2016 Sycamore

Th e S y c a m o r e |

SPRING 2016

BLAKE GOLL / WCT

N E W S F R O M W I L L I S TO W N C O N S E R VAT I O N T R U S T

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WILLISTOWN

W

hen I began my role as new Chair of Willistown Conservation Trust, I had no idea how enjoyable it would be.

On any given day when I’m in the office, I hear lots of laughter, and the staff is humming along in every direction. Land Protection managers are meeting with land owners and poring over maps of the area, communications staff might be working on a publication with an amazing photo of a bird or bug or child at one of our preserves, and bird conservation staff may come in from the field excited about the sighting of a rare bird.

I also did not fully appreciate how hands-on and hard-working our Trustees are, most of whom work alongside staff members on a regular basis sharing their expertise and passions in support of the Trust’s mission to conserve land and connect people to nature.

The most gratifying part of my role as Chairman is involvement in our $10.5 million Willistown Countryside Forever campaign. I have had the privilege of meeting with many members of the community to learn about what is important to them and to share our vision for the countryside. And I am consistently overwhelmed by their generous response to our request for support. To date we have raised $8.6 million, with $1.9 million remaining to reach our $10.5 million goal. To that end, we are thrilled to announce that we received an exceedingly generous $1 million challenge grant from the Otto Haas Charitable Trust. We still need additional donations to meet the challenge of this one-for-two matching grant, and with its completion we anticipate closing out the entire campaign one year ahead of schedule—by the end of 2016.

We are especially excited about the completion of the campaign because it will enable us to begin construction of the Rushton Conservation Center at Rushton Woods Preserve. This new building will support our education and outreach initiatives, hosting myriad conservation research activities and providing a gathering place and hands-on learning center with its teaching kitchen and gathering room. From graduate students working on their capstone projects to urban school students preparing a harvest meal straight from the fields at Rushton Farm, the center promises to expand and deepen the ways in which the Trust connects people to the land.

Completing the Willistown Countryside Forever campaign and building the Rushton Conservation Center are our highest priorities this year. I’d like to ask you to give some thought to how you can be most helpful and whether a donation to the campaign is possible.There is so much going on, and so much more work to do. This issue of the Sycamore provides just a glimpse of where we are headed. Enjoy!

FROM THE CHAIR

CONSERVATION TRUST Jeanne B. Van Alen President/Executive Director BOARD OF TRUSTEES Janice Murdoch Chairman V. Richard Eales Vice Chairman Alice E. Hausmann Vice Chairman Elizabeth C. Hucker Treasurer John F. Stoviak Secretary Bryan D. Colket Assistant Secretary Timothy B. Barnard, Esq. Gary A. Cox Kathryn Kinkade Gord W. Anthony Hitschler William T. Howard George F. Krall, Jr. Elizabeth R. Moran* Leanne McMenamin Collin F. McNeil Christine S. Seving Peter S. Strawbridge Matthew E. Taylor Carolyn W. Turner James L. Van Alen II Tana Wall *Honorary Trustee

STAFF Chelsea Allen Rushton Farm Assistant Field Manager Sue R. Costello GIS Coordinator Fred de Long Director of Community Farm Program Laura de Ramel Director of Development and Community Outreach Blake Goll Nature Education Coordinator Eliza Gowen Community Farm Outreach Assistant Noah Gress Rushton Farm Field Manager William R. Hartman, Jr. Director of Stewardship Kristen Henwood Stewardship Asociate Erik Hetzel Director of Land Protection and Public Grants Lisa Kiziuk Director of Bird Conservation Program Kelsey Lingle Communications Associate Susie MacDonnell Events and PR Coordinator Barbara McIlvaine Smith Development Associate

Janice Murdoch Chair, Board of Trustees 2 | W I L L I S TO W N C O N S E R VAT I O N T R U S T

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WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 925 Providence Rd. Newtown Square, Pa 19073 610.353.2562 LAND@WCTRUST.ORG 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.

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BLAKE GOLL / WCT

Joyce D. Spragins Communications and Technology Manager

Contents

THE SYCAMORE SPRING 2016 VOL. XVII NO.1

N E W S F R O M W I L L I S TO W N C O N S E R VAT I O N T R U S T WWW.WCTRUST.ORG

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GAINING GROUND New conservation easements add to Willistown’s mosaic of conserved lands.

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BIOBLITZ—WHAT’S LIVING HERE? A University of Pennsylvania student measures biodiversity at Rushton Woods Preserve.

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GARDENS GONE WILD It’s time to stop mowing and start growing.

HOPE FOR BIRDS Motus: A new collaboration using nano-tag technology offers ground-breaking progress for bird conservation.

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$1M CHALLENGE GRANT RECEIVED A matching grant from the Otto Haas Charitable Trust will help the Trust complete its capital campaign.

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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE A review of campaign progress, including an update of plans for Rushton Conservation Center at Rushton Woods Preserve.

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS Staff and Trustee news.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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REPORT OF GIFTS

ON THE COVER: An American Goldfinch pauses between nibbles

of seeds and sips of water from a Virginia cup plant.

LEFT: Members of the Junior Birding Club head to the stream to

BLAKE GOLL / WCT

look for acquatic life at Rushton Woods Preserve.

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The Sycamore is printed on 30% post-consumer FSC-certified recycled paper by a landfill-free printing facility that follows the highest standards of sustainability.

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As spring returns to the Willistown countryside, I am reminded once again

why it is so compelling to consider ourselves conservationists. At its core, being a conservationist is about wanting to give back for the pleasures we experience every time we step outdoors and are inspired by the natural world—for the joy of welcoming the redwing blackbirds back in the spring, hearing the spring peepers, or seeing the blush of pink appearing on the swamp maples in the wetlands. Being a conservationist means wanting to be sure that the myriad pleasures that nature gives us now will be there to inspire and nourish the spirit of our children and grandchildren in the future. All of us at the Trust are exceedingly grateful that you, our friends, neighbors and supporters from near and far, share this passion for conservation.

As you read through this edition of the Sycamore, you will see that your generosity and belief in the work of the Trust took us over the top in every way in 2015. Because of you, we exceeded our annual fund goal, increased the pace of land protection, grew more veggies for the food cupboard, accelerated our education and research collaborations, restored critical habitat, promoted bird conservation, and connected more people than ever with the land and nature.

And we had more fun than ever at our events, notably Barns & BBQ , Tomato Tasting, and Run-a-Muck.

That’s a lot to accomplish in one year, but you will also read about the exciting challenges we aim to meet in 2016. With your help, this year we will open the next chapter in the life of the Trust by: • Meeting the generous $1 million Haas Challenge by the end of June; • Breaking ground on the new Rushton Conservation Center by mid-summer; and • Completing the $10.5 million Willistown Countryside Forever capital campaign by December 31.

The challenges are great, the needs are urgent, but be assured, the rewards will last forever.

Please enjoy the details in this issue of the Sycamore, take pride in what we have accomplished together, and plan to spend plenty of time with us in 2016.

We value your friendship and support and are counting on your inspiration and encouragement as we face these transformative challenges. 2016 promises to be the best year yet to be a conservationist with us!

Gratefully,

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JODI SPRAGINS / WCT

The scenic view of Hunting Hill Farm at the corner of Barr and Hillview Roads is preserved forever, now that its generous owners Kim and Russell Galligher have donated a conservation easement to the Trust. (See story on page 6.)

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KELSEY LINGLE/ WCT

Gaining Ground

The new conservation easement at Hunting Hill Farm will preserve forever the scenic view of this iconic Willistown corner at Barr and Hillview Roads.

Hunting Hill Farm

Joins the Mosaic of Conserved Lands in Willistown Horseback riders, joggers, bikers, walkers and drivers in Willistown have long enjoyed the scenic corner of Hillview and Barr Roads, with its picturesque stone farmhouse, bank barn, and spring house. Now that its current owners, Kimberly and Russell Galligher, have donated a conservation easement to the Trust, future generations will enjoy the view of this iconic Willistown farmstead forever.

The house at “Hunting Hill Farm” was originally built

by George S. Roberts in 1850 and was part of a 116-acre tract where Mr. Roberts was a typical farmer of the day, producing butter from a handful of dairy cows, wheat, indian corn, oats, potatoes, and hay. Today’s eight acre farm has been home to an active horse boarding and riding lesson program for much of the past thirty years. Following an extensive renovation of the massive bank barn, Kimberly and Russell are in the planning stages of raising sheep at Hunting Hill.

In addition to the house, bank barn, and fieldstone spring house, there is a stone dome-like structure on the hill

above the house. It is the only cistern extant in Willistown Township. Back in the day, water was pumped to the cistern which supplied running water to the house by gravity.

The conservation easement restricts the construction of additional buildings and landscaping that would obscure the viewshed of this important Willistown corner. The easement also prevents subdivision of the property, eliminating future development that might be allowed by zoning. Incorporated into the easement is a 15-foot wide trail easement along Hillview Road, ensuring that equestrians and pedestrians will always have safe access along a protected path.

We are eternally grateful to Kimberly and Russell Galligher for taking permanent steps to share Hunting Hill Farm with all who pass by. Their generous conservation easement donation to the Trust has added to the mosaic of conserved properties that make the Willistown area so special.

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Strawbridge Family

Donates a Legacy Conservation Easement to the Trust KELSEY LINGLE/ WCT

Liz and Peter Strawbridge added their 2.3-acre property on Goshen Road to Willistown’s mosaic of protected lands by donating a conservation easement to the Trust.

Surrounded by protected lands on all sides, their generous donation effectively fills a gap on the conservation map. The easement limits additional structures and subdivision of the property, preserves scenic views, and protects environmentally sensitive areas.

The Strawbridge easement is a Legacy Easement, designed for properties less than eight acres in size. Legacy easements generally include a 1% stewardship fee that is paid to the Willistown Conservation Trust by future buyers each time the property is transferred, creating a permanent source of financial support for the Trust’s ongoing preservation and stewardship efforts. Many thanks to the Strawbridges who have protected the place they love while helping secure the future of Willistown’s rural character.

As is true of all conservation easements, even when the property changes owners in the future, the easement stays with the land. The Strawbridges can rest assured that the Trust will monitor the property and uphold the terms of their easement in perpetuity.

ABOVE: Liz and Peter Strawbridge take great pleasure in coloring their property green on the

Trust’s conserved lands map. Their conservation easement donation ensures the preservation of their land forever, even if they sell the property. The map in the background shows the same map with high-priority unprotected parcels colored in red.

Hi Bid Farm Update

Two Conservation Parcels Sold, One Remaining Land protection efforts on the 55-acre Hi Bid Farm are steadily progressing. The Trust’s sister organization, the nonprofit conservation group, Delchester Group Inc. (DGI), organized a partnership of investors and acquired the farm in January 2015. The Trust formulated a conservation vision for the farm, and by November two conservation lots totaling over 23 acres had been sold to conservation buyers and placed under easement, ensuring that the special resources of these lands will be protected forever.

The remaining 30+ acres at Hi Bid, including the portion containing the main barn complex and riding ring,

are being actively marketed under the same conservation plan, which will complement the adjacent protected lands and preserve the property’s extraordinary scenic, natural, and recreational values.

The Hi Bid project represents the 15th Community Conservation Partnership, resulting in nearly 2,000 acres of the Trust’s focal area protected in this way. The successful protection of this property is a testament to the remarkable commitment of the Willistown community to purchase and preserve critical properties that might otherwise be developed, so that future generations may enjoy them as we do today.

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New Tax Law Makes Preserving Your Property More Attractive than Ever Private landowners in the Willistown area are the primary stewards of the natural, scenic, and historical heritage of our countryside. Fortunately, landowners have at their disposal a powerful tool that protects land while leaving it in private ownership and potentially realizing significant federal tax benefits. This tool is the conservation easement.

What is a conservation easement?

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified organization such as Willistown Conservation Trust. The easement exists in perpetuity, is recorded with the deed to the property, and applies to all future owners. As holder of the easement, Willistown Conservation Trust agrees to see that the restrictions detailed in the easement are upheld forever.

The landowner retains title to the property and continues to have all rights and obligations of ownership except those rights specifically restricted under the terms of the easement.

Retained rights include the right to sell, lease, bequeath, and subdivide the property, subject to the easement terms.

How do the expanded tax incentives work?

Under previous rules, federal tax law limited the maximum annual charitable deduction an easement donor could take to 30% of their adjusted gross income for the year of the donation, with a 5-year “carry-forward.” Under the new rules, Congress has legislated that the maximum deduction a donor can take is now increased to 50% of adjusted gross income for the year of the donation with a 15-year “carry-forward.”

These enhanced incentives have now been made permanent, and landowners who may not have been able to deduct the full value of their gift prior to this change may now do so. More landowners can now enjoy the tax benefits from donating a conservation easement, while doing their part to protect the natural beauty of the Willistown countryside forever.

What are the federal income tax benefits of How does the a conservation easement process easement work? donation?

Donating In 1969 a permanent Congress enacted Conserved Lands in the Trust’s 28,000-acre focal area conservation easement legislation permitting is a commitment that a landowner to requires a working partnership between a landowner and the take a charitable deduction for the donation value of a Willistown Conservation Trust. We work closely with each qualified conservation easement. The value of the donation is landowner to carefully draft legal documents and prepare the determined by a qualified appraisal and is generally equal to maps and baseline documentation necessary to support the the difference between the fair market value of the property easement. Together, we go through each step of the process, before and after the donation of the easement. The difference beginning with an evaluation of conservation goals for the between the “before value” and the “after value,” less any property and ending with the execution of the easement ancillary benefit to the donor, is the amount which can be document and its recording with the County Recorder of considered as a charitable donation for income tax purposes.

Deeds. But our partnership does not end there. The Trust is committed to uphold and defend the easement in perpetuity, For more information on conservation easements, monitor the property on an annual basis, and support the contact Erik Hetzel, Director of Land Protection at landowner with suggestions about best practices for land 610.353.2562, ext. 11. management.

1979

2016

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BILL HARTMAN/ WCT

BEFORE AND AFTER: Volunteers can be seen below in 2006

planting young trees designed to enhance and protect the ecology of Crum Creek at Kirkwood Preserve. In the larger photo the plantings can be seen a few years later, thriving, thanks to ongoing maintenance of the plantings.

Kirkwood Preserve Update

Streamside Success There are numerous examples in our local community where

the edge of a stream has been cleared for various land uses.

When intact, these areas, known as riparian buffers, serve several important functions. They protect water quality by filtering sediments before they enter the stream, reducing erosion, encouraging groundwater infiltration, and converting excess nutrients in storm water runoff. The trees and shrubs in riparian buffers benefit aquatic organisms by creating shade that reduces water temperature and providing food. Land-based creatures in the riparian buffer find a rich variety of food sources there and use these protected spaces to breed and travel throughout their range.

The Trust has planted hundreds of trees and shrubs along a number of local streams in an effort to restore some of these lost or degraded riparian buffers. One of our most successful riparian buffer restoration projects exists along Crum Creek in Kirkwood Preserve, the Trust’s 83-acre nature preserve along Grubbs Mill Road in Willistown. Over six years starting in 2006, a dedicated corps of volunteers planted nearly 600 trees and shrubs in an area that extends 50 feet from the stream’s edge.

The selected plants are native to southeastern Pennsylvania and have a tolerance for the wet and dynamic streamside conditions.

Species include canopy trees such as sycamore, swamp white oak and river birch, and understory varieties such as viburnum,

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shadbush and redbud.

How have our young charges fared over the years? Starting no taller than three or four feet with one inch diameter trunks, a number of these streamside plants now exceed 25 feet and have trunks 10 inches wide. Overall, the plant survival rate for this project is close to 90%. This great level of success in such a dynamic environment can be attributed to ongoing maintenance efforts performed with the help of our devoted community service partners, including Episcopal Academy and The Shipley School.

Some of the regular maintenance tasks performed by our partners include removing invasive vines before they can climb and smother the plants and out-compete them for sunlight and water. Rodent nests at the base of the trees are also removed, stopping them before they can chew the bark and disable the plants’ ability to transport nutrients and water. And deer protection cages are re-secured annually, preventing damage from deer browse and rubbing.

This significant ongoing volunteer effort has ensured the growth and long-term success of our riparian buffer plantings at Kirkwood, and the local ecosystem has thrived as a result.

We encourage you to visit Kirkwood Preserve to see firsthand the success of this important restoration initiative and to contact the Trust if you are interested in pursuing a similar project on your own property.

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WHAT IS LIVING AT RUSHTON WOODS PRESERVE? ITS RICH ASSORTMENT OF HABITAT TYPES INSPIRED A UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA STUDENT TO FIND OUT.

JODI SPRAGINS / WCT

Allison Fetterman and Sarah Bouboulis, two of the scientists who participated in the 24-hour BioBlitz, walk the trails at Rushton Woods Preserve cataloging bird species.

Rushton Woods Preserve June 2015

Species Counts

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types—farm, wetland, stream, woodland, meadow and scrub-shrub—Rushton Woods Preserve is a compelling place to conduct research. Heather Kostick, a Master of Environmental Studies student from the University of Pennsylvania, chose the site to conduct a BioBlitz for her capstone research project precisely for these reasons. Her research will help the Trust better understand and validate the impacts of its conservation initiatives at the preserve.

A BioBlitz is an intensive 24-hour survey of the flora and fauna of a site that provides a snapshot of its biodiversity and a baseline for future comparison. In June 2015, Heather conducted a BioBlitz with 26 scientists at Rushton Woods Preserve to identify as many species as possible in 24 hours. The resulting surveys of aquatic invertebrates, insects, bats, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, plants, and fungi revealed a rich diversity of species, suggesting that Rushton Woods Preserve is a good example of a symbiotic relationship between sustainable agriculture and the surrounding ecosystem.

A former 4-H member, Heather has been interested in both sustainable farming and birds since she was a child. As a member of the Rushton Bird Banding crew, she found Rushton’s unique combination of bird banding and agriculture to be a compelling place for field work and research. Five years of data collected at the bird banding station could be complemented with data collected by a series of BioBlitz studies, offering a more complete picture of the ecological health of the preserve and the impact of sustainable agriculture practices.

Heather recruited the June BioBlitz participants from a broad network of nature experts—volunteer scientists, graduate students, post-graduate students, and experienced citizen scientists. Enthusiasm and energy ran deep among this group since the Rushton BioBlitz offered a rare opportunity for cutting edge research.

University of Delaware, Millersville University, University of Pennsylvania, The Acadmeny of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Juniata College, Villanova University, Delaware Department of Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Amphibian Reptile Survey, and Warwick School District

were all represented. Over 15 Junior Birding Club members were also there to observe the scientists in action and to collect their own data. A favorite spectacle among this group were the beetles and insects falling into the scientists’ “pit traps” made of plastic cups dug into the ground and filled with a sweet, sticky substance to lure and trap bugs.

Among the Bioblitz findings, the sighting of a Blue-winged Warbler was one of the most surprising and exciting, offering hope that the species may be breeding and nesting at Rushton.

Two species of bats were confirmed – Little Brown Bats and Red Bats. A third species is possible, but not confirmed. It’s encouraging that more than one species was found because white-nose syndrome is devastating so many bat species. The finding has sparked interest in possibly using mist nets in the future to better collect bat data.

Early analysis of the June BioBlitz data suggests that the sustainable agriculture operation has a positive impact on biodiversity at Rushton Woods Preserve. To augment these initial results, additional BioBlitz studies at Rushton are planned for June and September 2016. There is also a future plan to conduct a BioBlitz at a nearby conventional farm to compare biodiversity at the two locations.

XIN WANG / WCT

With its 86 acres of conserved land and myriad habitat

ABOVE: Heather Kostick, a Master of Environmental Studies student at

the University of Pennsylvania, learned about Rushton Woods Preserves’ unique combination of sustainable agriculture, bird banding, and multiple habitat types while volunteering at the Rushton bird banding station. Her BioBlitz research studies are being conducted under the supervision of Lisa Kiziuk, the Trust’s Director of Bird Conservation and Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Gardens Gone Wild It’s time to stop mowing and start growing!

In the heart of Willistown lies a Garden

of Eden, passed by many commuters every day but visited by few. It is over an acre of native wildflowers blanketing a gentle slope in front of the Trust’s office on Providence Road. The first seeds for our wildflower meadow were planted in 2008, and since then around 800 flower plugs were carefully tucked into the turf each spring by elementary school children who learned about the myriad benefits of these native plants. We stopped mowing the grass in these areas, and year after year we have watched the slope of green grass morph into a field of countless perennials awaiting their turn to bloom throughout the summer.

The symphony of life that the meadow supports during its prime

flowering months of July and August is inspiring. In July, the red milkweed beetles wiggle their black antennae against the common milkweed leaves and tiger-striped monarch caterpillars can be spotted munching on the leaves.

Honeybees and nectar-loving wasps buzz peacefully around the velvety mountain mint in such masses as to make the plant seem like it has a pulse. Hummingbird clearwing moths probe the purple sprays of wild bergamot, and bumblebees cling to ivory candelabras of Culver’s root.

Swallowtail butterflies become fluttering fixtures on delicate lilac clusters of garden phlox—seemingly every pollinator’s most cherished cocktail. On a lucky day, monarch butterflies can be seen among the Joe Pye weed and milkweed, a symbol

JODI SPRAGINS / WCT

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of hope that this threatened species can survive if we provide it with more sanctuaries like this.

In August the meadow takes on a golden hue as the native sunflowers are augmented by goldenrod species.

Contrasting splashes of deep purples from the ironweed and vervain create a palette in which at least ten species of butterflies can be counted at once. Birds also abound in this kaleidoscope of colors—kingbirds and bluebirds hunt for insects, as goldfinches bounce on the long stems of the cup plant, chattering to each other while feasting on the seeds of the spent blooms.

Not only are wildflower meadows elixirs to human health, they promote ecological health and are year-round nurseries for biodiversity. We lose 1.5 million acres of land to development each year, and currently 40 million acres of the U.S. is lawn. The cost of this expanse of manicured lawn is 80 million pounds of pesticides applied by homeowners each year.

Incorporating patches of native wildflowers can provide habitat for countless insect species, including beneficial predators that keep pest insects in check naturally. Studies show that wildflowers are essential to feeding the world’s growing population. The diversity of birds and insects in strips of wildflowers next to agricultural fields reduces or eliminates the need for pesticides and significantly increases crop yields, thanks to pollinating services.

Even in the dormancy of winter, unmown wildflowers provide essential seed sources

LEFT: Black-eyed susans and purple

coneflowers punctuate native grasses on a Goshen Road hillside garden.

BLAKE GOLL / WCT

RIGHT: A Monarch Butterfly drinks nectar from Joe Pye weed among other native plants at Ashbridge Preserve.

and shelter for birds—something that will become more urgent as winter weather becomes more volatile in a changing climate.

With so much to gain from these special flowers, it is hard to justify not doing everything we can to create and preserve more wildflower meadows.

Grow Your Own The Landscape Plug Manual

Great planting advice from Northcreek Nurseries http://ow.ly/YYSMB

Rushton Farm Plant Sale

May 7-8 10am - 3pm 911 Delchester Road, Newtown Square

Several varieties will be available, including black-eyed susan, butterfly weed, bee balm, and purple coneflower.

Mostardi Nursery

4033 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square

Redbud Native Plant Nursery 643 W. Baltimore Avenue, Media

Redbud has agreed to donate a portion of sales to the Northeast Motus Collaboration

Yellow Springs Farm

1165 Yellow Springs Road, Chester Springs Contact the farm for hours

Need More Willistown Wildflower Inspiration?

Wildflower meadows at our preserves and on many area private properties offer wonderful examples to follow. Common Milkweed is spectacular for a brief window in late May-June. July and August are the peak blooming times for most other wildflowers, but visit often to see what these fields look like in all seasons.

Willistown Conservation Trust Office 925 Providence Road, Newtown Square Follow the mown paths through this one acre hillside garden. The garden was started in 2008 and expanded each year by planting wildflower plugs directly in the turf.

Ashbridge Preserve Strasburg Road, West Chester Many varieties can be found here, but the Common Milkweed in late May-June and Joe Pye weed display found deep in the preserve in early August is very dramatic.

Rushton Woods Preserve and Rushton Farm 911 Delchester Road, Newtown Square Wildflowers can be found surrounding most of the crop fields and amongst the hedgerows.

Wildflower Walk July 21, 2016, 4:30 - 7:30 pm Visit three private Willistown properties teeming with wildflower blooms. Space limited - reserve a spot by email to land@wctrust.org.

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Northeast Motus Collaboration Launched

Hope for Birds

Bird populations are rapidly declining due to loss of habitat. Motus technology, a hemispheric tracking system, promises to transform bird conservation by revealing detailed information about their migratory movements. With this information, future land conservation efforts can focus on creating safe, interconnected corridors of preserved habitat between birds’ breeding grounds and wintering areas.

Willistown Conservation Trust, Project Owlnet, and the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art have joined forces to harness a ground-breaking approach that is helping to unlock the secrets of bird migration. Motus (Latin for “movement”) uses a proven technology developed by Bird Studies Canada and its partners, with a network of hundreds of receiver stations, primarily along the Great Lakes and Northeastern coast. Using “nano-tag” tracking devices that weigh a fraction of a gram, and a region-wide array of antennas, significant strides are being made to help save these birds. Although limited in scale, Motus has already produced astounding results, allowing scientists to track not only birds, but also endangered bats and even monarch butterflies in unprecedented detail.

The goal of the Northeast Motus Collaboration is to fill a critical geographic gap by creating an inland Motus network of receiver stations covering the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, dramatically increasing our ability to understand

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migration and habitat use by hundreds of species of migrants.

At long last, this will give scientists, land managers and others the information they need to protect migratory birds and to guide conservation decisions at the local, regional and continental scale.

The Northeast Motus Collaboration is headed by the Trust’s Lisa Kiziuk, Scott Weidensaul and David Brinker, founders of Project Owlnet, and The Ned Smith Center for Art and Science. These three successfully launched the project with a presentation to a group of bird enthusiasts and conservationists in February at Runnymede Sanctuary in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Bird conservation is remarkably limited without full understanding of bird’s migratory behaviors. Motus allows scientists to study hundreds of species too small for traditional telemetry, as well as bats now threatened by whitenose syndrome, and even large insects like butterflies and dragonflies. It enables scientists to find patterns and look for

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U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

s

The technology used in Motus is simple, effective and inexpensive. Every nano-tag, (shown at left in the middle of a Red-eyed Vireo’s back) regardless of whether it’s deployed on an owl, a songbird, seabird, bat or butterfly, operates on the same frequency. Therefore, every receiver in the array can detect any transmitter and instantly pinpoint the tag’s direction and bearing.

Unlike satellite or GPS transmitters, (which are too heavy for small birds) the nano-tags make it cost-effective to tag large numbers of individuals and dramatically increase the quantity and quality of the data collected.

BLAKE GOLL / WCT

Tiny Transmitters With Far-Reaching Implications

solutions that aren’t obvious. In its initial deployment in Canada and along the Northeast coast, it is proving very effective at showing patterns of movement no one suspected. For example, we now know that young blackpoll warblers hug the New England coast on their fall migration, while adults launch themselves out over the Atlantic on a nonstop flight to South America. And Motus has already identified critical stopover sites for threatened bird species, including red knots and semipalmated sandpipers.

Migratory birds are in trouble.

Scientists estimate that populations of many species are just half what they were 50 years ago. And for some species, the declines have been even more catastrophic. Experts do not understand all the reasons why they are in such decline. In part, it’s because they’ve been unable to accurately track their migration, the most dangerous part of their annual cycle.

Motus offers great promise to unlock the secrets of migration, and with it, hope for birds’ survival.

For more information and to find out how you can support the Northeast Motus Collaboration, contact Lisa Kiziuk at lkr@wctrust.org.

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Research Magnet

WILLISTOWN’S CONSERVED LANDS AND THE TRUST’S INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING INSPIRE ADVANCED FIELD RESEARCH

Students from the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Environmental Studies program and other organizations continue to find the Willistown area’s 7,200 acres of protected lands a unique and appealing place for field research. Their studies contribute to our understanding of the complex systems here and inform broader scientific understanding of the importance of healthy habitat and species diversity. Recent and current studies conducted by graduate students at Rushton Woods Preserve cover a broad array of topics.

BIOBLITZ REVEALS THE BENEFITS OF SMALL-SCALE ORGANIC FARMING TO THE LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA Heather Kostick

A series of 24-hour intensive surveys of all forms of life at Rushton Woods Preserve will be analyzed and compared with a conventional farm to measure biodiversity and ecological health.

IDENTIFICATION OF SMALL MAMMALS AND PREY DENSITY DURING NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL MIGRATION AT RUSHTON WOOD PRESERVE David N. Groff

STOPOVER ECOLOGY OF MIGRATORY SONGBIRDS AT RUSHTON WOODS PRESERVE Alison Fetterman

Using time of day data, this study assesses the energy gains in captured birds by measuring their fat deposits and the value of Rushton Woods Preserve as a re-fueling stopover for migratory birds.

A STUDY OF HABITAT USE BY SPRING SONGBIRDS AT RUSHTON WOODS PRESERVE Adrianna Garcia

Tracking small mammals is a process to determine populations, species, and densities in certain areas.

This research underscores Rushton Woods Preserve as an exemplary secondary habitat and the importance to bird populations of conserving land close to where people live.

PLANT COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH RUSHTON FARM, A CASE STUDY IN AGROECOLOGY Katie Pflaumer

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEADWATER STREAMS: A STREAM HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF THE OKEHOCKING RUN Ben Ireland

A study to determine the composition of non-crop plant communities on and around Rushton Farm, and understand its agroecological implications.

VEGETATIVE SAMPLING OF SCRUB-SHRUB Todd Alleger

Todd’s survey of early successional habitat (low, multistemmed woody vegetation in the young stage of growth) surrounding the Trust’s bird banding station provides us with a baseline data set to guide habitat restoration in the future.

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This research will set the stage for future water quality monitoring and research and will help the Trust implement appropriate land management practices. Ben will work in partnership with The Stroud Water Research Center and contributed to the pool of data associated with the entire Ridley Creek watershed.

IMPORTANCE OF SCRUB-SHRUB CONSERVATION AND HABITAT FOR BIRDS Alison Fetterman

This study adds to emerging research that describes the importance of early succession, “scrub-shrub” habitat to bird populations.

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BLAKE GOLL / WCT

John and Janet Haas

$1 MILLION CHALLENGE An Extraordinary Opportunity

John and Janet Haas Present $1M Challenge Grant Through the Otto Haas Charitable Trust

“John and I offer this challenge to inspire others to support the important work of the Trust by making a contribution to the Willistown Countryside Forever campaign. Thank you to all who choose to meet our challenge.

Your gifts will enable the Trust to continue the rich programs that will benefit people and nature forever.”

-Janet Haas

The story began in 2003 when John and Janet Haas made a generous gift that protected 30 acres of woodlands in Willistown. That woods subsequently became the first piece of what is today the Trust’s 86-acre Rushton Woods Preserve. Back then John and Janet recognized the importance of protecting those 30 acres for wildlife and birds, and thanks to their vision, today Rushton Woods Preserve serves as the home of Rushton Farm and the centerpiece of many of the Trust’s educational and outreach programs. Hundreds of people of all ages from across the region visit Rushton Woods Preserve each year, whether to learn about sustainable farming, behold songbirds up close at the bird banding station, conduct scientific research, help with a community service project or simply to enjoy a walk through the woods. It is many things to many people, but for everyone, it is a resource to be treasured.

The commitment to land conservation and appreciation for the Willistown countryside that inspired John and Janet in 2003 remains strong today. After visiting the Trust in 2015, they affirmed that ongoing committment by offering a $1 million challenge grant from the Otto Haas Charitable Trust.

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Eager to support our land conservation efforts and inspire others to support the important work of the Trust, they have committed to match $1 for every $2 contributed, thus raising a total of $3 million.

Meeting this challenge will begin a new chapter for the Trust by enabling us to complete the $10.5 million Willistown Countryside Forever capital campaign one year ahead of schedule and to begin construction on the exciting new Rushton Conservation Center at Rushton Woods Preserve.

In order to receive the $1 million in matching funds, we must raise $2 million in gifts and pledges by June 30, 2016.

The need is urgent and the timeframe is short, but we are confident that we will meet the challenge with the help of our friends and neighbors who, like John and Janet, understand the importance of the Trust’s mission to protect land and connect people to nature. We hope you will help us rise to the Haas Challenge!

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Willistown Countryside Forever | A Campaign for La

WHAT STARTS HERE PROMISES TO CHANGE T

$10.5 Million $ 8.6 Million

Our Goal Raised as of April 1, 2016

Each of us, whether we visit, work, live, or play in the Willistown area, has our own reason to love it here. Willistown Countryside Forever, A Campaign for Land, People, and Nature is our opportunity to stand together to protect and share this rare and beautiful place, to preserve the possibilities for the future—of living in harmony with nature as a way of life, of a community grounded in the natural beauty and rural character of the region, and of a place where people and wildlife flourish.

A gift of any size will help us reach our goal, and $1 will be matched for every $2 donation received before June 30, 2016, through the John and Janet Haas $1 Million Challenge.

TO LEARN MORE OR TO MAKE A GIFT, CONTACT

Laura de Ramel, Director of Development, 610-353-2562, ext. 21 or lkd@wctrust.org

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Kirkwood Preserve at sunrise. Photo by Gary Cox.

or Land, People, and Nature

E THE FUTURE

Where is Your Support Going?

6 $ 3.2 M

Increase the Pace of Land Protection

$ 2.4 M

Complete the 86-acre Rushton Woods Preserve

$ 3.0 M

Support and Enhance Vital Trust Programs

$ 1.9 M

Build the Rushton Conservation Center

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Rushton Conservation Center

JOHN MILNER ARCHITECTS

The Rushton Conservation Center will transform the research, education, and community outreach activities of Willistown Conservation Trust. It will enable the Trust to share the gifts of our conserved countryside with even more people, while inspiring a deeper understanding of nature and commitment to land conservation.

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A Model of Sustainability Rushton Conservation Center Planning Update With construction slated to begin in 2016, a talented task force has been assembled to plan and bring the Rushton Conservation Center to fruition.

The team is comprised of several trustees and local leaders in their respective fields, several of whom are donating their services on a pro bono basis.

John Milner Architects has been hard at work designing the building, which will fit sensitively into the Willistown surroundings through its design, details and materials. Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects is developing a landscape plan that integrates a diverse array of native plants and provides a harmonious transition to the adjacent meadow, woodland and agricultural fields. Chester Valley Engineers is assisting with site design, stormwater management and various permitting requirements.

Invaluable pre-construction management services are headed up by Cullen Construction, and Gardner/Fox Associates is providing project consulting services. All of our team members are committed to creating a building focused on environmental sustainability (see sidebar at right).

Rushton Conservation Center Features EDIBLE CLASSROOM Teaching kitchen for showcasing Rushton Farm-fresh ingredients.

GATHERING ROOM for research and education activities, meetings, and farm-to-table meals.

RUSHTON LIBRARY Small conference room and library for research activities and meetings.

How Will the Rushton Conservation Center Be Used?

Provide a dedicated center to showcase the Trust’s Community Farm, Bird Conservation and Habitat Restoration programs and to promote and demonstrate the underlying importance of preserving open space.

Serve as a community resource and a destination for those beyond our community to connect with our programs and gain a deeper understanding of the natural world.

Create a venue for collaboration with like-minded organizations and funders in furtherance of conservation research, education and outreach.

Offer a gathering place for lectures, meetings, special events, cooking workshops and demonstrations and farm-to-table meals.

PASSIVE SOLAR Designed by John Milner Architects, the building’s design takes advantage of southern exposure and extensive use of windows and glass doors to reduce the need for artificial lighting.

GREEN DESIGN AND BUILDING PRACTICES The new building is designed with an airtight building envelope and will include geothermal heating and cooling, high-efficiency lighting, windows, insulation and use of recycled materials.

LOCAL MATERIALS Porch posts and beams will be made of wood milled from fallen trees at Rushton Woods Preserve.

Interior walls and ceilings will be made of reclaimed wood from Chester County mushroom farms.

POLLINATOR GARDENS Designed by Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects, the grounds around the building will include extensive native plantings with a special focus on those that attract pollinators and birds.

RAIN COLLECTION A beautiful rain garden will be the centerpiece of the circular driveway at the entrance of the building, designed to collect and filter rain water.

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STAFF AND TRUSTEE NEWS

Movers and Shakers

LEFT TO RIGHT: Kat Gord, Kristen Henwood, George Krall, and Barbara McIlvaine Smith. Photos: Mary Hunt Davis Photography.

RIGHT

Kat Gord is our newest Trustee as of January 2016. Kat holds degrees from Dartmouth College and

Long Bill Ha Lisa K

Cornell Law School, with a professional background in advertising and law. A long-time member of the Rushton Farm CSA, Kat has performed extensive volunteer work for the Trust, currently serving as CoChair of the Trust’s largest fundraiser, Barns & BBQ. Kat is currently a freelance writer, stay-at-home mom, and active volunteer at Culbertson Elementary School, the Haverford School, the Marple Newtown Soccer Association, and The Academy of Music. She resides with her husband Steve and two children in Newtown Square.

Kristen Henwood joined the Trust in January 2016 as a Stewardship Associate.

Kristen has been working with the Trust since 2013, first as a volunteer intern and more recently as a consultant.

Prior to working with the Trust, Kristen worked in management consulting and in higher education. She earned a Masters of Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Environmental Sustainability. While attending Penn, Kristen worked with the University’s Landscape Architect on a variety of projects focused on ecological landscape design and maintenance. Kristen enjoys being outdoors as much as possible, spending time traveling, hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding. Kristen resides in Ardmore with her husband Matthew and their dog, Gunner.

George Krall joined the the Board of Trustees in July 2015. The former president and CEO of

a packaging company and a large information systems and management consulting firm, George brings tremendous business experience to the Trust. He serves on several boards including the Upland School, Southern Capitol Ventures, and Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. With degrees from Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and the University of North Carolina KenanFlagler School of Business, George has received numerous awards and accolades for his many achievements.

George resides on a conserved property on White Horse Road in Berwyn and has three adult children who also live in Chester County.

Barbara McIlvaine Smith is the Trust’s new Development Assistant as of September

2015. Barb comes to the Trust with a varied background of owning and operating her own company for 28 years, serving as an elected official at both the local and state levels of government, and working as a Baseline Coordinator at North American Land Trust. She also has a teaching degree from West Chester University with a concentration in Environmental Education. For several years, she taught stream study at Brandywine Valley Association to K-8 grade students. Barb lives with her two cats, Max and Muzzy, in Pennsbury Township on a property that adjoins 50-acres of open space and loves photographing the endless beauty of the flora and fauna found there.

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RIGHT: Fred de

Long, Blake Goll, Bill Hartman, and Lisa Kiziuk.

Staff Presentations, Awards, and Professional Advancement

Outstanding in Their Fields Fred de Long Presented Land Conservation, Food Systems and Agriculture: Multiple Strategies for Participation & Finding Funding at the Yale Conservation Finance Camp. (June 2015)

Lisa Kiziuk Adjunct Professor for University of Pennsylvania Master of Environmental Studies Course Creating Gateways to the Land with Smarter Conservation. (Fall 2015)

Blake Goll Became a certified Bird Bander by the North American Banding Council at Powdermill Avian Research Center in Rector, Pennsylvania.

(May 2015)

Together with Scott Weidensaul and David Brinker, launched the Motus Northeast Collaboration project with a presentation to a group of bird enthusiasts and conservationists at Runnymede

Taught a 5-week class, Birds, Bird Banding and Conservation at Widener University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Exton, Pennsylvania. (May 2015) Authored Live the Banded Life in County Lines Magazine, (September 2015) Presented at Welkinweir’s Owl Prowl event for Green Valleys Watershed Association in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. (November 2015) Bill Hartman Attended Morris Arboretum’s Tree Canopy Conference held at Haverford College (March 2015).

Attended Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve’s Land Ethics Symposium held at Delaware Valley University (March 2015).

Served as a juror/critic for the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design, Department of Landscape Architecture design studio final review focusing on the future of the Lehigh Valley’s Slate Belt (December 2015).

Sanctuary in Londonderry, Pennsylvania. (February 2016) Fred de Long and Lisa Kiziuk Presented Food and Feathers to members of White Horse Village in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. (January 2015) Presented Conservation Gone Wild to the Land Trust Alliance Rally in Sacramento, California. (October 2015) Lisa Kiziuk, Blake Goll and Doris McGovern Provided bird banding demonstrations/regional field ecology sessions for the following groups: Drexel University at the Academy of Natural Sciences Ornithology Class; University of Pennsylvania Landscape Architecture Program; University of Pennsylvania Master of Environmental Studies Program; PennVet; Villanova University Poetry Class; Goshen Friends; IRI; Mighty Writers of Philadelphia; Natural Lands Trust; Westtown School’s First Grade; Pennsylvania Young Birders; VOYA; Abington Friends School; Germantown Academy; Open Connections; Young Scholars Charter School; Swarthmore College Bird Club; Birding Club Delaware County; Widener Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and Delaware Dunlins.

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PROGRAMS & EVENTS April Junior Birding Club - Poetry Workshop Friday, April 15 4:30 – 6:30 pm Ashbridge Preserve

Look for birds and flowers, guided by Villanova poetry professor, Cathy Staples. The Junior Birding Club offers bird fun for kids ages 8 – 12. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Junior Birding Club - Eagle Nest Expedition Date & location to be announced

Come check out one of several local eagle’s nests. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

May Songbird Banding Open House Saturday, May 7 6 – 10:30 am Rushton Woods Preserve

Stop by the banding station to observe the fascinating science of bird banding, learn how the banding station contributes to global bird conservation, and see beautiful migratory birds up close. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Crum Creek Tree Planting Tuesday, April 19 9 am - 1 pm A Private Property in Willistown

Come help us protect the streamside ecology of this important creek. Lunch and camaraderie provided.

Email kmh@wctrust.org for details.

Spring Migration Banding Begins Tuesday, April 19 Sunrise to around 11 am Rushton Woods Preserve

Barns & BBQ Saturday, May 7 3 – 10 pm Five Barns in Willistown

Tour of five barns followed by a bountiful BBQ. Space is limited, by advance reservation only. More information at wctrust.org.

Plant Sale Saturday & Sunday, May 7- 8 10 am – 3 pm Rushton Farm

Early vegetable and annual flower seedlings, raspberry canes, and a limited supply of wildflowers and perennials.

Come meet Willistown’s most colorful inhabitants up close. To express interest and to receive regular banding schedule updates, email lkr@wctrust.org.

Rushton Farm Carrot Club Kickoff Thursday, April 28 5 - 7 pm

Rushton Woods Preserve Farm fun for CSA member children. Come see what we have in store for the rest of the year.

Contact emg@wctrust.org for more info.

CRC Creek Week - Stream Clean Up Saturday, April 30 9 – 11 am

Kirkwood Preserve Help us clean up the stream at the Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association’s annual stream clean-up. Email kmh@wctrust.org to sign up.

Wednesday “Just Show Up” Volunteer Day at Rushton Farm Begins Every Wednesday through October beginning Wednesday, May 11 9 am – 4 pm Rushton Farm

This is a great way to get your hands dirty, help the farm, and learn about sustainable agriculture.

Junior Birding Club - Birding by Ear Sunday, May 15 9:30 – 11:30 am Kirkwood Preserve

Enjoy a leisurely stroll through our lovely grassland preserve while tuning your ear to bird songs. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

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First CSA Pick Up Of The Season Tuesday, May 31 2 – 7 pm Rushton Farm

Now in its ninth year, Rushton Farm CSA members pick up their weekly share of sustainably-grown vegetables on their assigned day, either Tuesdays or Fridays through mid-November. For more info or to get on the CSA member waiting list, contact emg@wctrust.org.

June Junior Birding Club - BioBlitz Friday, June 3 5:30 – 8:30 pm Rushton Woods Preserve

Participate in our second bioblitz, and meet real scientists who will be surveying the plant and animal life of the preserve. We’ll do our own surveying and take a ride in the bat mobile at dusk to survey bats!

Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Junior Birding Club - Purple Martin Banding Late June or early July, date to be announced 9 – 11 am The Glen Mills School

Watch the banding of hundreds of Purple Martin chicks. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

July Junior Birding Club - Moth Party Thursday, July 7 8 – 9:30 pm Rushton Woods Preserve

Spend a summer’s eve learning all about moths and surveying species by using blacklights and sugary moth bait painted on trees. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Junior Birding Club - Wildflowers and Watercolor Workshop Wednesday, July 13 1 – 3 pm 925 Providence Road, Newtown Square

Explore the spectacular wildflower meadow at the Trust’s office, learn about Monarch butterflies and the importance of native plants, and paint with watercolors in the fresh air with a local artist. Email bhg@ wctrust.org to sign up.

Wildflower Walk Thursday, July 21 4:30 - 7:30 pm

Visit three private Willistown properties teeming with wildflower blooms. Space limited - reserve a spot by email to land@wctrust.org.

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Check wctrust.org for updated calendar.

Tomato Tasting Saturday, July 30 5 – 7 pm Rushton Farm

Tomatoes are the stars! Enjoy wine, beer & fabulous tomato preparations from Rushton Farm.

September Junior Birding Club - Nighthawk Watch Friday, September 2 6 – 8 pm Haverford College

Watch the skies with expert bird watchers during the height of Common Nighthawk migration for the official count. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Fall Migration Banding Begins Thursday, September 11 Sunrise-early afternoon Rushton Woods Preserve

Run-A-Muck & Countryside Bash Saturday, October 22 Kirkwood Preserve 2:30 pm – dusk

You can Run or Muck (walk) on a beautiful cross-country trail this Fall, and stay for the Countryside Bash! Young, old and canine—all gather in this spectacular setting for a day of running, mucking and raucous fun. There’s nothing like it!

Registration at wctrust.org.

!

ue!

August

en Come meet Willistown’s most colorful inhabitants up wV e close. To express interest and to receive regular banding N schedule updates, email lkr@wctrust.org.

Junior Birding Club - “There Be Dragons” Sunday, August 7 2 – 4 pm Rushton Woods Preserve

Fall Songbird Open House Saturday, September 17 6 – 10:30 am Rushton Woods Preserve

John Black, Master Naturalist and president of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey, will be presenting his program about dragonflies and then we will find these dragons! Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Junior Birding Club - Behind the Scenes Field Trip Monday, August 8 2 – 4 pm Academy of Natural Sciences

Go behind the scenes of the home of one of the world’s largest collections of bird specimens. Email bhg@ wctrust.org to sign up.

Tomato Gleaning A Saturday in August TBD Rushton Farm

Help harvest the last tomatoes on the vines before nighttime temperatures ruin their flavor. All produce from the gleaning will be donated to families and individuals in need via West Chester Food Cupboard.

Junior Birding Club - Discover Rushton Mini Camp Wednesday, August 24 9 am – Noon Rushton Woods Preserve

Spend half a day exploring the woods and fields, birding and working on the farm harvesting. We’ll also get to meet the honeybees! Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Stop by the banding station to observe the fascinating science of bird banding, learn how the banding station contributes to global bird conservation, and see beautiful migrant birds up close. All are welcome, but Junior Bird ing Club members should sign up by emailing bhg@ wctrust.org.

October Radnor Hunt Horse Trials & Pig Roast Saturday, October 8 Competition: 8 am – 5 pm Pig Roast: 5 pm Radnor Hunt Pony Club and Radnor Hunt This “horse triathalon” has been taking place in the Radnor Hunt countryside for over 40 years. Proceeds benefit organizations that support the local equestrian community, including Willistown Conservation Trust. More info at www.radnorhuntht.org

il Tra w e

N

Junior Birding Club - Halloween Hike Friday, October 28 4:30 – 6:30 pm Ashbridge Preserve

Take a fun haunt through the woods to enjoy the fall leaves, migrant birds and other busy woodland creatures. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

November

.

Radnor Hunt Pony Club Chase for Conservation Sunday, November 6

Proceeds from this annual trail ride crossing through miles of Willistown’s open space and protected lands benefit the Trust. www.radnorhuntpc.org

Junior Birding Club - Hawk Watch Sunday, October 16 2 – 4 pm Rose Tree Park, Media

Join expert hawkwatchers and e-Birders during the height of the fall migration. You’ll learn all about raptor identification and see migrating raptors overhead. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

Owl Banding Begins Thursday, October 20 Rushton Woods Preserve

By reservation only. Email lkr@wctrust.org.

Junior Birding Club - Saw-whet Owl Banding Friday, November 4 7 – 9 pm Rushton Woods Preserve

Observe Northern Saw-whet owl banding . These tiny owls travel through our area in the fall in search of ideal overwintering habitat. Email bhg@wctrust.org to sign up.

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The Sycamore Society

MARY HUNT DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY

The Sycamore Society honors individuals and organizations who annually contribute $1,500 or more to the Trust. Gifts listed below include contributions to the Annual Fund, Willistown Countryside Forever capital campaign, and other special gifts from January 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016.

P L AT I N U M S YC A M O R E S ($25,000 or more)

Anonymous (3) Franny and Franny Abbott Elizabeth G. Atterbury Mr. Thaddeus J. Bartkowski and Ms. Crystal Crawford Mr. and Mrs. Warren I. Claytor Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Genuardi Germeshausen Foundation John and Janet Haas

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Layden, Jr. The McLean Contributionship Mr. and Mrs. Collin F. McNeil The Mourning Dove Foundation Joan and John Mullen Donna and Bill Oliver Otto Haas Charitable Trust The Pew Charitable Trusts

Mr. and Mrs. Seymour S. Preston III The Quaker City Foundation Mr. Kevin T. Ryan and Dr. Amanda A. Ryan Tally Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Turner, Jr. Ms. Lida A. Wright Alejandro and Janine Zozaya

G O L D S YC A M O R E S ($10,000 to $24,999)

Anonymous (1) Mr. Timothy B. Barnard and Ms. Meredyth Patterson Mr. and Mrs. L. Clarke Blynn Claneil Foundation, Inc. E. Murdoch Family Foundation Dick and Nancy Eales Elite Group, LLC Mr. and Mrs. James E. Gerry Mr. Steven C. Graham and Ms. Christina W. Morin Alice and Peter Hausmann

Karen K. and Thomas B. Helm Mr. and Mrs. W. Anthony Hitschler Mr. and Mrs. J. David Hucker Mr. Francis M. Jennings and Ms. Terri Cappelli Kent Lucas Foundation, Inc. Ms. Caroline A. Moran Britt and Janice Murdoch Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Naylor Radnor Hunt Horse Trials Lang and Marilyn Smith Mr. Stephen Sordoni

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Mr. and Mrs. Steven L. Spinner Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Stolper Mr. and Mrs. John F. Stoviak Mr. and Mrs. Peter S. Strawbridge Mr. Matthew E. Taylor and Ms. Francie Ingersoll Mr. Lothar T. Tremmel and Ms. Kathleen Kane Tremmel James and Bonnie Van Alen Vertex Inc. and the Radcliffe Family The Honorable and Mrs. Thomas D. Watkins Don and Nancy Weaver

*Deceased

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Trust Executive Director Bonnie Van Alen and Chairman Janice Murdoch address guests at the 2015 Sycamore Society gathering. The event was held at the home of Matt and Heather Naylor and was sponsored by Elite Group.

S I LV E R S YC A M O R E S ($5,000 to $9,999)

Anonymous (3) Caroline and Olin Belsinger Mr. and Mrs. James Bruder Mandy Cabot and Peter Kjellerup Mitchell and Jackie* Davis Mr. and Mrs. George W. Gephart, Jr. Ms. Linda M. Gordon Tucker C. Gresh Griffiths Construction, Inc.

The Hamilton Family Foundation Messrs. Hinkle-Brown John Milner Architects, Inc. Ms. Susan A. Kokat LL Charitable Trust Mrs. Lawrence E. MacElree Mr. and Mrs. David J. Martinelli Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. McMenamin Merz Family Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Moller Jim and Joan Moore Mr. and Mrs. James A. Nolen IV The Reinvestment Fund Mr. and Mrs. Michael Selverian Voya Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Warden Dr. Kathy Zoll and Mr. Joseph C. Zoll

B RO N Z E S YC A M O R E S ($2,500 to $4,999)

Anonymous (2) Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bodine Mr. and Mrs. W. Morgan Churchman III Mr. and Mrs. Bryan D. Colket Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Cox Mr. and Mrs. John F. Cozzi Dr. and Mrs. Sanford H. Davne Diamond Ice Foundation Dr. Ronald E. DiSimone and Dr. Patricia Ann Torna Mr. and Mrs. Anthony J. DiValerio, Jr. Mr. Raymond E. Dombroski and Ms. Colleen J. DeMorat Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gansky GBH Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Robert P. Good Dr. Leslie J. Green and Dr. Ethel M. Ziselman Anne and Matt Hamilton Beverly S. Hattersley Mr. and Mrs. William T. Howard Mrs. Henry A. Jordan Margot and Bob Keith Mr. and Mrs.* Jerome R. Keough George Krall Mr. Robert Kraut and Ms. Meghan Moran-Kraut Kreischer Miller Mr. and Mrs. Mark T. Ledger Mr. and Mrs. Thompson A. Maher Mr. and Mrs. John B. McGowan, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. McNeil Ms. Lynne Merz Moran Family Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. William J. Petrauskas Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Radcliffe Radnor Hunt Pony Club Dr. Donald E. Red Mr. and Mrs. Gregory W. Shockley Estate of Sarah B. Stokes Mr. and Mrs. Gerard H. Sweeney Mr. and Mrs. Anson W. H. Taylor III Mr. and Mrs. Stuart A. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. David B. Thayer Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Trala, Jr. Mrs. William L. Van Alen, Sr.

The Annual Fund provides annual operating support for the Trust’s Land Protection, Bird Conservation, Community Farm, and Habitat Restoration Programs.

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KELSEY LINGLE/ WCT

Donor Support

S YC A M O R E S

($1,500 to $2,499) Anonymous (1)

Audi Devon Sandra K. Baldino Barbara and Richard Barnhart Joanne M. Berwind Betsy and Luke Block Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Borgh, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas S. Briggs Broadacres Trouting Association The Bryn Mawr Trust Company Warren Claytor Architects Credit Suisse Mr.and Mrs. Anthony D’Alessandro Mr. and Mrs. James M. D’Arcy Mr. and Mrs. James M. Davidson Mr. and Mrs. Emery W. Davis Elizabeth Prince de Ramel Colleen M. Del Monte Carol and J.R. Delich Mr. and Mrs. John H. Donaldson Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Duprey Ms. Ann Ercolani and Mr. Drew Conboy Mr. Michael P. Erdman Lynn and Steve Flynn Dr. Kimberley H. Galligher and Mr. Russell T. Galligher Mr. Brook Gardner and Ms. Jodi Spragins Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Goll Mr. and Mrs. Dale D. Goodman Kat and Steve Gord Dick and Nancy Klavans Dr. George T. Graham and Ms. Suzanne M. Roth

Ms. Yolanda M. Gray Dr. Stephen Gross and Karen Gross Ms. Charlotte Hamilton Dorrance H. Hamilton Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel P. Hamilton, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. J. Wesley Hardin Philip J. and Elizabeth A. Harvey Mr. Scott T. Hattersley The Herr Family Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Hofmann Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Holloway James Brown Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning Mr. Bradford F. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Anthony C. Keane Mr. and Mrs. James Kennedy Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Kenworthy III Mr. and Mrs. Karl M. Kyriss Ms. Catherine LaFarge Mr. and Mrs. D. Christopher Le Vine Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Leaman, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Leisenring Dr. and Mrs. N. Blair LeRoy Ian and Mary MacKinnon John and Melissa McGlinn Mrs. Wendy McLean Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. McNeely Mrs. Anne G. Moran Mr. and Mrs. Ranney R. Moran Mr. Bruce R. Morgan and Dr. Cynthia Graves Mr. and Mrs. John J. Nesbitt III Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Newbold IV C. Warren and Sandra Ormerod Mr. Lance Piecoro Ranieri & Kerns Associates, LLC

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Mr. and Mrs. David W. Rawson Reed Smith LLP Mr. and Mrs. Chris Rorer Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Rorer The Rorer Foundation Ms. Sarah Sanz Christa and Calvin W. Schmidt Mr. and Mrs. Karl R. Schoettle, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick T. Seving III Shreiner Tree Care Mr. M. Night and Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan Mr. and Mrs. John A. Simkiss, Jr. The Simkiss Family Foundation Julie and Robert Spahr Spurlino Family Foundation, a fund of the Chester County Community Foundation Edward and Elizabeth Stone Mr. and Mrs. Steven L. Strawbridge Mr. and Mrs. Dylan Supina Eric and Susan Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Swope Dr. Sharon Taylor and Mr. Joe Cannon Mr. Gary M. Tocci Mr. and Mrs. Cary W. Toner Mr. and Mrs. James L. Van Alen, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Van Alen Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. Vincent Ted and Susan Wentz White Horse Village Margaret and Tom Whitford Mr. and Mrs. Jerold T. Wright Ms. Carolyn J. Wukitch and Mr. Anthony McCarley

*Deceased

3/15/16 11:15 AM

We are grateful for the following donors who have generously supported the Trust’s conservation efforts from January 1, 2015 through February 29, 2016.

LEFT: By getting people out on the land

in myriad ways, the Trust hopes to build a deeper appreciation for Willistown’s open spaces. Last September, over 500 people enjoyed the glorious countryside and Run-a-Muck trail.

NATURALISTS ($500 TO $999) Anonymous (3) Altus Partners Arader Tree and Landscape Benner & Sons Painting and Wallcovering Blue Water Properties, LLC Mr. Peter J. Bohn and Ms. Alexandra B. Hettinger Catherwood Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Franklin P. Conlan Mr. and Mrs. Paolo P. Costa Countryside Consulting Robin and Alan Crawford III Mr. and Mrs. William O. Daggett, Jr. Ms. Laura de Ramel Dr. and Mrs. John R. S. Fisher Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Funchion Mr. and Mrs. James E. Gibson Mr. and Mrs. James E. Gowen II Mr. and Mrs. Perry C. Gresh

Jay and Nancy Mossman Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Nagy Oliver Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical Mrs. Keith M. Pension Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Prichard Mr. and Mrs. George F. Rubin Ms. Missy Schwartz, Berkshire Hathaway/Fox & Roach Realtor Mr. and Mrs. Nathan G. Schwartz Alice and David Sharp Mr. and Mrs. Eric Snyder

Ordinary People. Extraordinary Impact.

“As volunteers, we’ve seen firsthand how every contribution makes a difference. That’s why we decided to include Willistown Conservation Trust in our will.”

-Fritz and Christine Seving, Run-a-Muck Co-Chairs 2009-2015

Please consider joining the Legacy Society by adding some simple bequest language to your will, or make Willistown Conservation Trust a beneficiary of your life insurance or retirement plan.

For more information contact Laura de Ramel at (610)353-2562, ext. 21.

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Mr. and Mrs. Jack M. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Richard I. Torpey, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander S. Van Alen The Vanguard Group Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Walsh Lee and Bill Warden Weeds, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wein Mr. and Mrs. Randolph N. Wentworth Josephine and Henry Winsor Mr. and Mrs. Peter H. Zimmerman

MARY HUNT DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY

CONSERVATIONISTS ($1,000 to $1,499) A.K. Fencing Barnard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie and Seelaus, LLP The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co. Mr. and Mrs. Clyde D. Beers Carroll Boylan-Lewis Bryn Mawr Landscaping Co. Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Campbell, Jr. Ms. Isabel McHenry Clay Mr. and Mrs. Tristram C. Colket, Jr. Comcast Corporation Dr. and Mrs. Robert Corrato Country Properties Mr. and Mrs. Craig W. Cullen, Jr. Michael E. and Elizabeth S. Drummond Gardner/Fox Associates, Inc. GreenWeaver Landscapes, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Hurley III Mr. and Mrs. Joel S. Lawson Ms. Victoria B. Mars and Mr. David R. Spina John and Nima Marsh McCausland Keen & Buckman Jay and Mary McElroy Dr. F. Arthur McMorris and Dr. Joanna Balcarek McMorris Orion General Contractors, Inc. Ms. Lili Pew Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Roach, Jr. Saul Ewing, LLP Mark D. Slouf Custom Building and Design Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Strawbridge Joseph and Cathy Swift Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Taggart Mr. Charles F. Van Doren Mrs. William G. Warden III Peter Zimmerman Architects

Jeff and Diane Groff Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Groome III Mr. and Mrs. William R. Hartman, Sr. Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. Heft Inspire Energy Mr. and Mrs. Terence Jarman Dr. Keith and Kim Kennedy Martha and Doug King Mr. and Mrs. David M. Knight Mrs. Anne D. Koffey Jim and Judy Milne

W I L L I S T OW N

CONSERVATION TRUST

Legacy Society 3/15/16 11:15 AM

VOYA AWARDS “RUSHTON 360” GRANT

STEWARDS ($250 to $499) Anonymous (4) Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson The Bank of New York Mellon Community Partnership Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Bellanca Mr. and Mrs. James Brecker Dr. and Mrs. Steven W. Breecker Mr. and Mrs. W. Thacher Brown Mr. and Mrs. Christian Bullitt, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Ronald P. Ciccone Sandy Collins John and Rosemary Diederich Sallie and Saunders Dixon Mrs. Elisabeth Gula Duffy Debbie Somers Eichman and John Eichman Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Elko Mr. and Mrs. John Familetti Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Gilpin, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hahn Meg and Chris Hardesty Mr. James Heath and Ms. Akiko Mitsui Ms. Caroline Hicks Mr. Thomas P. Hogan, Jr. and Ms. Victoria E. Silbey Mr. and Mrs. A. Dunham Hollister, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Huston Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Jones Ms. Charlene W. Kenworthy The Ladenheim Family Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf L. Laveran

Karen P. Lenker Tim Lewis Ms. Mary E. MacLachlan Ms. Jacqueline Badger Mars Mr. Ralph W. Marsh Mrs. Gwynne G. McDevitt Mr. and Mrs. Wade L. McDevitt Mr. and Mrs. Patrick McGovern Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. McKenna, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Carl G. Morgan Janneke Seton Neilson Mr. and Mrs. James A. Nolen III Mr. and Mrs. Steven Oblack Mr. and Mrs. James Patterson Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Paul Bob and Susan Peck Mrs. Eleanor R. Peterson Ms. Ruth H. Pike Mr. and Mrs. Dale A. Pope Ms. Megan Quigley and Mr. Eric Gill Dr. Robert A. Ruggiero, Jr. and Dr. Mary C. Penrod Ruggiero Ms. Anne Satterthwaite John and Fay Snyder Mr. and Mrs. RJ Stedman Mr. and Mrs. Morris W. Stroud Mr. James K. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Justin N. Thompson Walter J. Cook Jeweler, Inc. The Weeders Mr. George A. Weymouth

PROTECTORS ($100 to $249) Anonymous (8) Mr. and Mrs. E. Page Allinson Ardrossan Beagles, Inc. Ms. Laurie M. Bachman Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey E. Baena Mr. and Mrs. Keith Banks Ms. Lydia Bartholomew Mr. and Mrs. R. Gregory Barton Mr. and Mrs. James L. Beam Mr. and Mrs. Mark H. Bedwell Dr. and Mrs. Michael P. Bibbo Mr. Rodger A. Bovenkerk Mr. and Mrs. Scott Boyance Ms. Elaine Brody Dr. A. Michael Broennle Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence M. Brotzge Mr. and Mrs. Angelo A. Brutico, Jr. Henry and Martha Bryans Bryn Mawr Hospital Mr. and Mrs. George A. Buckland Michael and Linda Burg Dr. and Mrs. Barry H. Burkhardt Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Carpender Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Carpenter, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Caspar Mr. and Mrs. George Cauffman III Ilene Chester and Frank Tobin Mr. and Mrs. Sydney P. Clark, Jr. Mrs. Patricia Clement Jackie and Tom Cobb Helen and Eric Corkhill

KELSEY LINGLE/WCT

Willistown Conservation Trust was recently awarded an $8,000 grant by the Voya Foundation for its “Rushton 360” educational field trips. These three-hour tours of Rushton Woods Preserve introduce students in grades K-12 to key concepts in conservation biology and agroecology. The grade-appropriate curriculum supplements students in-class science instruction with experiential learning, direct observation of scientific concepts in a natural setting and exposure to field science as a career. Last year, the Trust welcomed over a dozen schools.

This generous funding from Voya will not only support a continuation of Rushton 360, it will enable us to provide muchneeded transportation for school groups from under-resourced communities.

We are grateful to Voya for their support—not only through this grant, but through the over 100 volunteer hours Voya employees have donated to the Trust. So, if you see a hard-working Voya volunteer weeding in Henry’s Garden or caging trees at Kirkwood, please take a minute and say “Thanks!”

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Corrigan Mr. and Mrs. Mark Cortese Mr. and Mrs. Donald P. Coulston Mr. and Mrs. William H. Cranney Mrs. Alan Crawford, Jr. * Vince and Kali Curran Mr. and Mrs. John S. Custer, Jr. Ron D’Angeli Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Davis Drs. Paul and Caroline Davis Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Clarence de Armond III Mr. and Mrs. C. Frederick de Long, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. William M. Diehl Dr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Diliberto Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Dolan Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Dowling Mr. and Mrs. Ford B. Draper, Jr. Ms. Lisa Dudash and Mr. John P. Forde Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Duffy Mrs. Maureen A. Ebel Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Ebmeyer Mr. Thomas J. Farrell III and Ms. Alison D. Ogelsby Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Fastuca Jody and Alan Fitts Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Flaherty Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm E. Flint Mr. Edward D. Frank II and Ms. Susan G. Lea Dr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Frazier Ms. Patricia M. Gallagher *Deceased

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3/23/16 4:15 PM

Lists may be incomplete. Please forgive errors.

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Mr. and Mrs. David V. Prevost Mr. Jeff Price and Ms. Avery Rome Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Radano Radnor Hunt Race Committee Mrs. Annis Lee Reeves Cliff and Rita Reves Mr. David G. Rogers and Ms. S. Faye Rogers Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Rohr Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey C. Rugen Dr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Schaeffer Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Schellenger Mr. Douglas Schroer and Ms. Alicia Keough Schroer Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Schwab Mr. Edgar Scott, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. David R. Shaman Mr. and Mrs. Mitch Shiles Mr. and Mrs. Kirby Slack Mr. Andrew Smith Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Sidney V. Smith, Jr. Cathy and Jim Staples Dr. and Mrs. Larry A. Sternson The Strange Family Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth M. Tankel Ms. Mary Ann Thomas Mr. and Mrs. James J. Tornetta Ms. Barbara S. Tower Mr. and Mrs. Peter Townsend Ms. Paige Turner and Mr. James Sargent, Jr.

W. Scott Tuttle Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Tyler Ms. Carol A. Verhake Mr. and Mrs. Peter F. Waitneight Washburn Family Foundation Mr. David E. Watt Mr. and Mrs. William Y. Webb Mr. and Mrs. David R. Wilmerding, Jr. Colonel and Mrs. Robert B. Wiltshire Ms. Madeline Winter Ms. Olivia Winter Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Wood Mr. George C. Wood Ms. Sally Ann Wood Mr. Minturn T. Wright III Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Zungailia

RADNOR HUNT HORSE TRIALS SUPPORTS THE TRUST

CINDY YATES

The Gardeners Ms. Elizabeth B. Gaskill Germantown Academy Mr. and Mrs. Dixon F. Gillis Girl Scout Brownie Troop 4996 Dr.* and Mrs. George F. Gowen Mr. and Mrs. K. David Graham Mr. and Mrs. James A. Grant, Sr. Green Valleys Association of Southeastern PA, Inc. Richard and Kathleen Hagan Andrea Hanaway, MD Mrs. John A. Harris IV Mr. and Mrs. John R. Hass Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hauler The Haverford Trust Company Ms. Hannah L. Henderson Mrs. Carol Henn Mr. and Mrs. James R. Holt, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Houder Ms. Eleanor K. Ingersoll Ms. Melissa Kessler Ingersoll Mr. and Mrs. G. James Jarratt III Johnson & Johnson Mrs. Hugh McBee Johnston III Juniper Networks Foundation Fund Mr. William M. Keyser Ms. Lucy M. Kiziuk George and Nicola Knoell Ms. Margaret Kramer Mr. and Mrs. W. Mifflin Large, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Latyak Mr. and Mrs. David P. Lavins Mr. and Mrs. Christopher A. Lawler Mr. and Mrs. Dana Thompson Lerch Lincoln Financial Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John F. Link Nick and Cass Ludington Joan W. Mackie Dr. and Mrs. W. Steven Mark Mr. Harv W. Martens and Ms. Janet Querner Mr. and Mrs. David F. Martin Miss Deborah Anne Mathes Ms. Marianne R. McClatchy Mr. and Mrs. Andrew McDermott Mr. and Mrs. George J. McHugh IV Ms. Barbara McIlvaine Smith Ms. Katherine D. McKenna McKinsey & Co. Mr. James Meehan Mr. and Mrs. Louis Megosh Mr. and Mrs. Arthur P. Miller Mr. and Mrs. John D. Milner Mondrian Investment Partners, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Moser, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Steve Mostardi Anne and Gary Murphy Ms. Diane Murray Ms. Shirley M. Murray Judi Myers The National Bank of Malvern The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Delaware Maria V. Nelson Jim and Kayo Nolan Gulia and Akpo Omene Ms. Diana S. Oppenlander Mr. Andrew A. Orr, Jr. and Ms. Elizabeth Evert Orr Mr. and Mrs. Martin R. Page Laura Sauer Palmer and David Palmer Mrs. Stephen Pearson Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Pesthy Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Plourde

The Radnor Hunt Horse Trials highlights our conserved lands with its beautiful cross country course. The horse competition continues a 40-year tradition of eventing at Radnor Hunt, and has donated over $40,000 to the Trust’s land conservation programs since 2009.

3/15/16 11:15 AM

LEFT: Over 100 riders enjoyed

Willistown’s trails that crossed hundreds of acres of protected lands at the 2015 Radnor Hunt Pony Club Chase for Conservation. The Chase raised $2,500 for the Trust’s land preservation programs.

HOOF PRINT IMAGES

FRIENDS (up to $99) Anonymous (1) Sherrill Alexander and Ron Rutkowkski AmazonSmile Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Baker III Mr. Timothy M. Beadle Ms. Elizabeth Beckett and Mr. Thomas K. Beckett Debbie Beer and Adrian Binns Ms. Katherine Bennett Mr. Peter A. Bergson Drs. Thomas and Melanie Boerner Mr. and Mrs. L. Steuart Brown, Jr. Ms. Laura Burgess Mr. and Mrs. William T. Burns Ms. Susan C. Butterworth Mr. and Mrs. Nick Caniglia Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery Cantlin Mrs. James T. Carson Mr. and Mrs. John C. Casey Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cassidy Mr. D. Hughes Cauffman Ms. Karen A. Celia Ms. Jonna D. Coachman Mr. Lloyd Cole Dr. and Mrs. James B. Congdon Mr. and Mrs. Anthony S. Conlon Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Cooker Mr. Christopher B. Cryer Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. DiPasqua Ms. Bernadette M. Downey The Episcopal Academy Mrs. Virginia G. Fanfera Mr. and Mrs. Anthony L. Fernandes Mr. and Mrs. Theodore M. Fetterman Mr. and Mrs. Brian G. Field Mr. and Mrs. Alan C. Fitts Dona and Thomas Foerster Mr. and Mrs. Keith Fox Ms. Mary French John and Suzanne Gaadt Mrs. Diana T. Garson Ms. Glenna F. Geiger Mrs. Emmely Gideon Dr. and Mrs. Edward F. Gilardi GlaxoSmithKline Ms. Louise B. Griffiths

Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Groux, Jr. Mr. Carl J. Grunwald Ms. Nanette Guida Mr. Les E. Haggett and Ms. Tara L. Gibbons Ms. Deborah Hamilton Paul Nigel Harris, Harrowood Books Dr. Frank S. Harrison, Jr. John and Linda V. Hicks Mr. and Mrs. Clifford J. Holgren Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Howard Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Iams Mr. and Mrs. Francis B. Jacobs II Bruce and Lauren James Ms. Abigail Jefferies Beth E. Johnson Ms. Kelly Johnson and Mr. Jim Coyne Mr. William P. Johnson and Ms. Rosemary Holt Wilson Mr. and Mrs. R. Merl Jones, Jr. JPMorgan Chase Foundation Mrs. D. Scott Kelley Dr. David M. Kenosian Ms. Marjorie P. Kinkead Ms. Joanne E. Kostick Mr. and Mrs. John Lear Mr. Ken Leister Mr. Donald R. Levan Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Lo Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. MacDonnell Mr. Karl A. Malessa Mrs. Lee McIlvaine Manonian and Mr. Simon D. Manonian Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. McAdoo Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. McDonough Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. McHugh Ms. Florianne G. Meldrum Ms. Judith Mendelsohn Mr. William J. Miller Ms. Rachael Milne Mr. and Mrs. Alex Mowday Mr. and Mrs. Britton Murdoch John Odell and Maryanne Buschini Ms. Cecelia Oswald Mr. Dai Pengcheng Barbara Pettinos Mr. and Mrs. Leonard B. Randolph Mrs. A. Lee Reeser Ms. Barbara J. Rhoads Mr. and Mrs. J. Permar Richards III

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Mr. Todd W. Richards Dr. Mark A. Saks and Dr. Emily K. Saks Ms. Karen Satterthwaithe Mr. and Mrs. Bill Sayer George and Dede Shafer Mr. and Mrs. Keven Shanahan Frances and Keith Sharkan Mr. and Mrs. John M. Skrocki Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Spear Mr. and Mrs. Timothy C. Stapf Jo Ann and David Stephens Ms. Marian A. Stevens Mr. Walter Stewart Edward J. Swager III Mrs. Edmund Thayer, Jr. Craig and Judy Thomas Mr. Christopher N. Thorpe Ms. Kristin Trueblood Bruce and Caron Ulmer Mr. and Mrs. Peter Unger Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Warner Mr. and Mrs. Hugh D. Willig Lawrence and Elizabeth Wilson Mrs. Charles Zeien CORPORATE, FOUNDATIONS, and MATCHING GIFTS AmazonSmile Foundation The Bank of New York Mellon Community Partnership Catherwood Foundation Claneil Foundation, Inc. Comcast Corporation Diamond Ice Foundation GBH Foundation Germeshausen Foundation GlaxoSmithKline Otto Haas Charitable Trust Hamilton Family Foundation Johnson & Johnson JPMorgan Chase Foundation Juniper Networks Foundation Fund Kent Lucas Foundation LL Charitable Trust Lincoln Financial Foundation McLean Contributionship McKinsey & Co. Merz Family Foundation Mondrian Investment Partners, Inc. E. Murdoch Family Foundation Moran Family Charitable Foundation

Mourning Dove Foundation Otto Haas Charitable Trust The Pew Charitable Trusts Quaker City Foundation The Reinvestment Fund Rorer Foundation The Simkiss Family Foundation Tally Foundation Vanguard Group Foundation Vertex Inc. Voya Foundation Washburn Family Foundation MEMORIAL GIFTS In memory of Dr. George F. Gowen Ms. Hannah L. Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. McAdoo Mrs. Stephen Pearson George and Dede Shafer James and Bonnie Van Alen Mr. and Mrs. Duncan W. Van Dusen Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Wood In memory of R. James Macaleer Mrs. Carol Henn In memory of Frances Petrauskas Ms. Laurie Bachman In memory of Nancy Taylor Smith Dr. Sharon Taylor and Mr. Joe Cannon In memory of Marilyn Taylor Anonymous (3) Franny and Franny Abbott Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Baker III Mr. and Mrs. Mark H. Bedwell Mr. and Mrs. John C. Casey Mr. and Mrs. Sydney P. Clark, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Eric A. Corkhill III Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. DiPasqua Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Duprey Mr. Brook Gardner and Ms. Jodi Spragins Mrs. Emmely Gideon Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Gilpin, Jr. Ms. Louise B. Griffiths Beverly S. Hattersley The Haverford Trust Company The Herr Family Ms. Caroline Hicks Mr. and Mrs. Clifford J. Holgren Mr. and Mrs. A. Dunham Hollister, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Terence Jarman Mr. and Mrs. G. James Jarratt III Mr. William P. Johnson and Ms. Rosemary Holt Wilson Mrs. D. Scott Kelley Mr. William M. Keyser Dick and Nancy Klavans Mr. and Mrs. W. Mifflin Large, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Lo Mrs. Lee McIlvaine Manonian and Mr. Simon D. Manonian Mrs. Gwynne G. McDevitt Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. McKenna, Jr. Ms. Florianne G. Meldrum Britt and Janice Murdoch Ms. Diane Murray Ms. Shirley M. Murray *Deceased

3/15/16 11:15 AM

Ms. Diana S. Oppenlander Mr. and Mrs. Seymour S. Preston III Radnor Hunt Race Committee Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Schwab Mr. Walter Stewart James and Bonnie Van Alen Ms. Carol A. Verhake Mr. and Mrs. Peter F. Waitneight In memory of Anson and Marilyn Taylor Ms. Isabel McHenry Clay Debbie Somers Eichman and John Eichman In memory of Elizabeth K. Van Alen Tucker C. Gresh Ms. Deborah Hamilton Ms. Eleanor K. Ingersoll Mr. and Mrs Edward W. Leisenring Mr. Edgar Scott, Jr. Mr. Matthew E. Taylor and Ms. Francie Ingersoll James and Bonnie Van Alen In memory of her parents, Lou and Barbara Washburn Ms. Elizabeth Pesce on behalf of the Washburn Family Foundation TRIBUTES and SPECIAL GIFTS In Honor of Caroline and Olin Belsinger Ms. Charlene W. Kenworthy

Mr. Lothar T. Tremmel and Ms. Kathleen Kane Tremmel HENRY’s GARDEN Mrs. Henry A. Jordan INTERNSHIP FUND Ms. Karen A. Celia Mr. and Mrs. Warren I. Claytor Dr. and Mrs. Robert Corrato Mr. and Mrs. Clarence de Armond III Mr. Raymond E. Dombroski and Ms. Colleen J. DeMorat Dick and Nancy Eales The Episcopal Academy Mr. Steven C. Graham and Ms. Christina W. Morin Alice and Peter Hausmann Messrs. Hinkle-Brown Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Layden Jr. Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Leaman, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David J. Martinelli Mr. and Mrs. John B.McGowan, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Carl G. Morgan Britt and Janice Murdoch Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Nagy Donna and Bill Oliver Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Paul Mr. and Mrs. William J. Petrauskas Ms. Sarah Sanz Mr. and Mrs. Michael Selverian Mr. and Mrs. Kirby Slack Eric and Susan Swanson Mr. and Mrs. James L. Van Alen II Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Van Alen

Auctioneers and Appraisers Sarah Hutchin Rob and Leanne McMenamin Sage Catering and Chef Greg Shockley Terence Decker, Old Oak Tree Landscaping & Sawmill Michael Walsh WCT Bird Conservation Program staff WCT Community Farm Program staff Don Wilkins Twice-Nice Combined Event Sponsors AK Fencing LLC Bryn Mawr Landscaping Company Bryn Mawr Trust Company Country Properties BHHS Credit Suisse GreenWeaver Landscapes, LLC James Brown Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning Kreischer Miller Mark D. Slouf Custom Building & Design McCausland Keen & Buckman Orion General Contractors, Inc. Peter Zimmerman Architects Ranieri & Kerns Assoc., LLC Saul Ewing Shreiner Tree Care Sycamore Racing LLC Warren Claytor Architects, Inc. White Horse Village

In Honor of Bryan and Jayme Colket and Bonnie Van Alen Ms. Lili Pew

LAND PROTECTION Ms. Lynn Merz

2015 Run-a-Muck Hosts Esther and Paul Gansky

In Honor of Tony and Lynn Hitschler Andrea Gilbert, President, and friends from Bryn Mawr Hospital

MOTUS FUND Mandy Cabot and Peter Kjellerup Ian and Mary MacKinnon Jim and Joan Moore James and Bonnie Van Alen

Run-a-Muck Co-Chairs Catharine and Gary Cox Susan Kokat Christine and Fritz Seving Jody and Dale Vandegrift

TRAIL FUND Sandy Collins The Quaker City Foundation

Country Supper Sponsor Brushwood Stable

In Honor of Susan A. Kokat Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Duffy In honor of and as a Christmas gift for her father, Stephen McKenna Ms. Katherine D. McKenna In honor of Britt Murdoch’s generosity Mr. and Mrs. George F. Rubin In honor of Janice and Britt Murdoch Ms. Laurie M. Bachman BIRD CONSERVATION PROGRAM Germantown Academy Green Valleys Association of Southeastern PA, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Houder Ms. Lucy M. Kiziuk Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Leaman, Jr. Ms. Cecelia Oswald Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Radcliffe Cathy and Jim Staples Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth M. Tankel White Horse Village COMMUNITY FARM PROGRAM GBH Foundation Mr. Scott T. Hattersley Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Houder Mr. and Mrs. Thompson A. Maher Cathy and Jim Staples White Horse Village EASEMENT FUND Dr. Kimberley H. Galligher and Mr. Russell T. Galligher Ms. Caroline A. Moran

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BENEFICIARY INCOME AmazonSmile Foundation Walter J. Cook Jeweler, Inc. The Episcopal Academy, Gifts for Greater Good Radnor Hunt Horse Trials Radnor Hunt Pony Club’s Chase for Conservation

EVENTS 2015 Barns & BBQ Barn Hosts Esther and Paul Gansky Historic Sugartown Margot and Bob Keith Donna and Bill Oliver Susan and Tom Paul Radnor Hunt & Kennels Barns & BBQ Co-Chairs Leanne and Rob McMenamin Holly and John Stoviak Carolyn and Bob Turner Presenting Sponsors Griffiths Construction, Inc. John Milner Architects, Inc. Auction Supporters Brushwood Stable Samuel T. Freeman, Freeman’s

Band Sponsor Kreischer Miller Race Trail Sponsor Audi Devon Climbing Wall Sponsor Reed Smith, LLP Finish Line Sponsor Catharine and Gary Cox Major Muckety-Muck Sponsors Barnard, Mezzanotte, Pinnie & Seelaus, LLP Bartlett Tree Experts Bryn Mawr Trust Company Credit Suisse Gardner/Fox Associates James Brown Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning On Point Farm Ranieri & Kerns Assoc., LLC Shreiner Tree Care Warren Claytor Architects, Inc. Muckety-Muck Sponsors AK Fencing, LLC Altus Partners, Inc. Arader Tree Service Benner & Sons BHHS Fox & Roach Blue Water Home Bryn Mawr Landscaping Company Country Properties BHHS

Countryside Consulting, Inc. Elite Group GreenWeaver Landscapes, LLC Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth Inspire Energy Mark D. Slouf Custom Building & Design McCausland Keen & Buckman Oliver Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical Orion General Contractors, Inc. Peter Zimmerman Architects Saul Ewing Sycamore Racing, LLC WEEDS, Inc White Horse Village Retirement Community Sycamore Society Party Hosts Matt and Heather Naylor Sycamore Society Sponsor Elite Group, LLC EVENT PATRONS Anonymous (3) Mr. Timothy B. Barnard and Ms. Meredyth Patterson Mr. and Mrs. Clyde D. Beers Joanne M. Berwind Betsy and Luke Block Carroll Boylan-Lewis Mr. and Mrs. James Bruder Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Carpender Mr. and Mrs. Bryan D. Colket Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Cooker Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Cox Mr. and Mrs. Craig W. Cullen, Jr. Mr. Mitchell R. Davis and Ms. Jackie Himmeleich Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Duprey Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Ebmeyer Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gansky Mr. Brook Gardner and Ms. Jodi Spragins Girl Scout Brownie Troop 4996 Dr. and Mrs. Robert P. Good Ms. Yolanda M. Gray Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Groome III Dorrance H. Hamilton Mr.and Mrs. Nathaniel P. Hamilton, Jr. The Hamilton Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. J. Wesley Hardin Alice and Peter Hausmann Messrs. Hinkle-Brown Mr. and Mrs. W. Anthony Hitschler Mr. and Mrs. J. David Hucker Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Hurley III Mr. Francis M. Jennings and Ms. Terri Cappelli Mr. and Mrs. Anthony C. Keane Kent Lucas Foundation Mrs. Anne D. Koffey Ms. Susan A. Kokat Mr. and Mrs. D. Christopher Le Vine Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Leaman, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson A. Maher Mr. and Mrs. Wade L. McDevitt Mr. and Mrs. John B. McGowan, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. McMenamin Ms. Caroline A. Moran Mr. and Mrs. John Joseph Mullen Britt and Janice Murdoch Anne and Gary Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Nagy Mr. and Mrs. James A. Nolen IV Mrs. Keith M. Pension Mr. and Mrs. William J. Petrauskas

SPRING 2016 | 33

3/15/16 11:15 AM

EDUCATION AT THE TRUST Partnership Schools and Programs The Trust’s education programs serve more than 900 individuals, including 500 schoolchildren, each year. Whether it's working with urban youth, suburban school children, or graduate level university students, the Trust uses the protected Willistown countryside as an outdoor classroom for students of all ages and backgrounds.

EVENT PATRONS (CONT’D) Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Plourde Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Radcliffe Mr. Kevin T. Ryan and Dr. Amanda A. Ryan Mr. Douglas Schroer and Ms. Alicia Keough Schroer Mr. and Mrs. Frederick T. Seving III Mr. Stephen Sordoni Mr. and Mrs. Timothy C. Stapf Mr. and Mrs. John F. Stoviak Mr. and Mrs. Peter S. Strawbridge Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Strawbridge Mr. and Mrs. Gerard H. Sweeney Mr. and Mrs. Stuart A. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Turner, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James L. Van Alen II Mrs. William L. Van Alen, Sr.

Abington Friends School Abington, PA Germantown Academy Rosemont, PA Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School Philadelphia, PA Cheyney University Cheyney, PA Drexel University, Ornithology Program Philadelphia, PA Episcopal Academy Newtown Square, PA Germantown Academy Philadelphia, PA Harriton High School Bryn Mawr, PA Haverford High School Havertown, PA Mighty Writers Philadelphia, PA Open Connections Newtown Square, PA Widener University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Exton, PA University of Pennsylvania Master of Environmental Studies Program Philadelphia, PA University of Pennsylvania Department of Landscape Architecture Philadelphia, PA The Shipley School Bryn Mawr, PA Villanova University Villanova, PA Westtown School West Chester, PA Westtown- Thornbury Elementary School West Chester, PA Young Scholars Charter School Philadelphia, PA

TRAILS TEAM UPDATE

CLEARING THE WAY

The Willistown Conservation Trust Trails Team has made great progress on several significant improvement projects through the relatively mild autumn and winter months, thanks to the leadership of Trails Team Chair Barbara Vincent and the help of volunteers and a few skilled contractors.

A stream crossing project near Rushton Woods Preserve and footing improvements along a section of trail near the Willistown Friends Meeting were accomplished, thanks to generous funding from the Radnor Hounds Foundation and Sandy Collins. A new Radnor Hunt to Rushton Woods Preserve bridle path was created on the north and south sides of Goshen Roads. Improvements were made to the heavily used Radnor to “square field” trail, clearing invasive vines and opening a new path above a permanently wet area. Near White Manor Country Club, thickets of vines were cleared and a portion of stone wall was opened to provide a new, safer trail on the east side of heavily-traveled Providence Road. Further west on Providence Road, a new bridle path was created on the south side of the road, relocating the trail away AFTER from the road BEFORE ABOVE: A new stream crossing near Rushton to provide a Woods Preserve and the Willistown Friends Meeting house has been safer path. created thanks to funding from the Radnor Hounds Foundation and

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Sandy Collins.

If you’d like to help the Trails Team with improvement projects, contact land@wctrust.org.

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volunteers INTERNS AND CONSERVATION ASSOCIATES Todd Alleger Bracken Brown Denise Ecker Alison Fetterman Justin Hoden Jared Ingersoll Michael McGraw Danielle Smith VOLUNTEERS Franny and Franny Abbott Dan Allard Todd Alleger Cyndi and Edgar Andrews George Armistead Tim Barnard and Meredyth Patterson Lindsay Barrow Kathryn Bartling Caroline Beebe Debbie Beer Joanne M. Berwind John Black Barb and Clarke Blynn Jennifer Braxton Brianna Brigham Linda Brook Bracken Brown Maripeg and James Bruder Martha Bryans Alice and Christian Bullitt Laura Burgess Steve Burgess Brian Byrnes Valerie Calhoun Paula and Tim Callahan Bob and Kathy Campbell Terri Cappelli Katie and Jonnie Charlson Ilene Chester Meta Christaldi Jolie Chylak Caroline and Warren Claytor Pinar Cohen Jayme and Bryan Colket Mike Coll Sandy Collins Tracey Costello Catharine and Gary Cox Robin and Alan Crawford III Olenia Czerwoniak Carolyn Ann Davis Chase and Shannon Davis John Dean Sonny Dean Sarah Deutsch Bryn Devine James Dickinson Eva Dillon-Rutledge Amanda Dunbar

Our sincere thanks to the following individuals who offered their time and talents to help the Trust. List reflects volunteer activities between January 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016.

Olivia Duran Dick and Nancy Eales Maureen Ebel Kaitlyn Emery Episcopal Academy Community Service Groups Kate and Benjamin Etherington Colleen Farrell Rich and Kate Farrow Alison and Andy Fetterman Meredith Fetters Emily Fisher Katie Flaumer Christine and Tom Foga John Forde Sam and Tracey Freeman Dale Frens Stephanie Fuller Russ Galligher Esther and Paul Gansky Adriana Garcia Brook Gardner Pooh Gephart Elaine Gilmartin Girl Scout Brownie Troop 4996 Girl Scout Cadette Troop 482 Jean and Rob Good Kat and Steve Gord David Groff Lyn Groome Carl Grunwald James Gowen Louis Hahn Andi Hanaway Andrea and David Herr Janet and John Ham Shaina and Nat Hamilton, Jr. John and Elyse Hanlon Meg Hardesty Meg Hauler Alice and Peter Hausmann Azeez and Erika Hayne Andrea and David Herr Erin and Frank Herz Mark Hetzel Lynn and Tony Hitschler Lyn and Bill Howard Beth and David Hucker Joseph C. Hudson Mary Hundt Sarah Hutchin Kimberly Hynes Sarah and Jason Ingle Olga and Frederic Jackson Torben Jenk Kristen Johnson Sheryl Johnson Patsy Jones Alex Keane Tony and Kari Keane Margot and Bob Keith

Denis and Andy Kerns Kim and Keith Kennedy Susan Kokat Heather Kostick Joanne Kostick George Krall Olivia Kramer Robert Lange Sally and Joe Layden, Jr. Ann and Mark Ledger Jonathan Lee Ted Leisenring Linda and Blair LeRoy Pam Lewis Bob MacDonnell Jennifer and Todd MacFarlane Mary and Stephan MacLachlan Jen Matlack Shawn McClellan Doris McGovern Stephanie and John McGowan, Jr. Michael J. McGraw Gina and Chris McHugh Leanne and Rob McMenamin Dr. F. Arthur McMorris Nia and Collin McNeil Holly Merker Jennifer and Chris Moller Chuck Moore Caroline Moran Elizabeth Moran Jill and Brian Muck Janice and Britt Murdoch Pete and Pam Nagy Heather and Matt Naylor Arthur and Douglass Newbold Margaret Ann and Jim Nolen Donna and Bill Oliver Emily Ostrow Tim Owen Martin R. Page Carol Palmaccio Edith Parnum Laura Patterson Susie and Tom Paul George Peckham Sandie Perkowski-Sutherland Molly Peterson Karen and Skip Petrauskas Stephany Phelps Ian Putman Carrie and Topper Ray Thomas A. Reeves Heather Reiffer Todd Richards Avery Rome Michael C. Rosengarten Diane and Bob Roskamp Joe and Cathy Russo

Amanda and Kevin Ryan Anne Satterthwaite Cynthia Scheeler Katie and Karl Schoettle, Jr. Elaine Scott Alice Severaid Christine and Fritz Seving Edwin Shafer, Jr. Jessica Shahan Steve Shapiro Shipley School Community Service Group Shipley School Senior Interns Richard Shorr Victoria Sindlinger Lang and Marilyn Smith Louise Schorn Smith Vince Smith Genevieve and Eric Snyder Holly Spinner Ellyn Spragins Cathy Staples Holly and John Stoviak Doris and Art Strawbridge Liz and Peter Strawbridge Steve Strawbridge Dan Sullivan Jackie and Jerry Sweeney Debi and Lance Taylor Matt Taylor and Francie Ingersoll Marilyn Taylor* Dr. Sharon Taylor Ihor Terleckyj Carolyn and Justin Thompson Bob and Carolyn Turner David and Lindsey Turner Paige Turner Bonnie and Jim Van Alen Colby and Rob Van Alen Dale and Jody Vandegrift Barbara and Jeffrey Vincent Kris Wade Tana and Michael Wall Jane Walker Michael Ward Kathy and Rick Warden Penny and Tom Watkins Jason Weckstein Kirsten and Chris White Rory and Don Wilkins, Jr. Sally Willig Josephine and Henry Winsor Effie Wister Vicki and Chuck Wooters Abbie Wysor Paige and Jeffrey Yager Liz and Scott Zelov

This list may be incomplete. Please forgive any omissions or errors.

*Deceased

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The Sycamore

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SOUTHEASTERN, PA PERMIT NO. 96

WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 925 Providence Road Newtown Square, PA 19073 www.wctrust.org

SLOW DOWN in W I L L I S T O W N please

W I L L I S T OW N

CONSERVATION TRUST

W DOW O L

CONSERVATION TRUST

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Drivers traveling thru Willistown on their way to work or school may not realize the vulnerability of the many equestrians and cyclists who are attracted to our scenic rural landscape. Most drivers have no idea how quickly an accident can happen with a horse, or how quickly a horse can get out of control. And they may need reminding that a 20 pound bike is no protection in a collision with a two-ton car.

The Trust’s Trails Team, led by chairperson Barbara Vincent, has launched a new initiative to remind drivers to slow down when equestrians and cyclists are present. The Slow down in Willistown campaign includes a banner displayed at the blacksmith’s shop at the busy Whitehorse Corner at Goshen and Providence W I L L I S T OW N Roads, and car magnets which are available at the Trust’s office. Stop by today to get one for your car!

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