Did you know that Pennsylvania is home to three native magnolia species? These ancient flowering plants are known for their large flowers that originally evolved before most of the pollinating insects we see today. Umbrella magnolia (Magnolia tripetala) starting to flower at Croydon Woods Nature Preserve Heritage Conservancy owns and manages Croydon Woods Nature Preserve, […]
The history of St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church in Newtown dates back to the early 1800s and played an important role in the life of the African American community in Newtown. Today’s church and its devoted congregation continue to serve as a vital source of fellowship, spirituality and community outreach. The present-day […]
Our second annual nature writing contest, 100 Wild Words, challenged kids to connect with nature in their community and capture the experience in 100 words or less. Winners were announced at a literary reading last month hosted at Margaret R. Grundy Library in Bristol, at a gathering that celebrated local connections to nature and the […]
In January, Heritage Conservancy partnered with Moore Township, Northampton County, to preserve 24 acres of valuable woodlands and wildlife habitat. The newly preserved property consists of gentle to steep slopes covered in a valuable patchwork of natural features from meadow to forest. The combination of meadow, shrubland, young forest, and streams provides habitat for a […]
When hiking in the woods in winter, it is easier to see details one might overlook during the warmer months. In the absence of leaves and flowers, things like the textures of bark, the beauty of different shades of brown, and the shapes of rocks stand out more boldly. One such star of the bleak […]
What is Community Science? It is scientific data and projects that are collected and undertaken by the public — not just scientists and biologists, but everyday people out in the field, logging what they see, helping count local wildlife populations, reporting their observations and experiences, and using various apps to share information. Some may know […]
The Honorable William Hart Rufe III, known affectionately to friends and family as Hart, passed away at the age of 92 in Ft. Pierce, FL, on January 14, 2025, due to natural causes. Born on September 6,1932, in Sellersville, PA to parents William Harold and Frances Appenzeller Rufe, Hart was the oldest of four children, […]
This past December, Heritage Conservancy preserved a total of 60 acres of Bucks County natural and farmland in three separate Conservation Easements. All of these easements closed in the same week! This brings our 2024 tally to 335 acres of conserved land. Conservation easements put in place by Heritage Conservancy allow private owners to protect […]
Boots on the Ground: Conservation in Action Mary Lou McFarland pulls into a small gravel parking area just off a main road in Dresher on a crisp fall morning. She is outfitted in a neon yellow vest for visibility to hunters and carries an iPad, pepper spray, and chocolates. Our boots on the ground, Mary […]
Despite climate change, things still get pretty frigid here in the northeast. You can see it in aquatic environments, where surface waters fall still, momentarily becoming sheets of ice. Small ponds transform into arenas for ice hockey, and lakes and reservoirs offer ice fishing opportunities for men much braver than I. Even stretches of rivers […]
