b'RESOURCE PROTECTIONContinued management and maintenance of protected lands is vital to keeping natural ecosystems healthy. Heritage Conservancys staff and dedicated volunteers care for and support our important natural resources throughout the year.Stewardship is everyones responsibility, and the environment needs your aid.To get involved, visit the Volunteer section of our website.+Bristol Marsh helps to naturally filter the Delaware River, whichprovides drinking water to over 17 million people. To celebrate RiverDays, our staff joined over 25 volunteers to remove trash from the area. By removing this litter, harmful materials were prevented from polluting the marsh and subsequently polluting our drinking water. Volunteers worked both on land and on the water, collectingapproximately 1,200 pounds of debris and demonstrating their dedication to keeping these critical natural resources clean.SPOTTED! This eastern rat snake was spotted on a property located PAW PAW NATIVE TREESin the Cooks Creek Watershed, Are you looking for interesting nativea vital ecosystem that Heritagetrees to introduce onto your property?Conservancy has proudlyPawpaws have the largest and mostfacilitated the preservationtropical looking fruit of any nativeof thousands of acres. Eastern tree in Pennsylvania! Over the pastrat snakes live in farmlands, few years, our conservation stewardsfields, and woodlands and have started planting them on someuse their excellent swimming of our preserved properties and areand climbing abilities to catch expectantly awaiting fruit in the comingtheir food. We are happy toyears. The fruit are only ripe for a fewbe preserving open spacesdays in mid-to-late September, addingfor these amazing creatures further excitement to the species. and more!14'