This May, Jean Preston signed an official Legacy Conservation Easement at the Willistown Conservation Trust's office, protecting 5.6 acres of land. Her scenic property, off of Dutton Mill Road, features a wooded area and pond that drains to Ridley Creek. The easement protects the land from further development and limits the property to one primary residence. A Legacy read more
Conservation Projects
15
June
13
June
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Protects 205 Acres in Laurel Highlands
This week the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced the protection of two properties totaling 205 acres in Dunbar Township, Fayette County that conserve forested ridges and headwater streams and expand both State Game Lands 51 and Ohiopyle State Park. A 72-acre forested property with extensive stream frontage on Bruner Run, a headwater stream to the Youghiogheny River, read more
8
June
Willistown Conservation Trust Announces Field Study Collaboration with Drexel University
Willistown Conservation Trust (the Trust) recently announced a collaboration with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (the Academy) that establishes the Trust’s geographic focal area—encompassing the headwaters of four major tributaries of the Delaware River (Chester, Crum, Ridley, and Darby creeks)—as an official field study site of the academy and Drexel read more
7
June
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and The Nature Conservancy Protect 2,400 Acres
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and The Nature Conservancy announced today that the two will protect over 2,400 acres of Sanctuary forestland for generations to come. “Hawk Mountain sits on the Kittatinny Ridge, a globally significant migration super highway. Our goal is to protect this international flyway and to guarantee that our refuge for raptors—and the people who enjoy read more
7
June
Pennsylvania Hits Farmland-Preservation Milestone
Pennsylvania is a national leader in farmland preservation, and today, Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding announced that the state has hit a major milestone, preserving 550,000 acres of farmland in the commonwealth over the last three decades. “By investing our energy and resources in protecting Pennsylvania’s farmland, we are not simply investing in commodities; we’re read more
4
June
Natural Lands and Partners Preserve Barnes Estate
Natural Lands is partnering with The Barnes Foundation, Chester County, and West Pikeland Township to place a conservation easement on 137 acres of the historic Ker-Feal property. Located in Chester County, Ker-Feal was built in 1775 and purchased by Dr. Albert C. Barnes, founder of the Barnes Foundation, and his wife Laura in 1940 for use as a country getaway. “Natural read more
31
May
The Conservation Fund Completes the Largest Purchase by a Land Trust in State History
The Conservation Fund has announced the purchase of 32, 598 acres of sustainable timberland surrounding the city of Johnsonburg in Elk and McKean counties. The purchase was made through The Conservation Fund's Working Forest Fund. It is the largest single purchase of land by a nonprofit conservation organization in Pennsylvania history. “We are in an entirely new era of read more
30
May
Heritage Conservancy Preserves Galearis Woods
"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." This John Muir quote is a favorite among nature lovers because it resonates with so many people. Within the context of the story of Charlie Jaeger and Adele Vessey, it means so much more. Charlie and Adele were each enjoying their own separate hikes about three years ago on Haycock Mountain in Haycock Township read more
16
May
Hawk Mountain Kestrel Cam Goes Live
For the fourth year, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is hosting a 24/7 live stream via a camera mounted within a local American Kestrel nest box installed by the Sanctuary. The live stream can be found at hawkmountain.org/kestrelcam. The American Kestrel Nest Box Program is part of Hawk Mountain's long-term study of kestrel reproductive ecology, now in its 65th year. The Kestrel read more
7
May
Land Conservancy of Adams County Preserves 36 Acres
The Land Conservancy of Adams County and a Franklin Township fruit grower recently preserved nearly 36 acres of woodland bordering Arendtsville. Ed and Linda McDannell, owners of McDannell’s Fruit Farm and Market on High Street in Arendtsville, preserved 35.97 acres of woodland in Franklin Township and Arendtsville Borough. The woodland includes a portion of the Conewago read more
2
May
Tinicum Conservancy Helps Preserve 57-Acre Farm
With the assistance of the Tinicum Conservancy, Carl Kwartnik and Maureen Santina recently conserved their 57-acre farm in Durham Township through the Bucks County Agricultural Open Space program and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program. The property sits on the upper southern slope of the Cooks Creek watershed, which is a Pennsylvania read more
1
May
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Opens ADA-Accessible Garden
Government, nonprofit and faith leaders gathered on May 1 in Shadyside to open Pittsburgh’s first ADA-accessible community flower garden. This new Western Pennsylvania Conservancy-owned community flower garden, located at the First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh, will provide and expand gardening opportunities for people with disabilities or other physical read more
26
April
Natural Lands, Delaware Highlands Conservancy, and Conservation Fund Preserve Former Scout Camp
A 1,054-acre former Girl Scout camp near Dingmans Ferry has become part of the National Park Service’s Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, permanently protecting it from development. In 2012, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) made the difficult decision to close Camp Hidden Falls in an effort to consolidate camp operations across the region and improve read more
24
April
Statewide Partnership to Plant 10 Million Trees
On Tuesday, national, state, and local partners gathered on a Lancaster County farm for the announcement of one of Pennsylvania's most ambitious, collaborative, and challenging efforts: the planting of 10 million trees by the end of 2025. Through the end of April, the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership will plant more than 31,000 trees at over 50 locations throughout the read more
17
April
27 Farms Preserved Through State Program
On April 16, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Reading announced that the state's Agricultural Land Preservation Board safeguarded 2,793 more acres on 27 farms during its recent meeting. "The farms preserved today exemplify our diverse production agriculture industry – each is unique in the products it grows and the people who call it home,” said read more
