COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Get to know one of the Brandywine Conservancy’s partners in preservation: the Buck & Doe Trust. Over the years, the Trust has been a key partner in continued conservation successes within the greater Unionville, PA area—home to the Brandywine’s Laurels Preserve and the famed King Ranch lands.

Formed in the mid-1980s, by the original 30+ purchasers and organizers of the local King Ranch preservation project, the Trust—comprised now of almost 300 members—supports and boosts the community’s conservation ethic through education and activities, which has led to over 32,000 acres of contiguous preserved land. Before the King Ranch preservation project, there were only a handful of original landowners in the area who had vast property holdings. Today there are over 400 families—many of which are new to the area. “The Buck & Doe Trust serves as a hub for the region’s landowners to learn and understand the rich history of the area and to create and foster a sense of community with shared conservation values,” said Amy McKenna, Buck & Doe Trust President. “It was also the original intent of the Trust to have a network in place to support preservation if the easements were ever challenged. Conservation is highly regarded today though it was really an unknown concept and practice 40 to 50 years ago.”

The Trust is a leader in committing to significant on-the-ground conservation efforts to assist the Brandywine and other conservation organizations. Their work includes kiosk and trail improvements in the Laurels Preserve, as well as fundraising for the restoration of the Preserve’s beloved covered bridges and its recent expansion project. Through programs such as the popular “Spring Fling” annual pancake breakfast, easement landowner events, and environmental educational seminars, the Trust has successfully harnessed community awareness and support for conservation for almost 40 years.

“The Trust continues to tell the story of this area for new landowners, so that they can understand it took a collective effort of many people—including W. Plunkett Stewart, Mrs. Hannum, Lammot du Pont, the Kleberg family and others— to preserve this significant history and landscape,” added McKenna. And thanks to the Buck & Doe Trust, they inspire the community to continue the conservation work for generations to come. n