SycamoreSpring2005

Vol. VI, Issue 1 Spring 2005Newsletter ofW I L L I S T O W N C O N S E R V A T I O N T R U S T

For the preservation of the natural resources, rural character, and cultural heritage of the Willistown area.

Bonnie Van Alen, President

T H E S Y C A M O R E

One of myfavorite quotes fromJohn Muir is...“I onlywent out for a walk oneday and finally concludedto stay out to sundown,for going out, I found,was really going in.”

A l t h o u g hthe area of focusfor the WillistownConservation Trust isnot the vast Americanwilderness whichinspired the words ofJohn Muir, I amexceedingly thankfulthat the many special places which have been protected bythe Willistown community over the past twenty-five yearswill always be there to fill the need in all of us to connectwith the natural world. There will always be places forfuture generations of children to experience that wonderfulfeeling of “going in” and exploring the many acres ofprotected stream valleys, woodlands, grasslands, rollinghills and walking and riding trails of the Willistowncountryside.

In this issue of The Sycamore we are excited to reportthe great news that one of the area’s most special places hasrecently been added to the Willistown Conservation Trustlist of protected lands. The beautiful Kirkwood Farm,bounded by Grubbs Mill, Goshen, Providence andMarlborough Roads, has for many years been a top priorityfor protection not only for the Trust, Willistown Townshipand Chester County, but also for organizations beyond ourcommunity including the PA Department of Conservation

324 Acres of Kirkwood FarmPreserved Forever!

and Natural Resourcesand Audubon Penn-sylvania. Also knownas the “Hardie Scottproperty”, KirkwoodFarm has always beenconsidered the veryheart and essenceof the Willistowncountryside and, morethan any otherproperty, defines theunique natural, scenicand rural character ofour area. As you readthrough the details ofthe project, I know you

will share our excitement that, after so many years, threehundred and twenty-four acres of Kirkwood Farm are nowprotected including the new sixty-acre Kirkwood Preservealong the Crum Creek which will be owned and managedby the Willistown Conservation Trust. Our board and staffare deeply grateful for the dedication and commitment ofthe many individuals and organizations that helped makethe preservation of Kirkwood Farm happen.

The success of the Kirkwood Farm project isa testament to the fact that, even though our part of theworld is under intense pressure for development, the willof our community to preserve special places so that futuregenerations may enjoy the experience of “going in” remainsa remarkable force as we begin the next twenty-five yearsof conservation in Willistown.

Willistown Conservation Trust’s new Kirkwood Preserve...a sanctuary for people and wildlife.

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W I L L I S T O W N C O N S E R V A T I O N T R U S TSpring 2005

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C A L E N DA R O F E V E N T S

On a walk last fall through the rolling hills of the Okehocking Preserve, Bolo,my fourteen year old black lab and I came upon a young family of four with theirsmall terrier romping in the meadow near the Delchester Road entrance. Peopleand dogs introduced themselves, and we chatted for a short while beforecontinuing on our way. The family spoke of how much they enjoyed coming to thePreserve and that visiting it had become a regular part of their weekend routine.

Proceeding on our circumnavigation of the Preserve we passed the eighteenthcentury red bank barn, then made a brief stop for Bolo’s mandatory dip into theRidley Creek at the base of the hill. We ended our outing forty minutes after ithad begun when I lifted my old friend up into his nest in the back of my car forour return home.

This year, I look forward to exploring the Trust’s new sixty-acre KirkwoodPreserve which will soon be open, thanks once again to the work of the Willistown

Conservation Trust’s dedicated staff and our many friends and volunteers.

To all of you who, through your support of the Trust’s mission and activities, have made possible the Ashbridge,Okehocking, Rushton Woods and Kirkwood Preserves and the preservation of more than five thousand acresas open space in perpetuity, my fellow trustees and I want to express our deep gratitude and thanks.

We ask for your continuing support. There is so much more open land to preserve and so little time leftin which to do it.

Message from the Chairman

Details on pages 10 –11

Saturday, May 7 Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association Stream Cleanup

Thursday, May 12 Annual Dinner Lecture at Radnor Hunt featuring Dr. Robert Ridgely

Saturday, May 14 Creek Week Events: Kirkwood Preserve Bird WalkStream Exploration on Crum Creek

Tuesday, June 28 3rd Annual “Golf and Good Nature” Outing at Applebrook Golf Club

Saturday, July 16 Pond and Stream Management Workshop at Garrett Mill Park & Garrett Mill Farm

Friday, September 9 – Radnor Hunt Concours d’EleganceSunday, September 11

Sunday, October 2 “Celebrating Kirkwood”- an evening picnic at Kirkwood Preserve

For more information about our events or if you would like to volunteer, please contactTrisha Lambert, Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinator, at 610-353-2562 ext.16 or [email protected]

Peter Strawbridge

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Conservation Report continued on page 4.

Conservation Report

The most recent exciting conservationnews is that in December 2004, aftermany months of negotiations, the notfor profit conservation group, DelchesterGroup, Inc. (DGI), was successful inacquiring 324 acres of Kirkwood Farm.The farm has long been consideredthe most significant proper ty inthe Willistown area in terms of itsextraordinary natural, scenic, historic andrecreational values, and many discussionswith the owners regarding the future ofthe property have taken place over thepast twenty five years. Because the landwas held in a residuary trust, the ownerswere obliged to seek offers and torealize maximum value for the trustbeneficiaries when the decision was madeto sell. As one might imagine, there

Conservation Plan In Place to Protect 324 Acres of Kirkwood Farm ~ 60 Acre Kirkwood Preserve to beOwned and Managed by WCT ~ Ashbridge Farm Project Completed ~ Historic Sugartown, Inc. Donates

Conservation Easement ~ William Penn Foundation Supports Critical Bird Habitat Protection Project

were many parties interested in develop-ing this exquisitely beautiful landscape,so it was truly fortunate that with thesupport of many generous individuals,a number of interested conservationbuyers and a friendly local bank, theconservation group was able to prevail.

The successful acquisition of themajority of Kirkwood Farm has enabledthe Trust to work with DGI and itsprospective conservation buyers toeffectuate a conservation plan for theproperty that would preserve it in as nearits present state as possible. The acquiredproperty is divided by roads into twotracts: the North Tract, comprisingapproximately 176 acres, bounded on thesouth by Goshen Road and on the

west by Grubbs Mill Road; and theHome Triangle comprising about 148acres, bounded by Goshen, Providenceand Marlborough Roads. The family hasretained for its own use a 10 acreportion of the Home Triangle and 215acres known as the South Tract.

To date, the Trust has worked with twoconservation buyers who have respectivelyacquired a 124 acre portion and a24 acre portion of the Home Triangle.Each new owner has subsequentlydonated a conservation easement to theTrust which will protect the land andits special resources in perpetuity. Inthe case of the 24 acre portion of thehome Triangle, which includes the

THE KIRKWOOD FARM CONSERVATION PLAN

One of the beautiful fieldstone stables on the Kirkwood Farm North Tract.

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Conservation Report continued from page 3.

Conservation Reportcontinued on page 5.

historic residence on MarlboroughRoad known as “Old Kirkwood”, theconservation easement restricts againstadditional residential structures, andcarefully identifies an area in whichoutbuildings may be constructed. Theconservation easement on the 124 acreportion of the Home Triangle limitsprimary residential structures to thosealready existing, and limits the locationof outbuildings. Trail corridors areprovided to further the growing networkof preserved trails in the area.

Conservation buyers have recently beenidentified by DGI for 43 acres of theNorth Tract, including the lovely stonestables, historic tenant house and bankbarn located along Goshen Road at theeastern end of the property. Thisportion of the North Tract and theremaining 70 acre parcel along GoshenRoad both back up to the Trust’s newKirkwood Preserve which comprises the

remaining 60 acres of the North Tractfronting on Grubbs Mill Road.

THE KIRKWOODPRESERVE

An integral and exciting part of theKirkwood Farm conservation plan hasbeen the acquisition by the WillistownConservation Trust of 60 acres of themost environmentally sensitive part ofthe farm which borders the Crum Creekat the northernmost end of the NorthTract. This is the land known for thebeautiful views from Grubb Mill Roadof its large grassland areas, rolling hills,mature woodlands and importantwetlands along the creek. The KirkwoodPreserve will protect habitat for nestingand foraging grassland birds such as thedeclining Eastern Meadowlark and theBobolink, promote the health of theCrum Creek which is designated by thestate as an Exceptional Value Stream, andwill provide access for the enjoyment of

this special area by the public. TheWillistown Conservation Trust isexceedingly grateful to the conservationpartners who have so magnanimouslysupported this acquisition. First andforemost, our heartfelt thanks go toWillistown Township which has made avery generous commitment from itsOpen Space Fund toward the acquisition.The other partners without whom wecould not acquire the Kirkwood Preserveinclude our colleagues at the NaturalLands Trust, the Chester CountyPreservation Partnership Program andthe Pennsylvania Depar tment ofConservation and Natural Resourceswith whom the Trust has a grantapplication pending.

POTTS EASEMENT

COMPLETESASHBRIDGE FARM PROJECT

In June 2004, Dan and Janice Pottspurchased the last 37 acres of AshbridgeFarm and subsequently placed it under a

conservation ease-ment with the Trust.The easement limitsbuilding to oneprimary residenceand outbuildings,and keeps the vastremainder of theland free fromdevelopment forever.We are gratefulto Dan and Janicefor this generouseasement donation.

The Ashbr idgeFarm project hasbeen an enormous

The Kirkwood Preserve provides nesting and foraging habitat for declining grassland birds.

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conservation success. If left unprotected,as many as 180 dwellings could havesprawled across the farm but, thanksto the easement donors and our manypartners including East GoshenTownship, Chester County, and the PADepartment of Conservation andNatural Resources, there will be amaximum of only six well-sited housesand a 55 acre preserve for the public toenjoy in perpetuity. The public benefitsof this project have already been feltin numerous ways. Many families andindividuals have appreciated the birdwatching, walking and recreationalopportunities that the Preserve providesand, because this important watershedarea has continued to absorb waterduring the torrential rains of the lastyear, communities downstream did notexperience the flooding and siltationthat assuredly would have occurred hadthe property been developed.

HISTORIC SUGARTOWN, INC.DONATES

CONSERVATION EASEMENT

In May 2004, the final piece of thepuzzle was completed to protect theentirety of Willistown Township’s 25 acreSpring Road proper ty. HistoricSugartown, Inc. purchased a 4.5 acreportion of the Township land andsubsequently donated a conservationeasement to the Trust. The easementkeeps more than two acres contiguous tothe Township’s remaining protected landscompletely free from development andallows for the construction of buildingson the other two acres that wouldbe compatible with architecture in theHistoric Sugartown District. The Trust,Historic Sugartown and WillistownTownship all recognized the importance

of allowing limited expansion of theSugar town village in concert withkeeping an important public space open.We thank all of our partners for theirforesight in this project.

WCT PARTNERS WITHAUDUBON PENNSYLVANIA

TO CREATE A MODEL

PROGRAM FORTHE PROTECTION OF

CRITICAL BIRD HABITAT

Trust Receives $165,000 Grant fromthe William Penn Foundation

In 2003, 13,000 acres in the Trust’sprogram area were designated byAudubon Pennsylvania as an ImportantBird Area (IBA). This internationalprogram identifies places of outstand-ing value to bird conservation, includingmigratory staging areas, winter roost sitesand prime breeding areas. The newUpper Ridley/Crum Important BirdArea was qualified by Audubon for manyreasons including: 1) the 25-year historyof active conservation in the Willistowncommunity; 2) good land managementpractices in our area; 3) a growingnumber of areas of public access; 4) ourdiversity of habitat; 5) close proximityto a large population base; 6) existingpopulations of rare, threatened anddeclining (statewide) birds; and 7) anhistorical record of birds sighted in thearea.

Important Bird Areas in Pennsylvaniavary widely in habitat and ownership, andrange in size from the one-acre CreekRoad Area IBA in Lancaster County tothe 280 square mile Hawk Mountain/Kittatinny Ridge IBA. The site-specificthreats to bird habitat in IBAs rangefrom pollution, to inappropriate forestry

practices, to invasive plants; but manyIBAs are most threatened by residential sprawland development. Because these IBAs tendto be near more urban areas, outrightacquisition of these lands by AudubonPA is not practical. In order to assure thepermanent protection of lands within IBAs,Audubon Pennsylvania has identified theneed to engage land trusts in the processof working with private landowners toeffectuate permanent protection. TheUpper Ridley/Crum IBA falls into thiscategory as approximately 5,000 acres inthe Trust program are privately held andare not yet protected.

The Willistown Conservation Trust andAudubon Pennsylvania have nowformalized a partnership to create andimplement a model habitat protectionprogram in the Upper Ridley/CrumIBA. The focus of the partnership willbe on the permanent protection andstewardship of privately held lands withinthe Upper Ridley/Crum IBA that are notyet protected, and using the results as amodel to be replicated within other IBAsin Pennsylvania and across the country.

We are delighted to announce that theWilliam Penn Foundation has recentlyapproved a generous two-year grantin the amount of $165,000 towardimplementation of this new modelhabitat protection project. (Please seeprojected grant goals detailed on p. 6.)We are deeply grateful to the Founda-tion for its confidence in our work andits support of this exciting partnershipwith Audubon Pennsylvania.

For more information about the ModelHabitat Protection Program, contactAlex Van Alen at [email protected] or610-325-8098.

Conservation Report continued from page 4.

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WCT MODEL HABITAT PROTECTION PROGRAM

Thanks to the generous support of the William Penn Foundation, WCT willbe working to meet the following goals during the two-year grant period:

• A bird census conducted in partnership with ValleyForge Audubon.

• Potentially excellent unprotected bird habitat in theUpper Ridley/Crum IBA identified and mapped.

• Habitat management and restoration guidelinesdeveloped and disseminated to landowners with afocus on issues such as deer management, nativeplants, woodland management, and placement ofnesting structures.

• Monitoring program developed to determinepopulation of Grassland Birds.

• Projects completed as part of Upper Ridley/Crum IBA:– native meadow project demonstration on

Okehocking Preserve for area landowners– management plans for Rushton Woods and

Kirkwood Preserve

– at least one riparian planting along the UpperRidley Creek Greenway

– at least one deer exclosure project coordinated.• Information about WCT/Audubon partnership

disseminated as model between a land trust and IBAthat succeeds in protecting bird habitat, includingworkshops, conferences, or joint publications.

• At least 600 acres of habitat permanently protectedwith excellent management practices through easementor acquisition within the Upper Ridley/Crum IBA.

• At least 100 nesting structures placed in theUpper Ridley/Crum IBA.

• At least 100 additional acres of land in Upper Ridley/Crum IBA managed according to guiding principlesfor Grassland Bird habitat.

• At least five other land trusts consider partnershipwith Audubon in an IBA.

Meet our Newest Staff MemberJohn G. Turgeon

On September 27, 2004, we welcomed John G. Turgeon asthe Trust’s new Associate Director of Land Protection. Johnis a professional planner with extensive experience in landconservation planning and acquisition as well as real estateappraisal. He completed his undergraduate work at StateUniversity of New York College at Plattsburgh, and holds aMasters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from StateUniversity of New York at Albany. John’s most recentposition was as Legacy Open Space Senior Planner forMontgomery County, MD.

At the Trust, John is focused on managing conservation ease-ment projects, grant writing and administration for landacquisition projects. He lives in West Chester with his wife,Cortie Ervin, and his five year old daughter, Amelia. We areindeed fortunate to have John on board to help with the Trust’sgrowing workload of conservation projects.

Meet our Newest TrusteeF. Arthur McMorris, Ph.D.

Art McMorris brings with him a life-long love affair withvirtually every aspect of the natural world. His childhood loveof the outdoors led him to pursue studies in the biologicalsciences: he earned degrees in Biology from Brown (B.A.)and Yale Universities (Ph.D.) and conducted research inneuroscience for over 35 years. Art’s work has now moved outof the laboratory and back outdoors, where he devotes histime to various projects related to birds and conservation.His association with the Willistown Conservation Trustbegan two years ago when the Important Bird Area (IBA),where he was conducting breeding bird surveys with AudubonPennsylvania, expanded to include the WCT program area.Art lives in Bala-Cynwyd with his wife Joanna, daughter Lizzie,two cats and a backyard full of birds.

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The recent acquisition of the 60 acre Kirkwood Preservealong Grubbs Mill Road presents an opportunity for theWillistown Conservation Trust to enhance a natural systemthat has been working to benefit the community for years. Thepreserve’s resources include open grasslands, wet meadows, asmall woodland, one half mile of the Crum Creek, and anadditional 1,500 feet of tributary. These features have giventhe public an extraordinary scenic resource, provided breedinghabitat for grassland birds, feeding grounds for great blueherons, American kestrels and red foxes, to name a few, andwill protect the quality and quantity of water entering theCrum Creek. With additional management, WCTwill enhance these resources and visitors will bewelcome to come enjoy them.

Following are some of the servicesprovided by the Preserve.

• Cleaning air/Carbon sequestration. Carbonsequestration occurs in an ecosystem when theamount of carbon dioxide absorbed by growingplants is greater than the amount of the gas re-leased by decomposing plant material. Severalstudies have shown that grasslands can pullcarbon from the air faster than they release it, andthat this sequestration accelerates when carbon inthe air is higher than normal, as it is now. With50 acres of grasslands, Kirkwood Preserve willeliminate tons of carbon from the air each year.

• Cleaning water and preventing floodingdownstream. Tall grasslands near a creeksignificantly slow runoff from heavy rains, inaddition to filtering pollutants before they enterthe stream. This regulation of water flow preventsa sudden rush of water coursing through the creekand overflowing its banks. As with the importantlands of our 55 acre Ashbridge Preserve on theRidley Creek, protecting lands here protectscommunities and water supply downstream.

The Kirkwood Preserve will be Managed toEnhance Ecological and Community Services

By Alex Van Alen

• Eliminating potential light pollution. Light pollutionnot only reduces visibility of the spectacular night sky, itcan have detrimental effects on migrating birds and othernocturnal wildlife. As but one example, many amphibiansand reptiles are programmed to come out from cover in thedark to forage, but with artificial lighting, they delay theirawakening, which can reduce their food intake andtherefore their survivability. There will be no lighting onthe Preserve.

Kirkwood Preserve continued on page 8.

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Sightings from Sanibel Islandby Alice Hausmann

At the moment, I amwriting to you from our

home on Sanibel Islandwhere we are staying

for the month ofFebruary. I amstaring out ofour bedroomwindow at aYellow-belliedS a p s u c k e r

( S p h y r a p i c u svarius) who is

drilling rings around asmall but tolerant coconut palm located about three

feet from the window. She returns every morning toinvestigate the numerous circles she has drilled, checking forsap and insects.

Slightly further out, a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)is comfortably perched on a bald cypress looking over a smalldrainage pool for prey and quite oblivious to the Sapsucker.This species is very well represented down here and haslittle fear of humans, allowing opportunities to view themclosely and for long spells. The Florida species is slightly palerthan the Eastern variety but still a handsome bird. Weare fortunate to have the time to enjoy these wondrouscreatures and we look forward to their ar rival eachmorning when we open the shutters.

Last night we heard for the first time this season, thefamiliar song of two Chuck-will’s-widows (Caprimulguscarolinensis) calling to one another. Every February since wehave been coming down here, we look forward to this mourn-ful evening melody. It is sort of an anniversary song as weinitially heard it on our first night’s stay after closing on thehouse. However, after about three weeks of hearing it nightafter night, we have just about had it. We begin to cover our

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER

• Public Recreation/Education. With increased humanpopulation and decreased open space, there is littlequestion of the need to provide the public with the abilityto get outdoors and enjoy the natural world, while alsolearning more about it. WCT will open the Preserve to thepublic, lead educational walks and provide opportunitiesfor other organizations to use it for educational purposes.

• Wildlife habitat. While these 60 acres have provided goodwildlife habitat for many years, WCT will examine the landand determine ways to further enhance its value forwildlife. This may include changing the mowing scheduleso as not to interfere with nesting birds, planting nativegrasses, and protecting the woodland from deer browse.

• Scenic vistas for the passing public on GrubbsMill Road. As one of the most scenic public views in theCrum Creek watershed, Kirkwood Preserve will continueto please and inspire passing motorists, bikers, equestriansand walkers.

While a plan is being developed to manage the Preserve’sresources, the Trust will maintain a network of trails mowedthrough the grasslands, and with the assistance of one of ourpartners, Willistown Township, will develop a parking area toaccommodate visitors. Starting this summer, look for a signalong Grubbs Mill Road and an information board in the newparking area. And remember, this project could not havehappened without all of our partners: Natural Lands Trust,Chester County, and the taxpayers of Willistown Townshipthrough their Open Space Funds. The Trust also has a grantrequest pending with the PA Department of Conservation andNatural Resources to help complete the acquisition.

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Kirkwood Preserve continued from page 7.

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ears with our pillows and wish we could somehow help thesenocturnal lovers consummate the courtship and move on.

On rare occasions, we see the Chuck-will’s-widow at dusksitting on the road. But otherwisethey are evasive creatures andare largely known

only by their distinctive song. We were particularly concernedthat the hurricanes might have destroyed their breeding groundsbut happily, they proved resilient despite nature’s wrath.

Yesterday around sunset, Peter and I rode our bikes aroundthe Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge which is thewinter home for countless species of birds. At this timeof year you are likely to see on a regular basis, RoseateSpoonbills, White Pelican, Wood Stork, Night Herons,numerous warblers, woodpeckers and wading birds inaddition to river otters and alligators. At the visitor’s center,they post a daily list of the birds one might expect to encoun-ter on the island. Some of the more rare species for that dayincluded the Bonaparte’s Gull, the Whimbrel, and theMarbled Godwit. We did not see any of those thatevening, but we have on other occasions. It isalways fun to check the list.

We were sitting watching a Redish Egret dance and catchfish when Lillian and Don Stokes came along, Lillian sportinga Cannon camera with a very large lense attached. Lillian andDon have been coming down here for a number of years fromNew Hampshire. They are well known in birding circles fortheir numerous and very popular photographic birding guides.Lillian immediately started shooting a group of Willetsright next to us at the shoreline and then moved on to theirresistible antics of the Redish Egret. We began to talk withthem, discovering that Don was raised in Philadelphia and thendiscussed those birds that winter in Sanibel from our area.

CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW

COMMON MERGANSER

Lillian had spotted countless Cedar Waxwings and Robins onthe East end of the island and explained that these birds andthe warblers begin leaving for Philadelphia and beyond in lateMarch and early April. We can expect to see many of the birdsthat winter here back in Philadelphia by early May.

But believe it or not, I have been thinking of home and howin February all things begin to brighten and small harbingersof spring begin to appear. On our pond at home I wouldprobably be seeing the waterfowl return to the open waters —the Buffleheads, Mergansers and Ring-neck ducks. Bonniereported seeing a Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) very early inthe season on February 18 on the South Tract at Kirkwood.According to expert birder David Sibley, Killdeer havesignificantly declined in recent years due to changes inagricultural and other land uses. Conservation efforts in theWCT area help these species find the habitat they needto survive.

We are thinking about migrating up there along with therest of the snowbirds very soon.

I still enjoy hearing from all of you about what you areobserving around our beautiful countryside. The Trust isworking on posting a Sightings page on our Website to giveit a little more immediacy. As soon aswe have it up and running,I hope you willshare your keenobservations.

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Activities and Events

The Willistown Conservation Trust is proud to be aSponsor again this year for the Annual Stream Cleanup to beheld on Saturday, May 7th, from 9:00 to11:45 a.m. A picnicfor volunteers will follow beginning at 12:00 p.m. at RoseTree Park. This is the ninth year the Chester-Ridley-CrumWatersheds Association has organized this event which willtake place at more than 30 sites throughout the three watersheds.

TRUST TO SPONSOR CHESTER-RIDLEY-CRUMWATERSHEDS ASSOCIATION STREAM CLEANUP

Last year, Willistown volunteers led by Township resident,Gary Sheehan, cleaned up the headwaters of Crum Creekstarting at Lancaster Pike. The total trash removed byvolunteers from all thirty sites throughout the threewatersheds weighed in at over 12 tons! To learn more, or tovolunteer, please contact Anne Murphy, Executive Directorof CRC at 610-892-8731.

This event is part of “Creek Week” established byour friends at the Chester-Ridley-Crum WatershedsAssociation to raise awareness and encourage stewardshipof these three local creeks. Be sure to bring waterproof boots,binoculars and field guides.

JOIN US FOR A CREEK WEEK EVENT!Saturday, May 14th

at theWillistown Conservation Trust Kirkwood Preserve

Grubbs Mill Road, 1/4 mile north of Goshen Road, Willistown Township(on the beautiful Crum Creek)

7:00 A.M. COFFEE AND DANISH

7:30 A.M. BIRD WALK guided by Art McMorris, Ph.D.,an expert birder with the Audubon Society.

9:30 A.M. EXPLORE THE CREEK and discover stream crittersduring a fascinating interactive exhibit presentedby Stroud Water Research Center. Fun for kids!

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Activities and Events (Continued)

POND AND STREAM MANAGEMENT

WORKSHOPTO BE HELD IN JULY

Residents of Willistown and surrounding communitieswill have an opportunity to learn about pond and streammanagement at a workshop on Saturday, July 16th from 9:00to 11:30 a.m. The workshop is co-sponsored by the WillistownConservation Trust, the Chester-Ridley-Crum WatershedsAssociation and Willistown Township. The first part of theprogram will be held at Willistown Township’s Garrett MillRoad Park. The group will then move upstream to Lynn andTony Hitschler’s Garrett Mill Farm, recently preserved throughthe donation of a conservation easement to the Trust.

The workshop will feature a presentation and pond analysisby Dr. Winfield Fairchild of West Chester University, and astream buffer planting and field management walk led byStroud Water Research Center educator Vivian Williams.To register, please contact Trisha Lambert at 610-353-2562ext. 16 or [email protected]. Admission is $5.

RADNOR HUNT CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

September 9-11, 2005Now in its ninth year, the Concours d’Elegance is a nation-ally-recognized motor car event that attracts automobileenthusiasts from across the country. Event chairman MichaelG. Tilson III, an expert on the subject of classic sports andracing cars, first organized the Concours in 1997 and eachyear the event has drawn a bigger crowd. The weekend’s activi-ties include a road rally, black tie gala and exclusive car showlimited to 100 carefully selected entries.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Willistown ConservationTrust has been selected as a beneficiary of the Concours.We are grateful for the Concours Committee’s continuinggenerosity and support of our mission.

For more information about the Concours d’Elegance or topurchase tickets for the weekend’s events, please visit theirwebsite at www.radnorconcours.org.

Speaker: Dr. Robert S. RidgelyVice President for Endangered Bird Conservation

American Bird Conservancy

Join us in welcoming world-renowned ornithologist, BobRidgely, to the Willistown area on May 12th. Dr. Ridgely willregale us with birding stories that range from Central Americato our local countryside, including his 1997 discovery of anew bird species, the Jocotoco Antpitta. As a founder of theEcuador-based bird conservation organization, FundaciónJocotoco, Dr. Ridgely is a proponent of private reserve systemsas a conservation strategy for endangered tropical bird species.

You will leave the lecture itching for an opportunity to gobirdwatching in the tropics!

Bird Conservation...from the Tropics

to Willistown

ANNUAL DINNERLECTURE

Thursday, May 12, 2005Radnor Hunt

6:30 p.m.

SAVE THE DATE

“Golf and Good Nature” 3rd Annual Golf OutingApplebrook Golf Club

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Thanks to our Special Sponsors to Date:Claneil Foundation

Devon Hill BMW & VolkswagenMr. and Mrs. Francis L. Doyle III

Harvey Insurance GroupQuaker Funds, Inc.

TL Ventures

We Welcome Additional Sponsorships. Please Give Us a Call

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One day Lynn and I were with Lynn’s daughter-in-law,Caroline Claytor, when one of us mused out loud that someday we might be interested in acquiring a place with a barnand a stream. Lynn raised her family on a small farm and I hadalways had a little bit of a fantasy of owning a place largeenough to justify owning a real tractor.

Having been associated with the Delaware Chapter of TheNature Conservancy, I was vividly aware of the need toconserve land for our future generations. Lynn had beeninvolved in several garden clubs of Philadelphia in the TinicumMarsh project and felt equally strong about conserving landand water.

For many years, the Willistown Conservation Trust had beentalking with the Menghetti family, owners of Garrett MillFarm. At just about the time of our conversation with Caroline,Victor and Norma Menghetti had come to the magnanimousconclusion that they would like to sell the farm to aconservation buyer according to the plan proposed by the Trust.A year or so of discussions ensued and, ultimately, we werepresented with the wonderful opportunity to buy Garrett MillFarm. As Lynn and I have come to know the farm and have

Testimony of a Landowner

uncovered relics from the past, we are evolving a betterunderstanding of how previous owners of the farm lived overthe past 200 years. We learned how they dealt with life’schallenges when we came across the remains of a brick ovenbehind a wall, and when we discovered the open well in thecellar of the farm house. We also have a better sense of howpeople may view us 200 years from now.

While Lynn and I had always shared a rational understandingof how important it is for all of us to help with conservation,it wasn’t until we had actually bought Garrett Mill Farm andconserved it, that we truly understood the joy of knowing thatthis land will be much the same in 200 years as it was 200years ago.

The other part of our pleasure has been working with theTrust and the many people who have devoted their lives to theprocess of bringing the land and streams back to their idealstate. Clearly the uplifting feeling of caring for the future inthese ways is palpable every day for us.

We see ourselves as incredibly lucky and look forward tosharing this land and its resources with all, now and,hopefully, forever.

Lynn and Tony Hitschler explore Garrett Mill Farm with grandchildren Sam,Ben and Emily Claytor.

OUR AFFAIR WITH GARRETT MILL FARMby Tony Hitschler

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Come one, come all and participate in an old-fashioned barnraising to be held at Open Connections, located on DelchesterRoad south of Route 3, in Edgmont Township. The event isscheduled for June 18th and 19th, when the posts and beamsof a restored 1840s era timber frame barn will be raised byOpen Connections with help from the community. The barnraising will take place on 28 acres of land that is part of theformer Truxton Hare property. Open Connections purchasedthis beautiful farm in 2001 through the Trust’s conservationbuyer program, and generously donated a conservationeasement to protect its scenic and natural resources forever.

FRIENDS OF WCT ARE INVITED TO AN OLD-FASHIONED BARN RAISING

June 18th and 19th

In order to complement the existing old farmhouse whilefollowing environmentally friendly building practices, OpenConnections decided to purchase an old timber frame barn.“Purchasing the barn serves two great purposes. It willnot only save a beautiful, historic barn from demolition, but itwill also assure its future in a practical way to be enjoyed byfamilies for many years to come,” said Peter Bergson, co-founderof Open Connections.

For more information please call 610-459-3366 or visit theirwebsite at www.openconnections.org

Our present office at thecorner of Providence andGoshen Roads has served asthe Trust’s headquarterssince 1998. This small spacein the old saddle shop wasmore than adequate for thethree staff members at thetime, but today eight staffmembers are using the samespace. We’ve run out ofroom, and we’re sure oursteadfast landlords are run-ning out of patience! Thankyou, Franny and Rad, for supporting us for seven busy years!

With the preservation of Kirkwood Farm, the Trust waspresented with the wonderful opportunity to relocate to theold farmhouse on the property at 925 Providence Road.Thanks to the generosity of the new owners we have theopportunity to lease the farmhouse for 25 years. The Trustwill be undertaking renovations over the next couple of monthsto transform the farmhouse into a functional and efficientworkspace for our staff to carry on its good conservation work.We aim to move by early summer and hope you will stop by for a visit.

OUR NEWHEADQUARTERS

WILL INCLUDE:• A conference room that

can accommodate a fullBoard meeting, as well assmall workshops and/oreducational seminars;

• Offices that are more con-ducive to private meetings;

• A large work room forvolunteer activities, mail-ings and internal projects;

• A fully functional kitchen;• Plenty of storage space; and• Adequate parking for staff, volunteers and visitors.

We are delighted to announce that in December 2004, theMcLean Contributionship approved a grant of $50,000towards the farmhouse renovation costs. We are proud tobe included among the many worthy organizationsthe Contributionship supports. If you are interested insupporting the farmhouse renovation project, please contactBetsy H. Block, Director of Development and PublicRelations at 610-353-2562 ext. 13 or [email protected]

We’re Moving on Down the Road!

925 Providence Road ~ WCT’s future office!

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A few notable highlights:• In February, the Trust sponsored a lively dinner lecture

entitled “Birds in Peril and Strategies for Conservation,”featuring Steve Hoffman, Audubon Pennsylvania’sDirector of Bird Conservation.

• In May, we hosted the “Countryside Bash” to thank land-owners, easement donors, farmers and land managers, youngfriends, and our many supporters. Our friends, Esther andPaul Gansky, generously donated their field at “Heartwood”for the event, which drew over 550 people. This site,adjacent to the Trust’s headquarters, overlooks many acresof preserved countryside, and was the perfect setting tokick up our heels, celebrate our successes, and thank every-one who has joined in the conservation effort over the years.

• In September, the Trust served as the beneficiary of theRadnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance and the Radnor ProBull Riding Championship. Through the two events, WCTengaged over 60 volunteers and spread the word about theTrust’s conservation mission.

• And finally, the grand finale to the year-long celebrationwas the “Enchanted Woods Masquerade Ball” heldat Radnor Hunt in October. Costumes ranged fromwoodland creatures to Elvis impersonators, and guestsdanced the night away to the Ward Marston Band.

Thanks to all of you who joined inthe 25th year celebrations!

We’re looking forward to thenext 25 years of community conservation!

2004~A Year of CelebrationWhat a year it was!

2004 marked the 25th year of conservationin the Willistown community. In order to highlight

the accomplishments, engage current supporters and volunteers andbring new supporters into the fold, the Trust organized a series

of fun and informative activities throughout 2004.

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Karen Hartley, Megan Reese,Debbie Kimelblatt, Mary BethHurley and Rob Van Alen wereamong the 50 volunteers whoparticipated in Samba de Bull.

The professional bull riding eventbenefitted the Trust’s land

conservation efforts. We are gratefulto Graham Partners and

Lubert-Adler for their support.

The Board of Trustees of the WillistownConservation Trust is pleased to announce the

formation of the Sycamore Society to recognize themost generous donors to our annual fund. Donations to the annual fund

provide more than 35 % of our operating budget each year. We depend uponthese important gifts to fulfill our mission to protect the rural character and naturalfeatures of the Willistown countryside.

By making a gift of $1,000 or more in 2005, you will be considered a Charter Memberof the Sycamore Society. Special benefits of Charter Membership will include:

• Recognition on a permanent plaque in the Trust’s new office.• An invitation to a Sycamore Society recognition party in Spring 2006.• A set of limited-edition note cards printed for use by Sycamore Society members.

To learn more about making donations to the Trust please contact Betsy Block, Directorof Development and Public Relations at [email protected] or 610-353-2562 ext. 13.

SYCAMORESOCIETY

Samba 2004

THE SYCAMORE is printed on recycled paper.

THE SYCAMORE

SAVE THE DATE!

CELEBRATINGKIRKWOOD!

A fancy picnic supperon the Kirkwood Preserve

Sunday, October 2, 2005

Join us for an elegant country picnic to celebratethe creation of the 60-acre Kirkwood Preserve

and the protection of over 300 acres of Kirkwood Farm,located in the heart of Willistown.

Watch for your invitation this summer!

Sponsorships Available!

Documents

SycamoreSpring2005