A Productive and Enlightening Summer for Heritage Conservancy Interns

The Heritage Conservancy conservation stewardship interns from this summer. Each summer, Heritage Conservancy hosts four conservation stewardship interns who assist our stewardship staff in managing the nature preserves we own, all while gaining insights from various professionals in the field. These college students aim to pursue careers in conservation and will apply the skills they […]

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A Vibrant Celebration of Nature at Pollinator Palooza 2024

What a day we had at Pollinator Palooza! Our amazing partners and volunteers turned the event into a vibrant celebration of nature, creativity, and community.   Kids at the Lego table had a blast building their own aquatic worlds, crafting everything from bugs to plants and imagining their very own ecosystems. Nearby, our hand-blown glass […]

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Heritage Conservancy and Warrington Township Conserve Nearly 175 Acres of Open Space

Reaching a massive milestone, Heritage Conservancy recently partnered with Warrington Township to ensure that open space dedicated as part of residential developments will remain open and accessible to the public, as it was intended. Zoning Change Several years ago, Warrington Township Supervisors enacted a zoning change that provides an incentive for developers to cluster planned homes […]

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Cedar Waxwings: Beyond the Beauty

Pennsylvania is home to an amazing array of bird diversity. As of 2024, over 430 species of birds have been reported from the Keystone state – a fair portion of which are consistently encountered. Of those species, there are a handful who elicit a great deal of appreciation from outdoor enthusiasts. Some, like the Long-eared […]

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A Very Brief History of Southeastern PA’s Geology

4.6 billion years is a long story to tell within a human lifetime, let alone a single article, yet here I am trying to sum up PA’s place – southeastern PA in particular – in Earth’s history in roughly 2,000 words. Why? Because I’ve found that understanding our place in the world of rocks builds […]

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Community Outreach: Engaging All Ages in Environmental Education

Every month, our community outreach programs garner a huge amount of interest and engagement, from people of all ages. From experienced bird-watching enthusiasts to excited middle school students, our programming provides something for everyone. Often led by our Community Engagement team Kaylyn Brindisi, Shannon Fredebaugh-Siller, and Whittier Henke, Heritage Conservancy’s outreach and education comes in […]

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Pawpaw: A Big Fruit in Need of Bigger Love

If you’ve never heard of the fruit and tree known as Pawpaw, you’re not alone, and if you have heard of it, chances are you’re a big fan. As the largest edible fruit native to North America, the Pawpaw has a lot to offer, but it has largely gone under-appreciated in recent years. Small Tree, […]

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Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

We gathered together at Aldie Mansion to celebrate our volunteers during our September 13th Volunteer Appreciation Celebration. “Our volunteers are the backbone of our work and help us provide for the community,” says Development Associate Melissa Lee. “We wanted to celebrate them and all they do for us!” We enjoyed delicious local food, drinks, and […]

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Chimney Swifts: A Species in Decline

A chimney swift darts over a pond in Prospect Park in NYC. Photo by Ryan Mandelbaum. Introduction The US Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) published its State of the Birds 2022 report last fall. Among its key findings is a list of birds whose populations have fallen by half between 1970–2019, […]

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Find These Three Mushrooms of Summer

We’ve reached the depths of summer, as evidenced by intense waves of heat and humidity. Solace from our powerful sun awaits beneath the shade of trees, and lucky for us, interesting organisms exist there too. Mushrooms occupy the forest floors throughout the year, but in late summer – and even more so in early fall […]

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