THE SYCAMORE Vol. V, Issue 1
Newsletter of
Spring 2004
W I L L I ST OW N C O N S E RV AT I O N T R U ST
Celebrating Twenty-five Years of Conservation and the Remarkable Willistown Community!
A
1979 ~ 2004
The Board of Trustees and staff s I write, a March wind is of the Willistown Conservation sending a late flurry of snow across Trust are pleased to invite you the pond where a small group of to share in celebrating these ringneck ducks have settled on their accomplishments at a number of fun migratory route nor th. In the events we have scheduled throughout meadow beyond, a red fox hunts 2004. We especially hope you will for mice in the long grasses now join us at our Countryside Bash! beginning to turn green with on Sunday, June 13th, a real oldimpending spring. The bogs and fashioned “hoedown” planned wetlands of the Willistown area are to highlight twenty-five years of coming to life with the unfurling of community conservation and to just the skunk cabbage, the song of the plain have a lot of fun (some special spring peeper and the flash of the surprises included)! redwing blackbird in emerging While we are greatly lookcattail swamps along the Ridley, ing forward to this year of Crum and Darby Creeks. celebration, all of us remain Spring is clearly a time to acutely aware of the urgent need to celebrate the diversity and richness continue preserving our remaining of life. As we look back over the past critical lands before it is too late. twenty-five years of conservation With the tremendous support in our area, what better cause for of this remarkable community — celebration than the preservation landowners, land managers, easement of more than 5,000 acres of our donors, investors, conservation buyprecious natural and scenic Future conservationist Georgie Rubin discovers ers, donors, and volunteers alike, we resources, and the remarkable creek critters at our Ashbridge Preserve. are committed to working toward conservation ethic of the community that has made it happen. From the earliest conservation doubling the number of preserved acres in the next few years. It easement donated in the late 1970’s by our dear friend and is because of all of you that we are encouraged to set our goals inspiration, Frances Ellen Paul, to the pending completion this higher, and to go far beyond what any of us had dreamed coming June of the Ashbridge Farm project involving three years possible twenty-five years ago in preserving the richness of this of work and many diverse partners, the benefits of our many special Willistown area for the benefit of present and future successes are far reaching, and affect not only this community generations. but many communities downstream and well beyond the Trust Bonnie Van Alen program area.
President
For the preservation of the natural resources, rural character, and cultural heritage of the Willistown area.
T HE S YCAMORE
Message from the Chairman “Thank you!” These words are the essence of the message that I want to express to Sycamore readers and everyone who has been so wonderfully supportive of the Willistown Conservation Trust, its mission and activities during the past year. Working closely with the marvelous team that our president, Bonnie Van Alen, has put together, I am personally aware of how very important your support is. I believe that the accomplishments of the Trust are being increasingly recognized and appreciated by residents of the area and that as each additional acre of open space is preserved in perpetuity, a kind of snow-balling effect is taking place. Success breeds success. Conservation minded buyers and/or owners are jumping on the bandwagon and taking steps to add to the critical mass of open space in the Willistown area that has been saved from encroaching development. How exciting it is to see all that has been achieved. Yet those of us working with the Trust know that there is a great deal more to be done to further protect the rolling hills, lovely meadows, woodlands and streams which mean so much to all of us and bring such joy to so many lives. So to each of you, whether you are a landowner, volunteer, young friend, trustee or supporter interested in what we do at WCT … thank you. Peter Strawbridge Chairman, Board of Trustees
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF CONSERVATION
Calendar of Events Details on Pages 10 and 11
Countryside Bash!
Sunday, June 13
Willistown Township “Freedom Festival”
Saturday, July 3
Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance
Friday, September 10 – Sunday, September 12
Radnor Pro Bull Riding Championships
Friday, September 10 and Saturday, September 11
3rd Annual “Golf and Good Nature” Outing at Applebrook Golf Club
Tuesday, October 19
“Enchanted Woods” Masquerade Ball
Saturday, October 23
Watch the mail for invitations throughout the year!
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WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 2
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T HE S YCAMORE
Conservation Report Eight New Conservation Easements Protect 285 Acres ~ Thirty Acre Woodland Becomes Bird Preserve ~ Ashbridge Farm Project Nears Completion
WILLISTOWN TOWNSHIP EASEMENT
EXPANSION OF THE OKEHOCKING PRESERVE
processes and services, to provide recreational and educational opportunities, In order to permanently protect the By once again leveraging its open space and to restore and maintain its historic natural resources and open character of funds, Willistown Township has been able character. The trails on the Preserve are its 25 acre Spring Road property, to acquire an additional 23 acres to open to the public during daylight hours. Willistown Township recently donated a expand the Okehocking Preserve to a THE WALL HISTORIC conservation easement to the Willistown total of 159 acres. Upon acquisition of Conservation Trust on 16.2 acres of the the 23 acres the Township extended the FACADE AND CONSERVATION tract. The property is located between previous 136 acre conservation easement EASEMENT Providence Road and Spring Road in the to protect the new parcel in perpetuity. In 1993, Tana and Michael Wall village of Sugartown and contains open The Okehocking Preserve, located on generously donated one of the earlier meadow, wetlands, and mature wood- West Chester Pike between Delchester conservation easements in the area on lands. The property is separated into two Road and Garrett Mill Road, is prized their 21.6 acre property on Warren conservation easement areas; a 15 acre for its ecological, scenic, recreational, Avenue. Since then they wanted to revise area is restricted to recreation and open agricultural and historical features. the original easement in a way that would space uses only, and a 1.2 acre area Its creation is the result of a highly protect forever the special architectural allows for structures that are compatible successful partnership between features of the historic house. Last year, with architecture of the Sugartown Willistown Conservation Tr ust, the Walls “re-eased” the property Historic District. A protected trail Willistown Township, Chester County, incorporating in the new easement both corridor will ensure a connection to the and the Commonwealth of Pennsylva- land conservation and historic facade network of trails in the community. nia. The Preserve is being managed to restrictions. The classic residence was allow for the continuation of ecological built in 1872 and is known as the “Amos
TORNA/DISIMONE EASEMENT
Conservation Report continued on page 4.
Willistown Township sold 3 acres of the Spring Road property to neighboring landowners Patricia Torna and Ronald DiSimone. The Torna/ DiSimone family have added the 3 acres to their existing property and have donated a conservation easement restricting its use to pasture and open space. Patty and Ron are long time friends of the Trust, and we are very grateful for their important contribution to the protection of the Spring Road tract.
“Amos and Anna Garrett House” — facade protected in perpetuity by Tana and Michael Wall.
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T HE S YCAMORE Conservation Report continued from page 3.
Sugartown Road and Line Road in and Anna Garrett House.” It is part the northeastern part of Willistown of the “Garrett Farmstead” which, with Township have been preserved through the assistance of historic preservation a partnership between Willistown consultant Robert Wise and the Conservation Trust, Natural Lands Trust, Willistown Conservation Trust, was Willistown Township, Greater Chester recently listed on the National Register Valley Soccer Association, Chester of Historic Places. The Garrett Farm- County, the PA Department of stead is significant as a representative Conservation and Natural Resources example of Chester County farmsteads (DCNR) and Main Line Health in the mid-18th to early 20th century. Systems. These partners worked The Second Empire style residence is diligently over a period of years to indicative of the prosperity of the farm protect this significant property which and reflects the prevailing architectural includes a highly sensitive serpentine trends of the time. Thanks to Tana and barren, athletic fields, farmland, wetlands Michael, this historic house along with and two important tributaries of the the rest of their beautiful property will Ridley Creek. The property is adjacent be protected for the edification and to other protected lands and is located across Line Road from the Applebrook pleasure of future generations. Golf Club conservation easement area.
WCT PARTNERS TO PRESERVE SUGARTOWN BARRENS In an extraordinary and complex transaction, 109 acres of land between
Natural Lands Trust ~ 61 acre easement The Natural Lands Trust acquisition includes 61 acres of serpentine barrens containing a globally rare plant community and far m fields. The conservation easement purchased by WCT through a $750,000 grant from DCNR precludes further development on the land. NLT will manage the property to promote the regeneration of the serpentine plants, and convert the farm fields into a native meadow as well as to protect a small Ridley Creek tributary and related wetlands.
Greater Chester Valley Soccer Association ~ 21 acre easement
Greater Chester Valley Soccer Association (GCVSA) purchased the 21 acre athletic field parcel that it has The transaction resulted in the follow- been leasing for years. The conservation ing three new conservation easements easement donated to WCT by GCVSA held by the Willistown Conservation ensures that these lands stay open for Trust: recreation and protects the water quality of Serpentine Run, an important tributary to the Ridley Creek.
Willistown Township ~ 27 acre easement Willistown Township, through its Open Space Fund program, purchased the remaining 27 acres of the tract comprising mostly farm fields across the Serpentine Run from the soccer fields. Through an arrangement with GCVSA, a portion of these fields may be converted to athletic use Serpentine barrens are home to a globally rare plant community that includes species such as serpentine aster and round-leafed fame flower.
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WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 4
Conservation Report continued on page 5.
2004
T HE S YCAMORE and will include walking trails accessible to the public. The conservation agreement further protects the water of Serpentine Run and limits the construction of buildings on the property.
THE RUSHTON WOODS ACQUISITION BY AUDUBON PENNSYLVANIA Thanks to the vision and generosity of Janet and John Haas and the Haas Charitable Trusts, a 30 acre tract of woodland known locally as the “Rushton Woods” has been recently acquired by the Pennsylvania chapter of the Audubon Society with the mandate that it be protected forever as a bird preserve. Janet and John first visited the woods on Delchester Road early in 2003, and were inspired by its majestic beech, hickory, oak and other hardwood trees, some more than 200 years old. At the same time, experts from Audubon Pennsylvania had identified the Rushton Woods as one of the most critical sites for bird conservation in Audubon’s newly designated Important Bird Area. By further restricting the existing conservation easement to eliminate the building of any structures, and by devising a management strategy with the Willistown Conservation Trust, Audubon will assure the continuance of the “Rushton Woods Preserve” as a prime stopover and nesting habitat for the many migratory neotropical songbirds that visit it each year.
Colby Van Alen and Koa enjoy the view from Gramercy Farm, protected by conservation easement, to the Rushton Woods Preserve recently acquired by Audubon Pennsylvania.
Delchester Road. The Sordoni land is especially important not only for its scenic beauty and special natural features but also for its location as a critical link of open space joining the new Rushton Woods Preserve (see above) with many surrounding acres of protected land.
Since moving to Delchester Road in 1995, the Sordoni’s have been ardent supporters of the Trust and its activities. We are so grateful that they have now made this generous conservation easement donation significantly furthering the Trust’s mission to preserve the remaining critical lands in the Willistown countryside.
ASHBRIDGE FARM PROJECT NEARS COMPLETION The permanent preservation of the beautiful 176 acre Ashbridge Farm, a multi-year, multi-partner, multi-million dollar project, will finally be completed in June when conservation buyers, Janice and Danial Potts, acquire the last two parcels. Since 2002, the Trust has been
THE SORDONI FAMILY CONSERVATION EASEMENT Just before Christmas, 2003, Claire and Stephen Sordoni and their children gathered to celebrate the signing of a conservation easement preserving in perpetuity their 26 acre property on Spring
Stephen Sordoni with sons Chason, Owen and Winston color their easement “green” on the Trust’s map of protected lands.
WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 5
Conservation Report continued on page 6.
2004
T HE S YCAMORE Conservation Report continued from page 5.
working with Ashbridge Farm Associates (a community conservation partnership formed to acquire the farm) to find conservation buyers for large tracts and to acquire the Ashbridge Preserve which comprises 55 acres of the most environmentally sensitive lands along a mile-long stretch of Ridley Creek.
Conservation and Natural Resources; the Chester County Preservation Partnership; and the Township Supervisors and residents of East Goshen Township. It is because of your participation that, what could have been a 180 unit housing development with associated negative impacts of traffic and sprawl, will now remain conservation lands and a nature preserve to provide protection and nourish the spirit of future generations.
After acquiring the last two parcels (37 acres) the Potts intend to donate a conservation easement limiting CONSERVATION BUYERS construction on their land to one PROTECT primary residence and associated outGARRETT MILL FARM buildings. This generous donation by the In early Spring of 2003, the Menghetti Potts will wrap up the conservation plan family approached WCT to find conserfor Ashbridge Farm originally envisioned vation buyers for their 79.5 acre farm on by the Trust. Garrett Mill Road. The Trust had been working with Lynn and Tony Hitschler, Our heartfelt thanks go to all of our who had been looking at many properpartners whose foresight, commitment ties in the area. The Hitschlers fell in love and perseverance helped make our vision with the beautiful Garrett Mill farm, for Ashbridge Farm a reality: the purchased it in the Spring of 2004 and fourteen Ashbridge Farm Associates immediately placed it under conservation partners; the PA Department of
easement with the Trust. The farm is rich with incredible natural features, including 1,500 feet of the Ridley Creek, vast floodplains, sloping fields and extensive woodlands. By protecting these features, as well as the viewshed along Garrett Mill Road, the Hitschlers have secured a critical link between protected lands in the Upper Ridley Creek Greenway. We welcome the Hitschlers to the community and applaud their commitment to protecting their new home.
WARDEN EASEMENT Mary and Bill Warden, long time Willistown residents and enthusiastic supporters of the Trust, have completed a conservation easement on their Plumsock Road property. The easement protects 7.4 acres of fields and woodland, 850 feet of road frontage, and several hundred feet of Hibberd Run, a tributary to the Ridley Creek. The property is an important link between Plumsock Road and surrounding eased lands and will help protect the rural nature of Plumsock Road in perpetuity.
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Eagle Scout Bridges Completed at Ashbridge Preserve
Willistown Conservation Trust gives a big
“Thank You!” to Bryan Allard of Boy Scout Troop 14 (West Chester) for taking a leadership role in completing two walking bridges over the small creeks in the Trust’s Ashbridge Preserve woodlands. Bryan worked with a group of fellow Boy Scouts, fathers and community members to build these sturdy structures designed to protect the waterways from erosion and to keep visitors from sliding in the mud. Additionally, Bryan and his group cleared about 1,500 feet of trail through the woodlands. These projects are a great improvement to the Preserve, and we greatly appreciate everyone’s efforts.
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Golf Course Management and Ecological Health in the Willistown Area By Alex Van Alen
The Willistown Conservation Trust program area is blessed
planted in native grasses that will only be mowed one time per year, thereby reducing fossil fuel use, money spent, and enhancing wildlife habitat and stormwater retention. To complement these activities, WCT has introduced White Manor to members of the Valley Forge Audubon Society who will be conducting breeding bird counts and offering advice on additional enhancement opportunities. This partnership will be an educational opportunity for all involved, and we hope it will lead to more innovations and improvements.
with a plethora of natural beauty, ecologically important areas, historic features and recreational opportunities. Our three watersheds, Ridley, Crum and Darby, provide much needed contact to the outdoors not only for the residents that live here, but also for those from the surrounding, more densely populated region. Our landscape maintains habitat for an abundance of wildlife, and as you have likely read in one of our recent publications, it has been recognized by Audubon Pennsylvania as an Important Bird Area. This vast mosaic of open land also provides critical ecological services for the Applebrook Golf Club, the newest course in the area, was region, such as cleaning air and water, storing water to prevent designed with the environment in mind. Mindful of the pressure placed on water supplies in our growing area, flooding downstream and abating light pollution. Applebrook took several steps toward reducing the need for water, with the additional benefits of improving wildlife This vast mosaic of open land habitat and reducing the use of fossil fuels. The Club’s provides critical ecological services irrigation system uses water from a treatment plant that would otherwise release directly into Ridley Creek. By being placed for the region underground, this system reduces evaporation and allows the Within the WCT program area, there are five golf courses local groundwater to be cleansed and recharged. With the use that total more than 800 acres in land area. They are of drought-resistant, native grasses on much of the course, Applebrook, Aronimink, Edgmont, Waynesborough and the club has further reduced water needs, improved wildlife White Manor. Historically, golf courses have been viewed as habitat, and because these grasses need to be cut infrequently, detrimental to the environment; land that is manicured to reduced its fossil fuel use. sterility and laden with pesticides. Often, that was the truth, and in too many cases that remains the case. However, there is The Upper Ridley Creek Greenway is an eight-mile stretch of a groundswell of interest in managing these recreational areas land that extends along the creek from Historic Goshenville, in a way that is sensitive to the environment, and in a way through Willistown Townhsip and out Ridley Creek State Park that these areas can provide important ecological services. south through Tyler Arboretum. In analyzing these lands, WCT Recognizing that proper management of land is a critical learned that the Edgmont Golf Club, with several thousand component of WCT’s mission, we have initiated, encouraged feet of frontage along the Ridley Creek and adjacent and supported some exemplary activities that local golf courses to Ridley Creek State Park, was receptive to improved stewardship practices. Last summer we introduced the club to are taking. Following are some examples. the Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association (CRC) Recently, White Manor Country Club was redesigned. resulting in the CRC developing a riparian During the replanting phase, the grounds crew implemanagement plan for the golf club. The plan mented a plan that includes using native plants that will include riparian planting and other produce food for wildlife, redesigning ponds to recommendations to protect the waters promote habitat for turtles and other reptiles and that flow through the course and into the amphibians, and building nesting boxes for wood State Park. ducks, kestrels, blue birds and screech owls. Golf Course Management Areas that had been mowed regularly have been continued on page 8. Spring
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T HE S YCAMORE Golf Course Management continued from page 7.
land open in perpetuity and spell out guidelines that ensure its proper management into the future. As protection and stewardship of the land become more important due to sprawl, WCT looks forward to working with local golf courses to help protect and manage our common natural resources.
These projects are a sampling of what the area’s golf courses are doing to improve the local ecology. Applebrook has taken the lead in land protection by donating a conservation easement to WCT on its 170 acres. This easement will keep the
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meet Our Newest Trustee Young Friends Richard A. “Deacon” Shorr of the Though relatively new residents of the Willistown Willistown Conservation Trust community, Deacon and his family are committed to protecting the area’s natural resources. The Shorrs moved to the area from London in 1999, purchasing a thirty-six acre farm on Garrett Mill Road and donating a conservation easement to the Trust. Deacon brings a wealth of management experience to the Board and is currently President of Ferrell Resources, an international LPG trading firm in Radnor, and Managing Director of Ferrell International LTD (London). He grew up in Ohio and is a graduate of Western Reserve Academy and University of Colorado Boulder. Deacon and his wife, Sheila, have three children who attend Westtown School.
Willistown Conservation Trust is excited to
announce the recent formation of a new initiative ... the Young Friends of the Willistown Conservation Trust! The Trust anticipates this group of young people and families will participate in various activities including special events and countryside outings and will help raise public awareness and support of the Trust and its mission. The first Young Friends event, held in September 2003, was an outdoor bonfire party hosted by Debbie and Jeff Warden at their historic property, “Mill Hollow,” located in Edgemont. Approximately 80 Young Friends and families enjoyed live music, delicious food and drinks, and roasted marshmallows over an open fire.
Staff Updates
A warm welcome to Melissa Ingersoll who joined our staff
as a part-time Program Associate in April. Melissa will be assisting with special events, grant proposals and advocacy work. A graduate of Villanova University and Temple University School of Law, Melissa came to the Trust from Baker Industries where she was involved in a variety of fundraising activities. She lives in Wayne with her husband, Warren, and her two young children, Jared and Elisabeth.
In January of this year, Alexandria and George Hundt graciously hosted a kick-off party for the Young Friends Steering Committee at their beautifully restored Malvern home. The Steering Committee includes Caroline and Warren Claytor, Catharine Cox, Alan Crawford, Robin Gansky, Frank Herz, Kate Hollos, Alexandria Hundt, Jason Ingle, Alexandra Lammers, Morgan Simpson, Jeff Warden, Colby Van Alen and Landi Van Alen.
In case you missed the pink balloons on White Horse Corner in March, we are delighted to announce the arrival of Molly Hundt McLoughlin on March 16! The Trust’s next generation of staffers continues to grow, as Betsy Block gave birth to son Rory in August, 2003 and Alex and Landi Van Alen are expecting their first baby in June.
If you are interested in becoming involved in the Young Friends program, please contact Caroline Claytor, Young Friends Coordinator, at the Trust (610-353-2562, ext. 18, cdc@wctrust.org).
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And not to be outdone, Trisha Dougherty recently announced her engagement to Jim Lambert, a mechanical engineer for the Navy (civilian status) at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. After a June wedding, Trisha and Jim will spend their honeymoon in British Columbia and Napa Valley.
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Sightings! by Alice Hausmann
Thank you for calling
returned or, as may be the case, resurfaced. It is always a treat and emailing your to see Meadowlarks and even more thrilling to hear their Sightings. We really lovely call. appreciate hearing from WCT is working with local landowners you and want to encourage you to continue to to restore habitat share your observations.
for nesting ground birds
So often early spring tricks us into believing that the warm weather is just around the corner, only to be walloped with a quick Spring snow storm — just so we don’t think we have the upper hand. With the thaw, we begin to see old friends coming back to our local ponds, meadows and woodlands. The Red-winged black bird has already returned to our feeder — a true harbinger of Spring.
Recently, Bonnie flushed out a pair of Meadowlarks while walking near Kirkwood. As we have reported to you in the past, this is significant because the populations of ground birds such as Meadowlarks and Bobolinks are diminishing due to lack of habitat. As Alex Van Alen has described in past Sycamore articles, WCT is working with local landowners to restore habitat for nesting ground birds, primarily by setting up favorable mowing schedules and when possible, by planting warm season grasses. We are getting calls about waterfowl returning to local ponds as well. Now that the ice is gone, Buffleheads, Ring-neck Ducks and Green-wing Teals are showing up in good numbers.
We have had several interesting sightings in recent weeks. Edie Parnum, who has been involved in the Audubon bird census at the Okehocking Preserve, passed on an email from, as she describes, THE best birder in our area, Nick Pulcinella. Nick saw an immature Northern Goshawk (Accipter gentilis) at the Okehocking Preserve back in February, along with immature Coopers Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, a pair of Kestrals and Cedar Waxwings (Nick said he was still searching for Bohemian waxwings, but no luck yet). This was especially good news for Alex Van Alen who had also seen the Goshawks and was no doubt pleased to have such a distinguished birder confirm his sighting.
There are plenty of creatures other than birds that serve as good indicator species for the ecological health of our area. Rob Van Alen (is the Van Alen clan just more observant than the rest of us?!) and Bill Howard reported seeing Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus). These nocturnal, forest dwelling squirrels can glide up to 150 feet from tree to tree, using their tail to steer. Flying Squirrels are an endangered species with fragmentation and loss of habitat being their greatest foe (notice a theme here?), along with some predators including foxes, hawks, and coyotes. If you want to know more about these fascinating creatures, you may wish to visit the Grey-Bruce Northern Flying Squirrel Research Project found at www.glaucomys.org.
Edie who is the Ornithology Chair at the Valley Forge Audubon Society, and Lynne Neefe who is Vice President at VFAS, are working on a census for the Okehocking and Ashbridge Preserves. The Ashbridge count is in its incipient stages so we have little to report, but so far the Okehocking Preserve count is up to about 130 species. The Okehocking Preserve census began in October of 2000. Not surprisingly, the species with the greatest representation is the Canada Goose.
This is an exciting time of year for viewing wildlife. Please let More good news to share: George Heim has seen the eagle us hear from you so we can share your Sightings with others! once again at Kirkwood Farm, and the Meadowlarks have Give us a call, send us a note or email us at land@wctrust.org. Spring
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Activities and Events Join in Willistown’s Tricentennial Celebration! July 3rd ‘Freedom Festival’ Co-Sponsored by the Trust & the Township
This year marks several unique milestones in our
musical entertainment, antique cars, historical displays, and, of course, lots of tasty food! A fireworks finale at the Greater Chester Valley Soccer Association fields will wrap up the celebratory day.
community. Not only are we celebrating the 25th anniversary of conservation in our area, but Willistown Township is commemorating its 300th Birthday! The Trust will join in the celebration on Saturday, July 3rd at a Township-wide parade down Sugartown Road, beginning at 1:00 pm, to be followed by a family-friendly festival at Spring Road Park from 2:00 until 5:00 pm. The fair will feature children’s activities,
The Trust is underwriting a portion of the “Freedom Festival” and sponsorships are available. For more information, please contact Betsy Block at 610-353-2562 ext. 13, or bhb@wctrust.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Road Rally and Bucking Bulls Will Benefit the Willistown Conservation Trust The proceeds from two unique Fall events—a classic car show and a bull riding competition — will benefit the Trust and its mission to protect the area countryside.
The Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance
Radnor Pro Bull Riding Championships
n its inaugural year, the Radnor Pro Bull Riding ChampionNow in its eighth year, this nationally-recognized motor car Iships also will benefit the Trust’s conservation activities. event attracts automobile enthusiasts from across the country. Event chairman Michael G. Tilson III, an expert on the subject of classic sports and racing cars, first organized the Concours in 1997 and each year the event draws a bigger crowd. The weekend’s activities (September 10 – 12, 2004) include a road rally, black tie gala and exclusive car show limited to 100 carefully selected entries. For the fifth consecutive year the Willistown Conservation Trust has been selected as the beneficiary of the Concours and we are grateful for the continuing generosity and support of the Concours Committee. Earlier this year, the Trust was presented with a check for $7,500 from the proceeds of the 2003 Concours and these funds have been put right to work to help retain the rural character and natural beauty of the Willistown area. For more information about the Concours d’Elegance or to purchase tickets for the weekend’s events, please visit their website at www.radnorconcours.org.
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Sanctioned by the World Bullriding Federation, the Radnor Championships will feature 42 wild bulls and 30 professional bull riders competing for $10,000. The objective in bull riding is to stay on the bull for 8 seconds, holding on with just one hand and looking good while doing it. The bulls typically weigh about 2,000 pounds each and are very ornery by nature. Also featured at the event will be professional barrel racing on horseback, as well amateur barrel racing for local equestrian enthusiasts. A temporary stadium seating about 750 will be built on the grounds of Radnor Hunt. The Presenting Sponsors of the event are Newtown Square-based Graham Partners (a private equity investment management firm) and Philadelphia-based Lubert-Adler (a real estate investment management firm). The event is by invitation only and is scheduled for Friday evening, September 10 and Saturday evening, September 11. For more information about the Radnor Pro Bull Riding Championships, please contact Betsy Block at the Trust at (610) 353-2562 ext. 13.
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Activities and Events (Continued) SAVE THE DATE
“Golf and Good Nature” Willistown Conservation Trust’s 3rd Annual Golf Outing at Applebrook Golf Club
Tuesday, October 19, 2004 Sponsorships Available Please call Trisha Dougherty at (610) 353-2562 ext. 16 to receive an invitation
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104 Attend Dinner Lecture
Explore the Sky
On February 28, 2004,
with friends and neighbors at the Flower and Cook Observatory
104 bird enthusiasts gathered at Radnor Hunt for the Trust’s annual dinner lecture. Steve Hoffman, Pennsylvania Audubon’s Director of Bird Conservation, provided an overview of Pennsylvania’s unique contribution to bird populations in the Western Hemisphere and summarized the most serious threats to birds in our area. He also highlighted the reasons Audubon designated approximately 13,000 acres of the Willistown Conservation Trust program area as its most recent Important Bird Area.
The Chester County Astronomical Society holds classes on an ongoing basis at the Flower and Cook Observatory on Providence Road. Choose from “Introductory Astronomy” held February through May; “Backyard Observing” held September through December; or “How to use your own telescope” held each summer. Better yet, attend them all! For more information, call Kathy Buczynski at 610-436-0821.
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WCT Watershed Update by Mary McLoughlin
THE CRUM CREEK WATERSHED
Crum Creek Watershed Plan, and has organized a series of public meetings introducing the Plan to residents, businesses, municipalities and other watershed constituents. The project team is approaching the watershed in three sections based on the different land uses: the upper watershed (semi-rural), the middle watershed (suburban) and the lower watershed (urban). One public forum was held for the lower watershed and two for the upper and middle watersheds. All streamside landowners within 50 feet of the Crum or its tributaries (close to 600 households total!) were sent Streamside Landowner Surveys as another public input and data gathering technique. Streamside landowners often have the biggest impact on a watershed and are critical to its health. Keep in mind, however, that each and every individual in a watershed, even those just passing through, have an impact on the health of the
The Willistown Conservation Trust program area includes
the headwaters of Crum Creek, the northern most section of a long and narrow watershed that begins in Malvern Borough and Willistown Township and drains into the Delaware River at Eddystone Borough. The early Dutch settlers named the Crum Creek, meaning crooked creek. The Crum watershed is a 38 square mile area that drains into a total of 72 miles of streams. Of the 72 miles, 24 are “impaired” meaning they do not meet state water quality standards. Crum Creek is critical for its natural and recreational resources and as a local drinking water supply. The headwaters feed the Springton Reservoir which provides drinking water to over 200,000 Chester and Delaware County households. Crum Creek is the longest free-flowing stream in the eastern United States.
Crum Creek Watershed Conservation Plan Today we know the economic and cultural importance of our water resources and how valuable fresh water is to our quality of life. It is with this in mind that the Trust, with many partners, is working toward the protection and improvement of Crum Creek by developing a Crum Creek Watershed Conservation Plan. The Plan will identify the existing conditions of the watershed with the focus being on water quality and quantity, critical natural resources, greenways, stream corridors and recreational, historical and cultural areas. From the analysis and public input, the Plan will identify threats to the Creek and will recommend methods to conserve, enhance and restore the watershed. When completed, the Plan will guide watershed initiatives and provide municipalities and organizations with funding opportunities for watershed projects cited in the Plan. The Trust is responsible for conducting the public participation component of the Spring
Willistown Conservation Trust’s program area is comprised of 20,000 acres of land and three major watersheds.
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THE RIDLEY CREEK WATERSHED The Willistown Conservation Trust program area also contains the headwaters of Ridley Creek, another long and narrow watershed that begins in East Goshen and Willistown Townships and drains into the Delaware River between the City of Chester and Eddystone Borough. Ridley Creek flows 25 miles from the head-waters to the Delaware through its 38 square mile watershed, which includes extensive natural, historic, recreational and historic features. Happily, there are no “impaired” stream segments currently identified in the Ridley Creek watershed.
wa t e rshed — we are all on the hook! Other public participation tools that the Trust is implementing include an extensive municipal survey and “key person” interviews of major landowners and influencing entities in the watershed. These programs provide important information that will help us understand the watershed. They also give us the opportunity to facilitate public involvement in the watershed by building a database of volunteers and people interested in obtaining watershed stewardship information. If you would like to be included in our watershed volunteer database or are interested in information regarding the Crum Creek Watershed Plan please contact Mary McLoughlin at the Trust, 610-325-8098.
WCT Assists in Formation of Ridley Creek Watershed Partnership The Trust’s Mary McLoughlin assisted the Chester-RidleyCrum Watersheds Association (CRC) in creating the Ridley Creek Watershed Partnership by sharing her experience in establishing and running the Crum Creek Watershed Partnership, formed in Spring of 2000. The Trust has committed Mary’s time to the Ridley Partnership as a The Crum Creek eventually flows into the Delaware River, a significant match to a PA Departregional water supply source and ment of Environmental the longest free-flowing river in Protection Growing the eastern United States. Greener grant received by CRC. As we have found time and again, partnerships are often the strength and stability behind accomplishing many conservation priorities. Partnerships also lend longevity to long term efforts such as watershed wide planning. Like the Crum, the Ridley Partnership consists of municipal representatives from throughout the watershed as well as conservation organizations, governmental agencies and Aqua Pennsylvania (the water company). The success of the Crum Partnership is being mirrored by the start up success of the Ridley Partnership, which has just completed prioritizing its concerns and issues for the watershed.
Funding for the Crum Creek Watershed Conservation Plan was provided by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with matching funds from the Delaware County Commissioners. Other key donors include Lyondell Chemical and Aqua Pennsylvania (previously Philadelphia Suburban Water Company). The project is slated to be completed by Spring, 2005. The Streamside Landowner Survey can be viewed on the Trust website (www.wctrust.org). Many thanks for the generous volunteer assistance of two computer gurus: Ilya Lehrman, Principal of Xerox Global Services, Inc., for his design assistance and for loaning us his hosting equipment; and Gary Cox, Technical Architect of Security at Microsoft Corporation, for spearheading our effort to put the survey on our website (and for creating the Trust website in the first place!). Many thanks also go to Sidne Baglini for her generous volunteer assistance with our critical public outreach efforts! Spring
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MARY MCLOUGHLIN
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“Paper Hill Farm” is under conservation easement, helping to protect the High Quality waters of Ridley Creek.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT Stormwater Runoff is the Number One Pollutant of our Precious Waters. Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows across impervious surfaces like rooftops, driveways, parking lots, sidewalks and streets, preventing stormwater from naturally soaking into the ground. Stormwater can pick up debris, chemicals, soil and other pollutants and carry them into a storm sewer system or directly into a water body. Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the water bodies we use for swimming, fishing and drinking water.
What can we do to keep our watersheds clean? • Recycle or properly dispose of household products that contain chemicals such as pesticides, paint, solvents, and used motor oil and other auto fluids. • Use a commercial car wash that treats or recycles its wastewater, or wash your car on your yard so the water infiltrates into the ground. • Sweep up driveways, sidewalks and roads – don’t hose them down. • Inspect your septic system every 3 years and pump your tank as necessary (EPA recommends every 3-5 years).
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• Pet waste can be a major source of bacteria and excess nutrients in local waters. Pick up after your pet. • Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly and only when necessary. • Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces. • Plant vegetated filter strips along roadways or streams. They trap pollutants, allow water to infiltrate into the ground and slow the water down. • Plant areas designed to provide natural places for rainwater to collect and soak into the ground.
WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 14
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2003 “Golf and Good Nature” Outing Raises over $25,000 A total of $25,500 was raised at the Trust’s second annual golf outing held at Applebrook Golf Club on October 7, 2003. The combination of crisp autumn weather, a “birding” theme for the day and a beautifully designed golf course added to the event’s success. Hosting the outing at Applebrook has particular significance because the Trust holds a conservation easement on the course, ensuring the preservation of the natural and scenic resources of the land in perpetuity. On behalf of co-chairs Margot Keith and Donna Oliver, we would like to extend our gratitude and special thanks to our sponsors:
Kestrel” Sponsors / $5,000 each
“Meadowlark” Sponsors / Goods and Services
Claneil Foundation, Inc. Harvey Insurance Group TL Ventures
Adventure Camera Shop Brandywine Signs Inc. The General Warren Inne Adam E. Hausmann of Tweetyville Birdhouses Donna and Bill Oliver Simon Pearce
“Bobolink” Hole Sponsors / $500 each The Academy of Natural Sciences Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Warren Claytor Architects Peter O. Hausmann, Jr. Mackey Real Estate & Antique Map Gallery Oliver Sprinkler Co. Inc. Walter J. Cook Jeweler
The day for the outing was made available to the Trust through the generosity of East Goshen Township and Applebrook Golf Club.
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Local Fishing Club Supports the Trust
In recognition of the Trust’s
mission to protect the area’s water quality, Broadacres Trouting Association presented the Trust with a generous contribution. Pictured (left to right) are Jeff Vincent, Bonnie Van Alen, Betsy Block, John Richards and Ted Beatty.
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WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST 15
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Round Up the Family for our
COUNTRYSIDE BASH! Sunday, June 13, 2004 5:00 – 9:00 PM
up k Kic our y ls! hee
Country Barbeque Live Country Western Music Hot Air Balloon Invitation to follow in May
THE SYCAMORE is printed on recycled paper.