Over 200 guests gathered at Heritage Conservancy’s Russell-Mandel Nature Preserve on Saturday, June 15 for the annual Farm to Table fundraiser. From happy hour with music to plein air painting, an auction, and farm-fresh dinner in the fields, it was a night to remember! The event is one of Heritage Conservancy’s biggest fundraisers of the […]
Heritage Conservancy has been honored with the 2024 Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for its Nature Preserve Species Surveys and Educational Programs at its Croydon Woods Nature Preserve. The reclaimed Superfund site has become a neighborhood jewel, with trails used by community members and students. The award specifically recognizes community science, education, and biodiversity […]
On the first Saturday in April, Heritage Conservancy unveiled a colorful new mural highlighting the biodiversity and hiking appeal of Croydon Woods Nature Preserve. The work includes student artists from nearby Harry S. Truman High School and features plant and animal species from Croydon Woods – a habitat that has been actively improved under the […]
The environmental challenges that we face across the globe are daunting and overwhelming for us as adults to navigate, I can only imagine how helpless kids may feel about some of it, so giving them tools and strategies on how to help in their little, but impactful ways can be so empowering! I’ve personally used […]
They say the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the next best time is today. There are many good reasons to plant a tree. At Heritage Conservancy, we are primarily concerned with forest regeneration along streams, hard and soft mast production for wildlife, and trees and shrubs that support the […]
From procedural improvements for the Board to his critical assistance in the saving of Aldie Mansion, Chris Chandor has contributed much to Heritage Conservancy in the last three and a half decades. He just celebrated his 35th year serving on our Board of Directors, and his skills, energy, and time have helped shape the organization […]
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 […]
The white-tail deer is cute, yes. Over the past decade, many of us have enjoyed increased backyard visitation and photo ops from an expanding deer population. We may also have cursed them for the scat they leave behind and for the way they shamelessly devour our gardens and landscaping. The unluckiest of us may have […]
The landscape is transforming, as it always does this time of year. Vegetation becomes more nuanced, more colorful, and gradually returns to the earth. Within these new blankets of leaf litter, you’ll find a variety of interesting organisms, including amphibians, invertebrates, and perhaps most notably, mushrooms. For National Mushroom Day this past Sunday, Luke Smithson, […]
Photo by Kara Foran. This past spring, Heritage Conservancy hosted a BioBlitz event at our Croydon Woods Nature Preserve. This 24-hour biological survey was a huge success as staff, biologists, and community scientists identified hundreds of species that utilize the preserve. To conduct the surveys, professionals and community scientists used multiple traps and visual encounter […]
