Heritage Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and protect our natural and historic heritage, and along with that ethos, we strive to connect our community with that heritage. We recently had just such an opportunity on a beautiful afternoon with the Girl Scouts of Troop 249 in Doylestown!

Heritage Conservancy staff member Shannon Fredebaugh took the Girl Scouts on a tour of our Jackson Pond Preserve in Buckingham Township, where there is a 4-acre pollinator meadow and a pond that allow for a variety of wildlife discoveries.

The group enjoyed exploring the meadow, and they stopped every so often to snap a photo of the beautiful butterflies and bumbling bees that are busy pollinating the meadow. They even saw a praying mantis! When they reached the pond, the girls were especially fascinated by duckweed, which looks like miniature lima beans covering the surface of the pond; this plant provides a helpful camouflage for wildlife that spends time near the top.

Since Girl Scouts always leave a place better than they found it, the group left their mark to help other visitors better connect with the preserve. Troop 249 is working on its Bronze Award, so the girls made giveaways for a Heritage Conservancy event that will allow even more community members to explore Jackson Pond, and they also made information signs to help visitors understand the various pollinators and insects that can be found in the meadow.

We were happy to have this opportunity to connect the Girl Scouts with nature and to help them along their way toward an award!