton Woods Preserve and Goshen Road (see area labeled “Rushton Woods Preserve Addition” on map p. 3). This land was also part of the original Van Alen conservation easement and is home to a rich array of natural, scenic and recreational resources and habitat types including mature woodland, wetlands, wooded riparian areas, emerging native grasslands, old hedgerows and an extensive network of established riding trails. Additionally, six acres of this parcel has provided the site for the Trust’s Rushton Woods Preserve continued on page 3.
For the preservation of the natural resources, rural character, and cultural heritage of the Willistown area.
The Sycamore
Message from the Chairman Looking back at the cover
In early fall 2008, we were one of 39 land trusts (out of 1,700 land trusts nationwide) to receive official “accreditation” by the Land Trust Alliance, a national organization working in behalf of land trusts in Washington, D.C.. This designation recognizes the Trust for the high quality of its standards, practices and ethical behavior in conducting its affairs. We are proud to have received the land trust version of a “good housekeeping” seal of approval.
of last year’s Sycamore, featuring a photo of the roof-raising of the Rushton Farm greenhouse, I am struck by all that has happened since then. How far we have come in one year, both at the farm and at the Willistown Conservation Trust!
The decline in the national economy has impacted us all, and I cannot say how grateful I am to all those who have contributed to the Trust, both in 2008 and in these first months of 2009. Your dedicated financial support, as well as volunteer contributions, have enabled the Trust to continue to preserve and enhance this countryside that means so much to us. I give my special thanks to our wonderful Sycamore Society members who continue to place Willistown Conservation Trust high on their list of giving considerations.
Peter and Dixie. The first season at Rushton Farm can only be described as a remarkable success. The CSA’s first 35 member families enjoyed a bountiful harvest of fruit and vegetables fresh from the farm fields and countless others from the Willistown community visited the farm, learning more about sustainable agriculture and the Trust’s varied activities.
As spring approaches, I hope that you all will find time to enjoy the preserves, trails and open spaces that Willistown has to offer. We are truly lucky to have such a remarkable reservoir of natural spaces, as well as an active preservation-minded community. To each of you—whether trustee, staff member, volunteer or Willistown resident — thank you for all you have done in support of the Trust. With your continued support, there is still so much more that can be done to improve the quality of life in this wonderful area we call home. Peter Strawbridge
While open space preservation is the core of the Willistown Conservation Trust’s mission, we are increasingly emphasizing land stewardship as an important part of our preservation efforts. Our continuing partnership with Audubon Pennsylvania to enhance the Upper Ridley/Crum Important Bird Area, our incipient Deer Management Program, and our efforts to re-enforce riparian buffers along area streams and remove invasive species are all key initiatives in our stewardship work.
The future 80-acre Rushton Woods Preserve will create a permanent home for the Trust’s Community Farm Program and Rushton Farm CSA. This view, taken from the edge of the woodland, shows six acres currently leased and cultivated for organic produce offered by the CSA.
Spring
W i l l i s t o w n C o n s erva t i o n Tr u s t
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The Sycamore Rushton Woods Preserve continued from page 1. popular Community Farm Program and Rushton Farm CSA for the past year or so. Needless to say, all of us at the Trust have had a compelling dream to acquire the fifty-acres to add to the Rushton Woods Preserve and to create a new eighty acre preserve in the heart of the Willistown countryside. This acquisition by the Trust would not only further protect all of the wonderful critical resources of the property but it would make the land accessible forever to everyone in our community and beyond. It would provide a resource for Trust educational and stewardship programs, events, recreational opportunities and a permanent home for the Community Farm Program and Rushton Farm CSA. Enter now Rushton Land Associates, LLC, a remarkable partnership of friends and neighbors who, even in the face of the current economic downturn, have recently banded together to acquire the fifty-acre Rushton Woods Preserve Addition as a “straw party buyer” on behalf of the Willistown Conservation Trust. Agreements have been signed; the partnership will acquire the Preserve Addition in June 2009, and will hold it for the sooner of three years or until the Trust has been able to raise the funds to acquire it. The sale to the Trust will be at a price significantly below the appraised fair market value of the land, i.e. at a “bargain sale” price. (Love for the land and good deed #3). The challenge now is for the Trust to raise the funds for the final acquisition over the next couple of years. With the encouragement of the Chester County Preservation Partnership Program, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Spring
The new 80-acre Rushton Woods Preserve.
This map shows the existing 30-acre preserve, the 50-acre proposed addition, and the current site of the Trust’s Community Farm Program and Rushton Farm CSA. The new preserve is part of one of the largest remaining contiguous woodlands in Chester County. and the help of our good friends and supporters, we are determined to make it happen. (Future good deeds #4
through ??)
When I look back over this story of love for the land and the series of good deeds that have brought us to this point in the making of the Rushton Woods Preserve, I think … what if the Van Alens had not chosen to donate the conservation easement back in 1986; what if Janet and John Haas had not made the extraordinarily generous contribution to National Audubon to purchase the thirty-acre woods; and what if the friends and neighbors in the Rushton Land Associates partnership had not cared enough to purchase and hold the fifty-acre pre-
serve addition to give the Trust time to buy it? And then I think … so many what ifs could be applied equally to the 140 landowners who have now donated conservation easements and the array of conservation partners who have helped create the 6,000 acres of open space that we now enjoy. The answer, I believe, is that we would all be the poorer in spirit, and the beautiful Willistown countryside would be a very different place from that which we know and love today. Thank goodness for friends and neighbors, for loving the land and for all of the good deeds … past, present and future!
W i l l i s t o w n C o n s erva t i o n Tr u s t
Bonnie Van Alen, President 2009
The Sycamore
Land Protection Report Conservation Buyers Work Together with Williams Family to Permanently Preserve 31 Acres
The Williams Family, along with two conservation-minded neighbors, have permanently protected 31 acres of land located on the south side of Goshen Road. The farm is located within the Crum Creek watershed and includes the Bartrum Run tributary, along with woodland, pastures, wetlands and scenic and pastoral views from Goshen Road. The property is located in the Audubon Upper Ridley/Crum Important Bird Area and the preservation of the land is critical to the protection of bird habitat and other wildlife. To achieve the protection of this land, the family worked with the Trust and Brandywine Conservancy to subdivide the 31 acres into four lots (approximately 5.4, 10, 12 and 2.5 acres each) and work with buyers who would protect the land from development via conservation easement. In July 2008, neighbors Penny and Tom Watkins purchased the 5.4 acre parcel that was adjacent to their Marlborough Road property and extended their existing conservation easement held by the Trust to cover the new land. The 5.4 acres of pasture, woodland and wetlands make a beautiful addition to the Watkins’ 9 acre property. Another neighbor, Graham Berwind, purchased the 10+ acre parcel, primarily pasture, from the Williams and donated a conservation easement to Brandywine Conservancy at the same time. Both easements preclude Spring
The 113-acre Paper Hill Farm offers special natural features and scenic views, like this group of wonderful Sycamores gracing the split rail fence along Goshen Road. any further residential development on listown Conservation Trust was comthe land. pleted in 2008. Drs. Leldon and Pearl Pitt originally donated the easements to The 12 acre parcel remains in the Wil- the Brandywine Conservancy in 1989 as liams family estate, which has protected part of the Willistown Area Conservation it by donating a conservation easement Program (predecessor to Willistown to the Brandywine Conservancy that Conservation Trust). The Pitts’ Paper Hill permits the construction of one primary Farm, comprising 113+ acres, is located residence. The remaining 2.5+ acre lot, along the south side of Goshen Road and also remaining in the family estate, the east side of Dutton Mill Road. The contains the existing historic primary farm lies within the heart of the Trust’s residence, the Townsend Thomas House, program area, and is connected to several c.1795. hundred acres of land also protected by conservation easements.
113 Acre Paper Hill Farm Easements Assigned to Willistown Conservation Trust
This magnificent setting along more than one half mile of the Ridley Creek includes a stone-banked springhouse, a mill pond, a waterfall, and miles of stone The assignment of two conservation walls. It contains high quality natural easements on 113 acres on Goshen Road resources, breathtaking view sheds and from Brandywine Conservancy to Wil- significant history. In addition to the
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The Sycamore Ridley Creek, its natural resources include a segment of Hunters Run, woodlands, streams, pastures, meadow, sensitive riparian area, steep slopes and rolling hills. The farm’s 700 feet of frontage along Goshen Road is identified in the Willistown Township Comprehensive Plan as part of the network of scenic roads in the area. The conservation easement area is bounded on the west side by approximately 1,000 feet of frontage along Dutton Mill Road. The property contains several significant historical structures including the principal residence, known as the George Smedley House c. 1766. The banked barn on the property is a Pennsylvania posted forebay The two-acre Wroten property will become part of an 11-acre preserve owned type with stable-high fieldstone walls and by Willistown Township at Jaffrey Road and Sugarbrook Lane. a board and batten over-frame. An early mill building along Ridley Creek on verted into Willistown Township’s first As a result of the assignment, the Trust the property may have been the original commercial electric power plant. Portions now has the privilege and obligation to Smedley Fulling Mill, which was con- of the property are part of Okehocking uphold the easement on Paper Hill Farm Historic District. in perpetuity.
Radnor Hunt Pony Club Donates Proceeds from Chase for Conservation
Hoof Print Images 2008
For the third consecutive year, Radnor Hunt Pony Club donated the proceeds from its fall “Chase for Conservation” to the Trust for its ongoing work protecting open space and trails for equestrians. Riders at this year’s event enjoyed a fabulous fall day riding on trails across more than 900 acres of protected land, raising $2,500 for the Trust.
Nia and Lee Lee McNeil canter up the hillside at Wall’s field on Warren Avenue, embarking on the 2008 Chase for Conservation. Spring
Two-Acre Wroten Property Acquired with Grant Funds Secured on Behalf of Willistown Township for Neighborhood Preserve
On behalf of Willistown Township, the Trust applied for and received a grant from Chester County to fund the Township’s acquisition of the two-acre Wroten property, which is located on the east side of Sugarbrook Lane in the northern portion of the Township. The property is adjacent to a nine acre tract already owned by Willistown Township, and its acquisition creates a Township-owned neighborhood preserve containing a total of eleven acres. The property is located within the upper Crum Creek Watershed and includes a riparian woodland as well as scenic frontage along the Crum Creek.
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The Sycamore
Stewardship Report “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” John Muir
These Willistown residents were captured on film by our friend John Allen in his backyard on Warren Avenue in Malvern. (L to r) Downy Woodpecker, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Flicker, and Pileated Woodpecker
Bird Monitoring Program Gets a Lift
Because the Willistown area is so deservedly designated by Audubon as an ”Important Bird Area”, many of the Trust’s land management activities are focused on conserving habitat for birds. By emphasizing birds, we are also indirectly focusing on the plants that comprise their habitat, as well as the diversity of the insect population that feeds nesting birds. The Trust has been coordinating efforts to identify and quantify local bird populations in our geographic area for years. Recently, Trust staff have begun work to improve the effectiveness, coordination and efficiency of our bird monitoring program. Together with Brian Byrnes, Audubon Pennsylvania’s Southeast Regional IBA Coordinator, the Trust hosted a bird monitoring meeting in January. During the meeting, we expressed our appreciation of important and dedicated volunteers who have been monitoring eight of our critical properties for the past two
Spring
A primary goal of the Trust is to inspire community members to consider what they can do on their properties to improve wildlife habitat. Using data from our enhanced bird monitoring efforts, we can educate and motivate community members to take further steps – like planting native plants and grasses – in this direction. In addition, we hope to These talented birders make a huge dif- do a better job of illustrating how these ference through their commitment of small changes can positively affect the time and love for the birds they monitor, broader ecosystem. greatly improving the efforts of our organization’s goal to conserve valuable bird We are always looking for volunteers to habitat. Their hard work has helped make help with bird monitoring. If you would a coordinated bird monitoring program like to help count birds in our program area and can identify species by ear and in Willistown a reality. by sight, contact Brian Byrnes at AuduAt the meeting we proposed changes to bon Pennsylvania at 610-666-5593, ext. our current monitoring protocol which 106 or bbyrnes@audubon.org. will improve data collection efforts as well as make the monitoring program Deer Management Program more interesting for the volunteers. We Takes a Leap Forward also added new monitoring sites at Rush- With the conclusion of the 2008-2009 ton Woods Preserve and Rushton Farm deer hunting season in late January, the in an effort to document which species Trust completed the first full year of its are found in the active agricultural fields Deer Management Plan (DMP) and has and surrounding natural areas. years. We are particularly grateful to the volunteers: Debbie Beer, Kevin Fryberger, Joe Hudson, Dr. Arthur McMorris, Martin Page, Edie Parnum, Tom Reeves, Marilyn Smith, Vince Smith, Dan Sullivan
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The Sycamore begun the important work of collecting data and meeting with our volunteers to assess the first year. The Trust’s DMP utilizes managed recreational hunting to bring the deer population back into balance with the ecosystem. Once we gather harvest and plant data and record participant observations we will prepare a summary report which will assist in refining the program for next year’s season.
DMP decreases the deer population, the diversity and quantity of native plants, and subsequently the local bird population, should improve. The Trust continues to work with Willistown Township to install a refrigerated walk-in cooler at the Township’s Sugartown Road property. This cooler will provide temporary storage for excess deer harvested by local hunters. Following brief storage in the cooler, the venison will be collected, processed and delivered to area charities for distribution to people in need. We anticipate that the cooler will be up and running for the 2009– 2010 deer season.
This first year was a busy one, involving numerous activities to develop the framework of the program and further the process of strengthening the relationships upon which the long-term success of the program depends. A steering committee was created, and met several times to address the broader issues of the On a chilly Sunday in March, between a program. We concurrently convened a morning snow shower and an evening subcommittee of dedicated hunters to snowstorm, a special event was held at provide guidance on the plan’s mechanics. In addition, hunting zones, or “co-ops”, were delineated to assist in breaking t h e p ro g r a m a re a i n t o manageable geographic pieces, creating a cohesive, standardized structure that facilitates communications amongst hunters, landowners and the Trust.
Dick Thompson’s beautiful property on Spring Road. Over 60 hunters and landowners gathered at Dick’s to celebrate the Willistown area’s hunting traditions and the conclusion of a successful season. Everyone enjoyed an abundance of venison dishes prepared by local hunters and many recipes were exchanged. The freezing temperatures that afternoon confirmed the heartiness of our hunting community and their commitment to working together toward a common conservation purpose. We are grateful to Dick Thompson for opening his home and so graciously welcoming everyone who attended. We have every intention of holding a similar event next year! As John Fossbenner, DMP Hunter Coordinator for Hunting Co-op 6 (Willisbrook) and lifelong hunter so Stewardship Report continued on page 8.
Janet Eber t, our faithful botanist, will collect annual plant inventory data from each of our six plant survey plots this spring and summer. This ecological indicator data, combined with bird monitoring data, will provide the statistics needed to assess the long-term effectiveness of the DMP. As the efforts of the Dick Thompson’s lovely Sea Horse Farm was the setting for a gathering of deer hunters and landowners celebrating a successful first year of the Trust’s Deer Management Program. Spring
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The Sycamore Stewardship Report continued from page 7. aptly put it:
Was that an excellent gathering or what? I’ll bet that there is no other organization in the State that has it together better than you folks at the Trust. This being the first year I think we all did amazing well. I am so encouraged about future years. I don’t remember who suggested this event and inviting the landowners but it was an excellent idea… you should be very proud of what you have accomplished so far.
John Fossbenner, Hunter
The Trust wishes to thank all of our dedicated volunteers who helped get this first year off the ground, including all members of the steering committee,
hunter subcommittee and each individual hunter and landowner participating in the program. Special thanks to our DMP consultant, Tim Smail, and to Dan Potts, who has so ably chaired the steering committee.
Kirkwood Preserve Grassland Demonstration Area Showcases Native Grasses
Native grasslands, with their ecologically unique plant and animal communities, were important components of the landscape in Pennsylvania’s Piedmont range prior to European settlement centuries ago. As part of our stewardship initiatives, the Trust recognizes the importance of native grasslands and their function as habitat for many wildlife species including native and migratory birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and invertebrates.
Although it is not possible to completely replicate the native grasslands that once existed in southeastern Pennsylvania, the Trust has identified fundamental techniques that can be used to create native grassland plant communities. To demonstrate these techniques, highlight different native grass species, and to showcase their beauty, we have chosen the Kirkwood Preserve as the site of a native grassland demonstration area. Since the Kirkwood Preserve was previously used as a cattle pasture consisting primarily of cool season grasses, it serves as the perfect template to show how a former pasture can be restored to native grass species and managed as a grassland. In a quarter-acre portion of the preserve we removed invasive and undesired plants and then seeded several large swaths with different types of native grasses that have historically thrived in southeastern Pennsylvania. These selected species emulate the structure, function, diversity and dynamics of the grasslands found in other locations in the northeastern United States and include:
Agrostis perennans, Autumn Bentgrass Andropogon gerardii, Big Bluestem Sorghastrum nutans, Indiangrass Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem
Tripsacum dactyloides, Eastern Gamma Grass Virginia Wild Rye will be used as a cover crop to discourage weeds from invading the site during the establishment period.
A quarter-acre section of Kirkwood Preserve has been planted with five different types of native grasses, offering land owners a comparative example of what the different grasses look like and how they might be used in the landscape. Spring
Although most of the historic native grasslands in southeastern Pennsylvania have been destroyed by development or converted for agricultural uses, native warm-season grassland remnants still
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The Sycamore exist in isolated areas and the Willistown area with its large tracts of open spaces is primed for their reintroduction. By managing competition from undesirable vegetation and following proper planting procedures, native warm-season grass stands can be successfully re-established, and with proper management, make dramatic contributions to wildlife habitat. If you need help developing a plan using native grasses on your property, contact Lisa Rubin (610-353-2562, ext. 25). In the meantime, visit the demonstration area just beyond the Kirkwood Preserve parking area as it matures over the next few years. We are thankful to several key partners for providing the Trust with valuable hands-on experience and grassland restoration knowledge: Gary Gimbert from Natural Lands Trust, Brian O’Neill from Weeds, Inc., and Greg Nichols from Green Weaver.
Wildflower Meadows at Trust Office Continue to Grow
Our native wildflower plots at the Trust office on Providence Road continue to change with the seasons. In the depths of winter they lie dormant to our eyes, but are already changing below the snow in response to the longer days and gradual warming. This past winter we observed regular visits from a resident Red Fox, who helps himself to the mouse buffet hidden amongst last season’s wildflower stalks. With their first year of establishment nearly complete, the root systems of Spring
Re-thinking the Manicured Lawn in the Willistown Countryside It is our hope that Willistown area land owners will consider forgoing mowed and manicured lawns in favor of expanses of native plants and grasses where appropriate. The conventional lawn is a virtual desert for wildlife and its upkeep consumes enormous amounts of fossil fuel and water. By contrast, a planting of native plants, wildflowers or grasses (as in the photo above) supports and spawns a whole universe of wildlife and plant life, creating a natural beauty which is fitting to the rural countryside of the Willistown area. And it only requires mowing once per year! these native wildflowers have driven themselves deep into the soil. During the coming year we will see more energy directed to the flower systems of these plants, resulting in a greater display of color and more robust production of seeds. As this seed base increases, the wildflowers will continue to out-compete the cool season grasses (formerly a mowed lawn) that once dominated the plots. We encourage you to stop by for a visit. We would be happy to give you a tour of the wildflower plots, and hope you might consider a similar planting on
your own property as an alternative to a conventional lawn. This spring we are planning to add two similarly-sized wildflower plots to our front field visible from Providence Road. This patchwork of native plants, and ultimately, the seeds they produce, will continue to provide valuable habitat to our resident insect population and small mammals who serve as a food source for the secondary consumers that patrol the plots by foot and from above.
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The Sycamore
Invasive Plant Initiative Gets a Boost from Trustee The Willistown landscape
We invite all residents, before the leaves emerge, to survey their properties and neighborhoods for trees that are threatened by vines and then consider the following options: • Treat the vines by cutting each one twice: One cut as close to the ground as possible and a second cut 3-4 feet up. • Participate in a neighborhood volunteer team by contacting Lisa Rubin (610-353-2562, ext. 25 or lkr@wctrust.org) • Hire certified specialists to carry out the work.
we love is at risk from invasive plant species that threaten our grasslands, farms, and forests. Lands protected from development are not completely “preserved” if diverse natural communities degrade over time as a result of invasion by a relatively small number of aggressive exotic species. In response, Trust staff, along with trustee Mark Ledger, have gathered a group of volunteers to tackle the daunting task of eradicating invasive species from our countryside.
Many thanks to our dedicated vine-clearing volunteers who have been helping to get the program launched on Hillview Road including Case Verhoog, Art Newbold, Brook Gardner, Nick Mecca, Nick Mecca Jr., Angelo Brutico, Angelo Brutico Jr., Rick Warden and Mark Ledger.
Attempting to control all of the non-native species is an Oriental Bittersweet is one of the most invasive vines in overwhelming task. Therethe Willistown area. fore, we are developing a strategy to ensure the most immediate and effective impact in the Willistown area. The initial effort will focus on the climbing vines that present the greatest threat to the survival of established trees. Volunteers have begun the removal of invasive vines along the forest edges to protect the trees at greatest risk. The highest priority vine species are Oriental Bittersweet, Japanese Honeysuckle, Porcelainberry, and Mile-a-minute. Their first work sessions began in February on Hillview Road, where vines threatening some 80 trees have been cut.
We plan to schedule additional invasive vine-clearing days with community volunteers at highly visible locations within our program area during the fall and winter months. In addition, we are par tnering with Chester Ridley Creek Watersheds Association and Natural Lands Trust to present an invasive species workshop in June. (See “A c t iv i t i e s a n d Japanese Honeysuckle is also on the Events on page 16). “worst offenders” list. Please contact Lisa Rubin (610-353-2562, ext. 25) if you are interested in getting some exercise in the great outdoors by removing invasive vines.
Our strategy for each species’ control or elimination has been determined by consulting with experts from Natural Lands Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and also from the most currently available research. Control treatments will be avoided during the summer months in areas where native or migratory nesting birds could be harmed. Additionally, those areas where the infestations are most easily controlled will be given the highest priority. Our approach includes regularly monitoring the controlled areas for recurring invasive species. Spring
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The Sycamore
Support “Big Day” on May 9th — and Help the Trust Establish a Bird Banding Station Willistown Conservation Trust was recently chosen as the
critical sites for bird conservation in Audubon Pennsylvania’s Upper Ridley/Crum Important Bird Area and offers a great opportunity to launch the Bird Banding Station, as it contains diversified habitat including grassland, deciduous woodland, old meadows and adjacent small-scale agricultural fields to yield a variety of bird data. Through the Bird Banding Station, the Trust hopes to augment current bird monitoring efforts while showcasing birds as tools to evaluate land management practices, restoration and conservation efforts. The bird banding project will serve as a unique community resource, providing educational opportunities, demonstrations and raising awareness of the effects of land-use practices on birds and wildlife.
recipient of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) 2009 conservation grant. Each year DVOC raises funds through the World Series of Birding , the region’s most renowned birding competition, to support a local conservation project. This event (know as “Big Day”) has changed the birding landscape and raised over $8,000,000 for bird conservation over the years. Participants will try to identify the greatest number of bird species throughout the state of New Jersey over a 24-hour period on Saturday, May 9. DVOC will enter a team, the Lagerhead Shrikes, with participants soliciting pledges ($.25 to $1.00) for each species per person they identify. The DVOC team has won the event in the majority of recent years. They consistently find 200+ species; the alltime high is 231.
To support our exciting bird banding project, please consider making a pledge to the 26th annual World Series of Birdin at www.dvoc.org. Every dollar raised by the DVOC team at the World Series of Birding will go directly towards the Rushton Woods Bird Banding Project.
This year the DVOC’s “Big Day” team funds will be donated to the Trust to develop a Rushton Woods Bird Banding Station at Rushton Preserve on Delchester Road (see article p. 1). The woodland preserve has been identified as one of the most
Four Counties Garden Club held their January meeting at the Trust offices. Here Trust President Bonnie Van Alen speaks to the group about the Trust’s initiatives of interest to the gardening community, including Sustainable Agriculture, Deer Management, and Native Plants. Spring
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The Sycamore
Community Farm Report
From Fred, Aaron and Ashley at Rushton Farm
Second Season at Rushton Community Farm is Underway I t was exactly one
Our CSA membership will expand to year ago that the 70 families for 2009, spring ground was and the Sunday afturned and the first ter noon Rushton crops were planted, Farm market will ofmarking the beginfer a wide variety of ning of what would produce from the become a very sucfarm. To accommocessful first season of date this growth we our Community Supwill continue to enported Agriculture large the cultivated (CSA) program at area of the farm. Rushton Farm. The Seeds have been rocky ground that started and vegetable once bore a robust crop of invasive plants Farmers Ashley, Aaron and Fred prepare for the second season at Rushton Farm as they sow plants are growing in the first seeds of 2009 under lights in the blacksmith shop. the warm confines of was cleared for a wide array of vegetable crops to be harvested for our first year CSA our new greenhouse. We expect to expand our crop selection members. As the crops grew, so did community involvement. beyond last year’s 150 varieties to include many vegetables not While membership was limited to 35 families to give us regularly grown in this area (did someone mention artichokes?). breathing room in our start-up year, dozens more turned out We have also expanded the Farmshed Garden to include berries to volunteer, attend farm events and shop at the Sunday market. and more native plants and have started preparations for a It was truly a first season of committed hearts and minds and small fruit orchard. it served as a significant starting point for a program that anticipates healthy growth with the steadfast help and support Growing food and feeding families requires considerable planning. We are very fortunate that our farm managers Aaron de of the Willistown community. Long and Ashley Brister, are so committed to the job It is our hope that the successful production we saw in 2008 continues The Season Ahead – We’re Growing! With the success of the 2008 season we look toward 2009 as and we are able to meet the demands of those who seek to be a season of growth for all elements of the farm program, from part of a true community farm where involvement is not only our greenhouses and flower gardens to our education and rewarded with food but with a deeper understanding of the “share the bounty” initiatives. This growth comes at a time importance of local sustainable agriculture. when those within our community have shown a clear desire Educating the Community to buy local food, learn how that food is grown, and embrace its importance. Together with the Trust staff, the farmers at Among our Community Farm Program initiatives, education Rushton Farm are dedicated to engaging community members is the most important. Understanding the land and the food and sharing their knowledge in a way that best benefits the that it bears is something that takes time. Farmers work years perfecting their craft and developing the skills to do it sucgrowth of the budding local food movement in Willistown. cessfully from season to season. The core group of farmers Spring
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The Sycamore and community members involved in Rushton Farm look forward to sharing their knowledge and helping people of all ages change their relationship with food. This year we will hold several educational workshops featuring an assortment of speakers who will talk about local food production and related topics. We will include information about the nutritional value of homegrown produce, cooking demonstrations and recipes that showcase the produce, and gardening tips for those who want to try growing their own veggies at home. We believe that our education initiatives should especially engage Rushton Farm hosted many community events featuring the farm’s organically young people, so we will expand grown vegetables and fruits, like this late summer gathering. upon the popular school visits we began last year, bringing more students to the farm to help County farming tradition of supporting other farmers. We them better understand what farming is and how it relates to are working with Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable their lives. We will also welcome our first full-time intern, recent Agriculture (PASA) and the “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” campaign Penn State graduate Chelsea Allen, and hope to welcome back to provide educational programs and a market outlet to the high school students and volunteers who participated in those farms seeking participation in the promotion of local our first season. Through interactive involvement, from getting agriculture. We hope that the community will support these their hands in the dirt to helping at our farm events, these farms to help expand the local agricultural network. students will learn about sustainable farming and its impact on their community. A true CSA grows food in the community which it serves and community members are able to see the land and meet the farmer growing their food. The farmers at Rushton Farm are Support Your Local Farmers! We were fortunate in 2008 to have several local farms contrib- eager to share the goodness of the farm and the food being ute their produce to Rushton Farm. This included beef from grown. We invite all volunteers who want to get their hands Crum Creek Farm, goat cheese from Shellbark Hollow Farm, dirty to “just show up” on Wednesday afternoons, starting eggs from the Rushton Farm Egg Co-op (Cauffman Brothers in June. Those who prefer to visit the farm to walk the fields and the Thompson family), and honey from the Rushton Farm and talk with the farmers are welcome on Sunday afternoons bees. In 2009 we anticipate adding local poultry and dairy. starting in June. The Sunday Market will start on June 21. These connections represent an important part of the Trust Community Farm Program as we work to foster a network of All of us at the Trust take great pride in what has been accomplished at Rushton Farm so far, and hope that all support among local farms. of you will spend some time with us in the 2009 season. Rushton Farm is looking forward to coordinating with the Come to an event, volunteer your skills or pay us a vist at the many local producers in our area, and upholding the Chester Sunday Market. We look forward to seeing you. Spring
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The Sycamore
Growing healthy local food in Willistown
2009 Workshops Exact dates and times of workshops will be announced on www.wctrust.org
June
Gardening with Natives
This course will promote the value and importance of gardening with native plants. Given Rushton Farm’s location adjacent to a woodland preserve, we can introduce the concept of “agroecology” and the interconnectedness between a sustainable farm and the natural landscape surrounding it. Participants will be taught about varieties of native plants and how to plant and maintain them. The class will be taught by Rushton Farm volunteers.
Several groups of school children visited Rushton Farm to see and learn about how food is grown. Here farmers Ashley and Aaron show them a newly sprouting row of salad greens.
October
July
Bug Out! A Day of Insect Appreciation
In coordination with Riverbend Environmental Education Center (Gladwyne, PA), Rushton Farm will present a day of insect identification, education and appreciation. The value of insects within the farm ecosystem will be discussed with an emphasis on the pollinators that are critical to crop production.
Finishing the Season: Composting and Seed Saving
This half-day workshop will focus on composting and seed saving as the final two components of a successful farm season. There will be instruction on proper composting practices and field application, as well as the selection, harvest, and preserving of seeds for the next season. The workshop will be taught by the Rushton Farm staff.
Harvest Celebration at Rushton Farm Saturday October 24 5:00 – 8:00 pm Rushton Farm, Delchester and Goshen Roads Celebrate the second season of harvest at Rushton Farm. Bring the whole family to the farm with a picnic and a blanket and enjoy an evening of pumpkin carving, hay rides, an owl prowl, and a bonfire. Bring a picnic and enjoy the bonfire and pumpkin carving at the Harvest Celebration at Rushton Farm. Spring
Keep checking www.wctrust.org for details.
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The Sycamore
Enjoy Your Coffee While Taking Action to Help Birds
At any moment of every day, migratory birds fill the skies of
Because many birds depend upon the forest’s understory layer for food and shelter, these shade-grown coffee environments provide valuable habitat for a number of bird species, including migratory species such as warblers, vireos, orioles, grosbeaks, hummingbirds, tanagers, and many more. In addition to birds, shade coffee plantations provide habitat for orchids, insects, mammals (such as bats), reptiles, and amphibians.
the western hemisphere, journeying from the High Arctic to Tierra del Fuego, across the Atlantic and Pacific, moving by day and night. On February 20, naturalist and author Scott Weidensaul took a spellbound audience of Trust supporters on a virtual tour of bird migration, explaining the complex conservation challenges that face them along the way. Anyone interested in this topic will be fascinated by Scott’s acclaimed book, Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds.
The benefits of a shade-grown coffee environment do not stop there! The multi-layered canopy system of the tropical forest provides the The open spaces of the Willistown shade coffee plants with natural countryside have historically atmulch, reducing the need for chemitracted a wide variety of these cal fertilizers. Organic matter from colorful visitors to our area with shade trees reduces erosion, conour large undeveloped meadows tributes nutrients to the soil, and Unlikely partners: the Wood Thrush, a warm weather and woodlands providing valuable prevents the concentration of metal Willistown resident, spends its winters in the same South American forests where shade-grown coffee is grown. habitat for them. As part of Scott toxicities. In addition, the taller Weidensaul’s message that evening, canopy trees protect the coffee he presented a list of simple actions each of us can take to plants that grow beneath them from excessively harsh rain and support and encourage the long-term presence of migratory sun, help maintain soil quality, reduce the need for weeding birds: and aid in pest control. • Landscape with nature in mind by using native species, Shade-grown coffee is given the Smithsonian’s “Bird Friendly” especially berry-producing shrubs, and leaving your label if the growing conditions meet certain criteria: the coffee flowerbeds untrimmed over the winter; must meet organic standards, specific canopy height, foliage • Be organic in your garden and buy organic at the cover, and support a minimum number of bird species, among grocery store; other criteria. The Smithsonian trains certification agencies to • Support land conservation; recognize these criteria and carry out Bird Friendly evaluations • Keep cats indoors; at the same time they inspect farms for organic standards. • Use recycled paper to minimize impacts on the boreal Farmers volunteer for the inspection and pay nothing to the forest, where the vast majority of our migratory birds Smithsonian center. Farmers benefit by being able to charge a breed; and higher price for their coffee. Currently, 18 farms in North and • Drink more coffee, but only if it’s bird-friendly coffee! South America are Bird Friendly approved.
The Facts on Bird Friendly Coffee
Now You Can Order Your Bird Friendly Coffee from the Trust
Scientists at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center have discovered that the connection between birds and coffee helps both coffee farmers and the environment. In 2000, the center launched the shade-grown coffee certification program to promote the growth of sustainable coffee, meaning coffee that is viable economically, environmentally and socio-culturally.
We are excited to announce that the Willistown Conservation Trust will soon begin selling Smithsonian-certified “Bird Friendly” coffee. It will be available in one-pound bags at the Trust office on weekdays and at Rushton Farm on Sundays between 11 am and 4 pm. The coffee comes from the only local supplier certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. For more information, please contact Bill Hartman: wrh@wctrust.org or 610-353-2562, ext. 14
Shade-grown coffee, in contrast to sun-grown or “technified” coffee, is produced in the understory layer of the tropical forest, rather than on exposed land cleared of other vegetation. Spring
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The Sycamore
Activities and Events Stream Cleanup at Malvern Borough’s Randolph Woods Saturday, May 2 9:00 – 11:30 am
Located on Ruthland Avenue in Malvern, approximately 1/3 of a mile south of E. King Street Gather your friends and family and have some fun at the Twelfth Annual Chester-RidleyCrum Watersheds Association (CRC) Streams Cleanup, held throughout the three watersheds on Saturday, May 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Last year’s event drew a record 506 volunteers who removed 20 tons of trash! This year, in partnership with Willistown Township and Malvern Borough, we are rolling up our sleeves once again and pitching in. Please join for the stream cleanup at Malvern’s Randolph Woods Preserve, site of a headwater of the Crum Creek that flows through Willistown to the Delaware River.
Last year’s stream clean up at Ridley Creek in Ashbridge Preserve offered a wonderful day of TLC for mother nature.
Following the cleanup, all volunteers are invited to a Thank You picnic at Rose Tree Park, Media. Participants will also receive a CRC Streams Cleanup t-shirt. To volunteer at Randolph Woods, please contact Trisha Lambert at tld@wctrust.org or 610-353-2562 ext. 12.
Invasive Species Workshop at Kirkwood Preserve Saturday, June 13 9:00 – 11:00 am Presented by Dan Baringer, Natural Lands Trust This workshop will provide attendees with training on how to identify invasive plants, knowledge about the ecology of the plants, and techniques to effectively and efficiently control the plants’ spread. Co-sponsored by the Willistown Conservation Trust and the ChesterRidley-Crum Watersheds Association.
Crawdads are alive and well in Willistown, as evidenced here by a young stream explorer discovering Massey Run, a tributary to Crum Creek.
Spring
R.S.V.P. to Lisa Rubin at lkr@wctrust or 610-353-2562, ext. 25.
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The Sycamore
Activities and Events Getting to Know Kirkwood Preserve: A Sanctuary for People and Wildlife Thursday, June 25 5:00 – 7:00 pm Kirkwood Preserve’s parking lot is located on Grubbs Mill Road, ¼ mile north of its intersection with Goshen Road. Join us to learn about the picturesque Kirkwood Preserve — 83 acres of open fields, mature woodlands and a 1/4 mile stretch of the meandering Crum Creek. • Bring your family and a picnic supper • Enjoy refreshments provided by the Trust • Go on a scavenger hunt and discover Kirkwood’s special places • Bring your binoculars and search for nesting birds • Stroll along the scenic 2 mile loop trail • Experience live raptors and owls up close • Check out the Trust’s restoration projects along Crum Creek
Enjoy Kirkwood Preserve on June 25, and get to know this Willistown treasure. daily from dawn to dusk. Please contact Lisa Rubin at the Willistown Conservation Trust with questions regarding this event: 610-353-2562 ext. 25.
Kirkwood Preserve was purchased by the Willistown Conservation Trust in 2005 with assistance from the Willistown Township Open Space Fund. Kirkwood is open to the public
Many thanks to our friends at the Great Valley Nature Center for bringing live birds!
Episcopal Academy parents and students joined together with the Trust Stewardship staff at its new campus to plant native trees, shrubs and plants along a section of the storm water basin.
Spring
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The Sycamore
Trustee News
ARTHUR E. NEWBOLD IV returns to the Board after a one year rotation off. Arthur has lived in Willistown with his wife Douglass since 1984, and brings vast environmental and legal expertise to the Trust. A partner at Dechert LLP since 1974, he is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia. He has served on the Willistown Township Planning Commission for ten years, and is on the Advisory Council of Natural Lands Trust. An avid birder, Arthur serves on the board of Audubon PA and will become Chairman in July. Arthur is a graduate of Harvard College and of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Mary Hunt Davis
Mary Hunt Davis
ANSON “LANCE” W. H. TAYLOR III joined the board this January. Lance brings an extensive knowledge of the Willistown countryside and a wealth of community involvement to the Trust. A lifetime resident of the Willistown area, Lance has a family history of conservation. In collaboration with adjacent landowners, his parents formed the Fox Creek Associates partnership to place 110 acres of land under easement. Lance, along with his wife Debi and daughter Adare, is currently constructing a home on one of the conservation parcels. His company, Lance Taylor Contracting, has renovated many of the finest homes in the Willistown area. A longtime volunteer in the Radnor Hunt equestrian community, Lance currently serves as Field Master of Radnor Hunt, a committeemember for the Radnor Hunt Horse Trials, a Graduate “B” member of the Radnor Hunt Pony Club, and president of the Willistown Area Trails Association (WATA). Lance is a graduate of Princeton University.
News from The Sycamore Society One hundred and thirty-seven generous friends of the Willistown Conservation Trust stepped forward to join the Sycamore Society in 2008 — a record-breaker! We are grateful that so many supporters made the Trust a priority in their charitable giving, particularly given the recent economic climate.
friendly brews and tomato-tasting at Rushton Farm in August. Please consider joining the Sycamore Society this year, or renewing your membership if you have not yet done so. Our mission to protect and enhance the Willistown countryside has never been more vital, and we cannot succeed without the generosity of our leadership supporters. Thank you! ~ The Sycamore Society honors individuals and organizations who annually contribute $1,000 or more to sustain the Willistown Conservation Trust’s mission to steward and further protect the Willistown countryside. For more information about the Sycamore Society, please contact Betsy Block: bhb@wctrust.org or 610.353.2562 Ext. 13.
This spring, Sycamore Society members have had the opportunity to hunt with the Ardrossan Beagles and view the winter sky from a local observatory. On May 3, a local landowner will host our annual Sycamore Society celebration event, an evening not to be missed. Other plans in the works include a “coffee cupping” to sample bird-
Spring
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The Sycamore
Thank You! We are so grateful for the support you provided to fuel our work in 2008 and beyond. Our deepest thanks go to each of you—whether you are a new donor, a long-time supporter or a Trust volunteer. You are helping to protect the Willistown area lands that enrich our lives, ensuring clean air and water, inspiring us with natural beauty, sustaining locally grown food, and providing all of us, young and old, with special places to explore. The following contributors have generously supported the conservation effort from January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009.
The Sycamore Society The Sycamore Society honors individuals and organizations who annually contribute $1,000 or more to sustain the Willistown Conservation Trust’s mission to steward and further protect the Willistown countryside. Platinum Sycamores ($25,000 or more)
Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Tristram C. Colket, Jr. DCNR Glenmede Trust Company Mr. Steven C. Graham and Ms. Christina W. Morin Mrs. W. Perry Gresh Mr. and Mrs. W. Anthony Hitschler Mrs. J. Maxwell Moran Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Morse Mr. and Mrs. Calvin W. Schmidt Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Turner, Jr. Mr. Douglas C. Walker The William Penn Foundation Mrs. Penelope P. Wilson
Gold Sycamores ($10,000 to $24,999)
Anonymous Ms. Carol Ann Atterbury Barnard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie and Seelaus Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Mr. and Mrs. J. David Hucker Kent-Lucas Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. George F. Krall, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. McNeely Moran Family Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Seymour S. Preston III Deacon and Sheila Shorr Mr. Richard H. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. James L. Van Alen II Mr. and Mrs. William G. Warden III
Silver Sycamores ($5,000 to $9,999)
Elizabeth G. Atterbury Caroline and Olin Belsinger Frank and Terry Buzan
Spring
Claneil Foundation, Inc. Dick and Nancy Eales Alice and Peter Hausmann Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Helm Mr. and Mrs. Christopher K. McHugh Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Moller Mr. and Mrs. Britton H. Murdoch Donna and Bill Oliver Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust A Mr. and Mrs. Peter S. Strawbridge The Honorable Thomas D. Watkins and Mrs. Thomas D. Watkins
Bronze Sycamores ($2,500 to $4,999)
Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Clyde D. Beers Chubb Insurance Mr. and Mrs. Bryan D. Colket Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Cox Dr. and Mrs. Sanford H. Davne GBH Foundation Greater Chester Valley Soccer Assoc. Dr. Leslie J. Green and Dr. Ethel M. Ziselman John and Chara Haas Beverly S. Hattersley Mr. and Mrs. James W. Hutchin Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Layden, Jr. Jean and Tim Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Collin F. McNeil The Moorwood Fund E. Murdoch Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Newbold IV Martha Geiger Papariello Mr. and Mrs. William J. Petrauskas Radnor Hunt Pony Club Donald and Jill Red Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Roach, Jr. Lang and Marilyn Smith Mrs. William L. Van Alen, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred P. West, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher B. White
Sycamores ($1,000 to $2,499)
Mr. Timothy B. Barnard Mr. Donald W. Barshinger and Ms. Linda M. Gordon Mrs. Robert L. Bartholomew Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Bissinger, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. L. Clarke Blynn Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Borgh, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas S. Briggs Broadacres Trouting Association Ms. Mary Ann Butcher Diane and Greg Campbell Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Campbell, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. George Cauffman III Mr. and Mrs. W. Morgan Churchman III Mrs. Brice M. Clagett Mr. and Mrs. George Y. Clement Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Cooker Mr. and Mrs. Craig W. Cullen, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James M. Davidson Dr. Ronald E. DiSimone and Dr. Patricia Ann Torna Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Drummond Mr. and Mrs. Patrick C. Egan Mr. and Mrs. Eric Y. Eichler Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Ewing Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gansky Mr. Brook Gardner and Ms. Jodi Spragins Germeshausen Foundation Carol Young Gerry Mr. James E. Gerry Mrs. Charles B. Grace The Hamilton Family Foundation Mr. John G. Harkins, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Philip J. Harvey Harvey Insurance Group LLC Mr. Scott T. Hattersley
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The Sycamore
The Sycamore Society continued Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Hofmann Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Holloway James Brown Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC John Milner Architects, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. Henry A. Jordan Margot and Bob Keith Dick and Nancy Klavans The Larson Family Charitable Fund Mr. and Mrs. Mark T. Ledger Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Leisenring Mrs. Marjorie Marsh Mr. and Mrs. R. John Marsh, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert McClements, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John B. McGowan, Jr. Dr. F. Arthur McMorris and
Conservationists ($500 to $999)
Anonymous Mr. Francis H. Abbott, Jr. and Mrs. Frances Moran Abbott Mr. and Mrs. George Babich, Jr. Creative Financial Group Mrs. Robert L. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Anthony J. DiValerio, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James J. Dolente, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Donatucci III Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Duprey Episcopal Academy Parents’ Association Mr. and Mrs. Stephen E. Flynn II Ms. Wendy Garthwaite-DeMarco Mr. and Mrs. Dale D. Goodman Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. Heft Mr. and Mrs. William T. Howard Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Hurley III
Dr. Joanna Balcarek McMorris Mike’s Hike, a fund of the Chester County Community Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John D. Milner Naturescapes Landscape Specialists Tara and George Off Oliver Sprinkler Co., Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Pension Mr. and Mrs. David W. Rawson Mrs. Anne Faulkner Schoemaker Mr. Charles F. Seabrook II Jim and Ellen Simmons Mr. H. Peter Somers Mr. Stephen Sordoni Julie and Robert Spahr Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Stolper
Mrs. George Strawbridge Trevor and Sandie Sutherland Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. Swift Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Taggart Mr. and Mrs. Anson W. H. Taylor III Mr. and Mrs. Stuart A. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. James L. Van Alen, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Van Alen Mr. David L. Van Schaick Walter J. Cook Jeweler, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey C. Warden Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey R. Westphal Mrs. Ethel Benson Wister Dan and Sharon Yonker Ms. Sherley Young Alejandro and Janine Zozaya
ING USA Annuity & Life Insurance Co. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence W. Jamieson Mrs. Lawrence E. MacElree Ms. Victoria B. Mars and Mr. David R. Spina Mr. Peter J. Maruca Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas J. Mecca Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Houston Meigs, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Eustace W. Mita Mr. and Mrs. John Joseph Mullen Mr. and Mrs. Matthew J. Mullen Mrs. Margaret R. Nagy Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Nagy Vincent M. Pompo, Esquire Mr. and Mrs. George F. Rubin Mr. and Mrs. Nathan G. Schwartz Mrs. Tatnall Starr Mrs. Anson W. H. Taylor, Jr. Towers Perrin Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Trala, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander S. Van Alen Veritable, LP Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Weaver Mr. and Mrs. Andrew P. Weir Dr. Kathy Zoll and Mr. Joseph C. Zoll
A wet day in February found hardy Ardrossan Beaglers out chasing the hounds in the protected open spaces of Willistown. Following the chase, beaglers gathered at the Trust offices for tea and good cheer. Here Trust executive director Bonnie Van Alen enjoys the gathering with masters Stock Illoway and Fran Jacobs.
Spring
Stewards ($250 to $499)
Anonymous (2) Mr. and Mrs. Christopher M. Arader Dr. and Mrs. Steven W. Breecker Mr. and Mrs. W. Thacher Brown Mr. and Mrs. D. Hughes Cauffman Mr. and Mrs. Warren I. Claytor Mr. and Mrs. John F. Cozzi Mr. and Mrs. Alan Crawford, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas K. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Harold M. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Douglas F. Deitch Dr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Diliberto Mr. and Mrs. Saunders Dixon Mr. Raymond E. Dombroski and Ms. Colleen J. DeMorat Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. Donaldson Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Dougherty Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Gitlin Dr. and Mrs. Richard P. Glunk Mr. and Mrs. James E. Gowen II Mrs. Frank H. Griffin III Mr. and Mrs. William J. Grim Jeff and Diane Groff Anne and Matt Hamilton Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert S. Hanse Mr. and Mrs. William R. Hartman Mr. and Mrs. Daniel G. Hartshorn Mr. Thomas P. Hogan, Jr. and Ms. Victoria Silbey
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The Sycamore
Tree planting starts early! Here youngsters help out at recent planting days at Episcopal Academy and Kirkwood Preserve. Mr. Arthur E. Jones, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Jones Sara Williams and Tom Koester Mr. and Mrs. W. Mifflin Large, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson A. Maher Mr. Ralph W. Marsh Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mason John and Melissa McGlinn Ms. Jean McManus Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. McMenamin Mr. and Mrs. Ranney R. Moran Mr. and Mrs. James A. Nolen III Ms. Bonnie J. O’Boyle Mr. and Mrs. C. Warren Ormerod Dr. and Mrs. Anthony J. Palmaccio, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Isaac S. Pike III Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Resnick Mr. and Mrs. Timothy R. Rubin Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Scanlon, Jr. Ms. Margaret B. Schiffer Mrs. Dorothy F. Sellers Mr. and Mrs. William F. Simkiss Mr. and Mrs. Steven L. Strawbridge Mr. Frank L. Tobin and Ms. Ilene M. Chester Mr. and Mrs. Theodore M. Volz
Protectors ($100 to $249)
Anonymous (4) Mr. and Mrs. S. Bernard Ableman Mr. and Mrs. E. Page Allinson Dr. and Mrs. Marvin V. Andersen Mr. and Mrs. William M. Andersen Archer & Buchanan Architecture Ltd. Ardrossan Beagles, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. David Arnold Ms. Hazel E. Arnold Ms. Susan R. Arnold
Spring
Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Auten Mr. and Mrs. P. Theodore Babiy Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey E. Baena Mr. and Mrs. Norman A. Baglini Mr. Robert I. Ballinger Mr. and Mrs. R. Gregory Barton Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Berman James Bianco VMD Dr. and Mrs. Michael P. Bibbo Bice Cole Law Firm, P.L. Ms. Barbara L. Bird Mr. and Mrs. David M. Boucher Mr. and Mrs. Angelo A. Brutico, Jr. Ms. Janice A. Bryson Mr. and Mrs. George A. Buckland Ms. Jamea Campbell Ms. Linda B. Carrington Mr. and Mrs. James T. Carson Mrs. George Cauffman, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Chagares Ms. Debra L. Charlesworth Chester County Fox Hunters Assoc. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Cobb Dr. and Mrs. Peter Coggins Mrs. Walter J. Cowan, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Emery W. Davis Mr. and Mrs. B. Robert Demento Mr. Francis P. Devine III Dopheide Family Mr. and Mrs. Michael P. Erdman Mr. Peter A. Evans Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Foerster Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Foga Four Counties Garden Club Mr. John W. Frazier IV Ms. Margaretta Fulton Dr. and Mrs. Brent S. Gartner Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Gilpin, Jr.
Ms. Marjorie T. Goulding Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Grace, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James A. Grant Mr. and Mrs. Perry C. Gresh Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Groome III Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Hagan Mr. and Mrs. J. Marshall Hamilton Mr. and Mrs. John A. Harris IV Mr. and Mrs. I. David Harshaw III Mrs. Joseph C. Hastings Mr. Adam Hausmann Mr. and Mrs. A. Dunham Hollister, Jr. Mr. Frank E. Hurley Mr. and Mrs. L. Stockton Illoway Intergroup Services Corp. Mr. and Mrs. Francis B. Jacobs II Mr. and Mrs. G. James Jarratt III Mr. and Mrs. David C. Jelinek Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clay Johnson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James J. Koegel Mr. Maurice G. Koningstein and Ms. Anne Satterthwaite Mr. and Mrs. Ronald T. Kuehn Ms. Catherine LaFarge Mr. Jeffrey W. Lang Dr. George L. Lasota and Dr. Jeanne A. Hanache Mr. and Mrs. David P. Lavins Mr. and Mrs. Christopher A. Lawler Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Leaman, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. N. Blair LeRoy Mr. Donald R. Levan Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Lindsley Mr. and Mrs. John F. Link Jr. The Reverend Ronald W. Lockhart, Sr. and Mrs. Sandra S. Lockhart Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Lownes, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Malley Malvern Realty Group Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas D. Manzi Ms. Deborah A. Mathes Ms. Jennifer Matlack Mr. Wade L. McDevitt Mr. and Mrs. James E. McErlane Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. McKenna, Jr. Mr. James Meehan Dr. and Mrs. James S. Milne Mr. and Mrs. David R. Moffitt Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Moser, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. George A. Mossman III Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Mullray Ms. Deborah P. Nason Mr. and Mrs. Christopher M. O’Shea Mr. and Mrs. Richard Owens Mr. David W. Palmer and Ms. Laura Sauer Palmer Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Peck Mr. George R. Peel
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The Sycamore Mr. and Mrs. William J. Pellicano Mrs. Eleanor R. Peterson Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D. J. Ploeg Radnor Research & Trading Co. Mr. David Reeves Mr. and Mrs. H. Clifford Reves Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Riley IV Mr. and Mrs. George W. Robertson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Rohr Dr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Schaeffer Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Schellenger Mr. Carter L. Schelling Mr. and Mrs. Calvin W. Schmidt Mr. Karl R. Schoettle, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Schwab Mr. and Mrs. Frederick T. Seving III Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Siedlarz III Mr. and Mrs. John C. Snyder Mr. William T. Spane Mr. and Mrs. Lewis V. Stephenson Ted and Kitty Stokes Ms. Sarah B. Stokes The Strange Family Mrs. Elizabeth B. Stull Ms. Mary Sun Mr. and Mrs. Eric Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Saul Swartout Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth M. Tankel Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Tegler Mr. David B. Thayer Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Thayer, Jr. Mr. Robert A. Thomas Mr. and Mrs. Robert Toland, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Toner Mr. and Mrs. James J. Tornetta Mr. and Mrs. Richard I. Torpey, Jr. Mr. John G. Turgeon and Dr. Margaret C. Ervin Mr. and Mrs. Bruce A. Ulmer Mr. and Mrs. James Unger Dr. and Mrs. Michael J. Ward Mrs. Louis C. Washburn Mr. and Mrs. William Y. Webb Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Weiss Kim and Eric Werner Mrs. Robert D. White, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Bradford F. Whitman Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler C. Wickes Mr. and Mrs. David R. Wilmerding, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Winsor Mrs. Lindley M. Winston Mrs. Lida A. Wright Mr. and Mrs. Minturn T. Wright III
Friends (Up to $99)
Anonymous (2) Judge Peggy L. Ableman and Mr. Joseph P. Prendergast Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Aceto Audubon Pennsylvania Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Augusterfer Mr. and Mrs. John Barbis Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Baxter, Jr. Mr. Timothy M. Beadle Mr. and Mrs. Jack H. Campbell
Families came out for last year’s stream exploration at Kirkwood Preserve’s Crum Creek, host of all sorts of healthy creepy-crawly critters just waiting for discovery. Spring
Mrs. Wiley F. Corl III Mr. Christopher B. Cryer Mr. and Mrs. John S. Custer, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Davis Drs. Paul and Caroline Davis Mr. Robert C. Davis Dr. and Mrs. Francis X. DeLone, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas DelViscio Devon Jewelry Shop, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Donaldson Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Downs Mr. and Mrs. Robert Driscoll Mr. and Mrs. Joseph N. DuBarry V Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Eisenstaedt Mr. and Mrs. John J. Fahey, Jr. Ms. Virginia G. Fanfera Mr. and Mrs. W. Kerk Farrell Mr. Keith Fox Mr. and Mrs. John M. Gaadt Ms. Robin N. Gansky Mrs. Diana T. Garson Genuardi’s Family Markets Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Goodman III Mr. and Mrs. James R. Goodyear Dr. and Mrs. George I. Graham Mr. Charles J. Groux, Jr. Andrea Hanaway, MD Ms. Virginia Hedden Mr. and Mrs. Erik R. Hirsch Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Howard Mr. and Mrs. Lester T. Hundt, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William H. Johnson, Jr. Ms. Gabriella Kecskes Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Kenworthy III Mrs. Joan Coxe Lange Mr. and Mrs. William G. Lawlor Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas S. Ludington, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Gennaro J. Maffia Mrs. Paul Maloney Ms. Anne Roberts Marden Ms. Deborah S. McKechnie Mr. and Mrs. John Day Mohr Mrs. E. Townsend Moore Mr. and Mrs. Michael V. Morgan Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Mark Panetta Mr. and Mrs. Garry L. Parkin Ms. Jamie A. Picardy and Mr. William T. Tilton Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Polishuk Virginia F. Pusey Mr. and Mrs. Leonard B. Randolph Dr. Robert A. Ruggiero, Jr. and Dr. Mary C. Penrod Ruggiero Ms. Elizabeth Ryan Mrs. James P. Schellenger Mr. and Mrs. Manfred Seidel Dr. and Mrs. Keith L. Sharkan
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2009
The Sycamore Mr. and Mrs. Steven C. Sharkey Mr. David D. Shields Mr. and Mrs. David Siegmund Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Skelly Mr. and Mrs. John M. Skrocki Ms. Charlotte Z. Smith Ms. Joy Smith Mr. and Mrs. James Staples The Honorable Walter K. Stapleton and Mrs. Georgianna H. Stapleton Mr. and Mrs. David D. Stephens Mr. Allan W. Stitzer Ms. Elizabeth Stokes Mr. Henderson Supplee III Ms. Lynn Palmer Surgner Mr. and Mrs. Jack M. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Philip C. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Christopher A. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Aaron R. Thurlow Mr. and Mrs. Burton S. Todd Dr. John R. Van Nagell, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. Vincent Mr. Thomas P. Weathers Mr. and Mrs. Steven E. Welch Mrs. Marjorie H. Willits Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Wrenn, Jr.
Hardy volunteers at last year’s Ashbridge Preserve work day came out in force to plant trees along the stream banks.
Matching Gifts Anonymous Bank of New York Mellon Community Partnership General Electric Foundation GlaxoSmithKline Plc. Lyondell Chemical Company Microsoft Corp. Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation
Memorial Gifts Bequests
Estate of Charles and Grace Meyers Estate of Vita C. Thompson
In Memory of Frank Hastings “Terry” Griffin III
Mr. Robert I. Ballinger Bice Cole Law Firm, P.L. Ms. Janice A. Bryson Mr. and Mrs. Jack H. Campbell Chester County Fox Hunters Association Mr. Francis P. Devine III Devon Jewelry Shop, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Donaldson Mr. Peter A. Evans Jeff and Diane Groff Anne and Matt Hamilton Mr. and Mrs. A. Dunham Hollister, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. L. Stockton Illoway Ms. Deborah A. Mathes
Spring
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. McKenna, Jr. Mrs. E. Townsend Moore Radnor Hunt Pony Club Mr. Karl R. Schoettle, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David Siegmund Mr. Henderson Supplee III Dr. John R. Van Nagell, Jr.
Easement Endowment The Easement Endowment is funded by landowners who place easements on their properties and provides funds for the maintenance and defense of such easements in perpetuity.
Support for Programs The following grants were designated for Land Protection and Deer Management: Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development The William Penn Foundation
The following grants were designated for restoration projects and a bridge at Ashbridge Preserve: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Greater Chester Valley Soccer Association Mr. and Mrs. James W. Hutchin Dr. Pearl S. Pitt Mr. and Mrs. Calvin W. Schmidt The Honorable Thomas D. Watkins and Mrs. Thomas D. Watkins Mr. and Mrs. Christopher B. White
The following grants and gifts were designated for the Community Farm Program:
Preserve Endowment The Preserve Endowment provides funds for the ongoing management and maintenance of Willistown Conservation Trust preserves, including Ashbridge Preserve, Kirkwood Preserve and the Okehocking Barn.
Beneficiary Income We are fortunate to have been chosen as a beneficiary of the following events in 2008:
Claneil Foundation, Inc. Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Turner, Jr.
Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance Radnor Hunt Pony Club “Chase for Conservation”
The Moorwood Fund designated for Kirkwood Preserve
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2009
The Sycamore
Many thanks to volunteers from Shipley School and Goshen Friends School who helped plant the wildflower plots at the Trust. Special Events
Tent Sponsor
James and Bonnie Van Alen Doug Walker Michael and Tana Wall Mary and Bill Warden Ethel B. Wister Janine and Alex Zozaya
Countryside Bash Stewards
Countryside Bash Patrons
2008 Countryside Bash Presenting Sponsor Glenmede
Brushwood Stable
Spring
Chris and Ann Arader Carol Atterbury Nancy and Fred Bissinger Clarke and Barb Blynn Doug and Peggy Briggs
Countryside Bash Committee Chairs Jody Vandegrift, Bryan Colket, Jayme Colket and Dale Vandegrift find a moment to enjoy the party after all their hard work.
Mary Hunt Davis
Toby Atterbury Mr. and Mrs. George Y. Clement Jayme and Bryan Colket Ruth M. and Tristram C. Colket, Jr. Jim and Danielle Dolente Dick and Nancy Eales Esther and Paul Gansky Dale and Kris Goodman The Hamilton Family Foundation Alice and Peter Hausmann Lynn and Tony Hitschler Lyn and Bill Howard Kathleen C. Jamieson/Mock Fox Interiors Jane C. MacElree Christopher and Gina McHugh Collin and Nia McNeil John Milner Architects Joan and John Mullen Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Newbold IV George and Lorraine Rubin Joseph and Cathy Swift
Mr. and Mrs. Warren I. Claytor Catherine and Gary Cox Bar and Alan Crawford Carolyn and Woody Cullen Mr. and Mrs. James M. Davidson Hal and Eleanor Davis Sanford and Lisa Davne Pat and Michelle Egan Joy and Daniel Hartshorn Jeff and Karen Heft David and Elizabeth Hucker Harry and Marybeth Hurley Betty and Eldridge R. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Thompson A. Maher Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mason John and Melissa McGlinn Jean McManus Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. McMenamin Mr. and Mrs. Ranney Moran Pete and Pam Nagy Bonnie J. O’Boyle Tara and George Off Donna and Bill Oliver Skip and Karen Petrauskas Jean and Moe Preston Donald and Jill Red Nancy and Donald Resnick Lang and Marilyn Smith H. Peter Somers Stoney Run Supply Bruner H. Strawbridge Mr. and Mrs. Peter S. Strawbridge Bob and Pam Taggart Tom and Melissa Trala Mrs. William L. Van Alen, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey C. Warden Penny and Tom Watkins Don and Nancy Weaver Andrew and Eileen Weir Penelope P. Wilson
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2009
The Sycamore Additional Countryside Bash Donors Sally Paxson Davis Sallie and Saunders Dixon Lyn and Harry Groome InterGroup Services Nick and Mary Manzi Morgan and Linda Simpson Christa and Calvin Schmidt Ginny and Jim Unger
Loralee and Al West
Bobolink Hole Sponsors
The Academy of Natural Sciences Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Creative Financial Group
Brushwood Stable
Barnard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie & Seelaus
Bluebird Sponsors
Meadowlark Goods and Services Sponsors
Brandywine Signs, Inc. Mary Hunt Davis Photography Tara and George Off Donna and Bill Oliver
Other Donated and Discounted Goods and Services Algedinger & Thomas John V. Allen IV Altus Partners American Institute Arader Tree Service Ashbridge Landscape and Design Management, Inc. Bluecoat American Dry Gin Brandywine Signs, Inc. James Brown Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning LLC Mary Ann Butcher
Keen bird watchers search for the colorful neo-tropical species who make their warm-weather home at Kirkwood Preserve during Creek Week in May 2008.
Hoof Print Images 2008
Doug and Peggy Briggs James Brown Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC CD Ventures Walter J. Cook Jeweler Harvey Insurance Group, LLC John and Nima Marsh Oliver Sprinkler Co., Inc. Chip and Nancy Roach TL Ventures Loralee and Al West Dan and Sharon Yonker, Phoenix Consulting, L.L.C.
Walter J. Cook Jeweler YBH Audi € Volkswagen
Putting Contest Sponsor
2008 “Golf and Good Nature” Eagle Sponsor Kestrel Sponsor
Hole in One Sponsors
Riders emerge from the woods during last fall’s Chase for Conservation. Spring
MHB Gardens Michael M. Coldren Company, Inc. Gary & Catherine Cox Russel E. Daniels, P.E. Mary Hunt Davis Photography Terry Decker Brian Dimick ESRI Fence Works Great Valley Nature Center Highland Orchards Naturescapes Neimeyer Corporation O’Donnell Tree Surgeons Old Oak Tree & Landscape Service Petersheim Brothers Poteau Tree Care Radnor Hunt Jim Rankin Charles Schwab Co., Inc. Mark D. Slouf Custom Building and Design Sly Fox Brewery Jim Simmons Ellen Simmons Marilyn Smith Smith Generators SPS Graphics Stargazers Vineyard and Winery Bonnie and Jim Van Alen Victory Brewing Company Mike Waltz
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The Sycamore
Volunteers Special thanks to all our volunteers who have diligently worked on a variety of projects throughout the year. We truly appreciate your time, effort and dedication ~ thank you! List reflects volunteer activities between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. Alex Anthopoulos Lisa Anthopoulos Toby Atterbury Emily Babich George Babich Jason Babich Ted Babiy Norman Baglini Sid Baglini Donald Barshinger Priscilla Baysinger Donna Beck Debbie Beer Donna Beers Roger Bennett Stephanie Bennett Lynn Bibbo Michael Bibbo Barb Blynn L. Clarke Blynn Melanie Boerner Jeff Bowden Suzy Bowden Melinda Breecker Ed Brennan Jeannie Brennan Sally Bridwell Angelo Brutico
Angelo Brutico, Jr. Eduardo Brunet Maria Brunet Mary Ann Butcher Brian Byrnes Bob Campbell Diane Campbell Kathy Campbell Molly Carroll George Cauffman Jan Cauffman Will Cauffman Sarah Chunko Grant Clark Caroline Claytor Warren Claytor Mindy Clearfield Bryan Colket Jayme Colket Trevor Conlow Bernard Cooker Susan Cooker Catharine Cox Gary Cox Alan Crawford III Frank Cressman Carolyn Cullen Woody Cullen
Jane Davidson Bonnie Davis Chase Davis Shannon Davis Terry Decker Colleen Demorat John Dickson Noel Dickson Danielle Dolente Jim Dolente Ian Dombroski Thelma Douglas Walt Dowling Amy Downs Roger Dwyer Kate Fahey Colin Finn Dan Finn Lynn Flynn Steve Flynn John Fosbenner Ainsley Frisch Kevin Fryberger Christi Gabriel Kim Gallagher Brook Gardner Drew Gardner Edie Gitlin
Dedicated Rushton Farm volunteer Ellen Simmons worked many hours in the farm fields throughout the 2008 growing season. Here she is in the Farmshed Garden. Spring
Kris Goodman Charlie Gord Kat Gord Steve Gord Linda Gordon Mary Sue Gordon Camilla Gowen Eliza Gowen Francis Gowen Henry Gowen James Gowen Lauren Gregory Craig Hacker Mark Hamilton Pam Harrison Ben Hayward George Heim Chris Henwood Erin Herz Frank Herz Lynn Hitschler Barbara Hill Kate Hollos Joe Hudson David Hucker Mary Beth Hurley Sarah Hutchin Chris Hooven Melissa Ingersoll Warren Ingersoll Jason Ingle Sarah Ingle Fred Jackson Olga Jackson Fran Jacobs Larry Jamieson Bill Johnson Pat Johnson Todd Jones Dennis Kane Joyce Keleshian Sara Kutz-Yeager Jay Lankford Bob Lange Sally Layden Lindsay Leisenring Ted Leisenring Bob Lindsley Linda Locke Diana Lorine Norman MacQueen Nima Marsh Celia Martin
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Craig Martin Martha Masiello Barbara Maturo Chris McHugh Gina McHugh Linda McIsaac Mare McLoughlin Rob McManus Angel Mecca Christina Mecca Nick Mecca Nick Mecca, Jr. Susan Medosch Pat Morgan Heather Mount Kim Moylan Caitlyn Mullen Lauren Mullen Britt Murdoch Janice Murdoch Pam Nagy Pete Nagy Rob Nagy Douglass Newbold George Off Tara Off Bill Oliver Marc O’Neill Rachel Owen Martin Page Sallie Palm Bruce Park Edie Parnum Bernie Parsons Keith Pension Karen Petrauskas Skip Petrauskas Jamie Picardy Susan Ploeg Colleen Pope Dan Potts Dave Prevost Kelly Prevost Steve Prier Ginny Pusey Judy Radano Jake Rankin Jim Rankin Peter Rankin Zach Rankin David Rawson Jill Red Pat Reeser
2009
The Sycamore
Many hands make light work! Families joined in to help plant herbs and native plants in the Farmshed Garden last April. Tom Reeves Janet Riddle Katerina Rubin George Rubin Tim Rubin Clare Schaumann
Peter Schaumann Will Schaumann William Schew Calvin Schmidt Christa Schmidt Kathy Schwartz
Christine Seving Fritz Seving Sheila Shorr Mike Siddons Ellen Simmons
Nina Small Gary Smith Marilyn Smith Vince Smith Mike Starecky Amory Steadman Derek Steadman Chip Stephenson Kathy Stephenson Milica Stojancic Lynn Strange Tori Strange Liz Strawbridge Dan Sullivan Sandie Sutherland Trevor Sutherland Harry Swartout Bob Taggart Pam Taggart Liz Tankel Marilyn Taylor Dick Thompson Margaret Thompson Sandra Thompson Doug Tietbohl Cris Toner Jim Toner Liz Tonseth Patty Torna
Amy Turgeon Elizabeth Unger Brint Van Alen Colby Van Alen Laurens Van Alen Rob Van Alen Dale Vandegrift Jody Vandegrift Judy Van Tiem Case Verhoog Lisa Waitneight Pepper Walkup Kerry Walsh Deb Warden Jeff Warden Rick Warden Andrew Weir Eileen Weir Mike Weir Brad Whitman Bob Williams Sarah Williams Effie Wister Celeste Yeager Sherley Young Alex Zozaya Cammy Zozaya Janine Zozaya Joanie Zozaya Paloma Zozaya
This list may be incomplete; please forgive any omissions or errors.
TARA OFF has graciously volunteered her time at the Trust each Wednesday afternoon for over three years, helping out with financial administration. A Certified Public Accountant, Tara helps many other area nonprofits, including Meals on Wheels and the Newcomers Club. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Tara and husband George moved to Willistown with their four dogs from Colorado in 2002, attracted to the rural countryside so close to the city. “We really lucked out when we found Willistown,”says Tara. And the Trust was lucky to find Tara! Spring
MARILYN SMITH has been a dedicated volunteer at the Trust for eight years, most notably contributing her graphic design and layout skills to our semi-annual newsletters. Originally from Kentucky, she worked as a graphic designer in Washington DC for twenty years before moving to Willistown in 2000. She and her husband Lang, both ardent supporters of the Trust’s work, live with their setter Julep on Goshen Road. An avid birder, she is also a bird monitor for the Trust. Marilyn serves on the Willistown Township Recycling Committee, as well as volunteers her graphic design skills at the Islesboro Islands Trust in Maine. Considering her many pursuits, we are extremely grateful that Marilyn finds time to give so much of her talent, passion, and energy to the Trust!
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2009
Mary Hunt Davis
Two Special Volunteers
Jeanne B. Van Alen Executive Director
Board of Trustees Peter S. Strawbridge Chairman Alice E. Hausmann Vice Chairman Timothy B. Barnard, Esq. Vice President and Assistant Secretary Donna F. Oliver, Esq. Secretary James L. Van Alen II Treasurer W. Anthony Hitschler William T. Howard Elizabeth C. Hucker Mark T. Ledger F. Arthur McMorris, Ph.D. Jennifer C. Moller Arthur E. Newbold Richard A. Shorr Langhorne B. Smith Anson W. H. Taylor, III Jeanne B. Van Alen Douglas C. Walker Tana Wall
Staff
Elizabeth H. Block Director of Development and Community Outreach Dee Ann Bowman Director of Finance Ashley Brister Rushton Farm Education and Outreach Coordinator and Assistant Field Manager Sue R. Costello GIS Coordinator Aaron de Long Field Manager Fred de Long Director of Community Farm Program
Sunday, October 4, 2009 2:30 – 6:00 pm Heartwood Farm Corner of Goshen and Providence Roads Celebrate our open spaces by joining us for this family-friendly cross-country run and ramble! Enjoy Willistown’s fall colors and preserved landscapes on trail loops over hill and dale. Separate classes will offer fun for all — speed demons, families and dog-walkers — with options to walk a 2-mile loop or run a 5-mile trail. Start and finish at Heartwood Farm. A light supper will follow. Be prepared to muck it up! Look for an invitation in late summer! The Willistown Conservation Trust is dedicated to preserving the open land, rural character, scenic, historic and ecologically significant resources of the Willistown area and nearby communities, with particular emphasis on the Crum, Ridley and Darby Creek watersheds.
William R. Hartman, Jr. Director of Stewardship Patricia D. Lambert Event and Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Kiziuk Rubin Associate Stewardship Manager Joyce D. Spragins Communications and Technology Manager
W i l l i s t o w n C o n s erva t i o n Tr u s t 925 Providence Road, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073 (610) 353-2562 ~ Fax: (610) 325-0869 ~ www.wctrust.org ADDRESS Service REQUESTED
Elizabeth A. Stokes Assistant Director of Development Christopher A. Thompson Director of Land Protection John G. Turgeon Director of Public Grants and Associate Director of Land Protection Willistown Conservation Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)3 of the I.R.S. Code. Donations are tax-deductible. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
The Sycamore is printed on recycled paper.
nonprofit org u.s. postage paid southeastern, pa permt no. 96