Over 600 Acres Of Ancient Land Turned Over To Chester County Land Trust

Hundreds of acres of ancient, ecologically vital wetlands have been officially turned over to a local conservation organization, which plans to open part of it as a public preserve.

The Frenc & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust received the conveyance of 675 acres of woodlands and wetland in the Chester County Great Marsh from The Nature Conservancy, they announced in a press release Wednesday.

The conveyance is part of a nationwide plan by The Nature Conservancy, a national private conservation organization, to localize land management efforts.

The Great Marsh contains seventy-five acres of wetlands, along with some of the cleanest water in the County, according to the Chester County Water Resources Authority.

This property is located in the upper reaches of both the Brandywine and French Creek watersheds, and remains geologically unchanged since the last ice age, over 10,000 years ago, the Trust noted.

It features mature woodlands, a rare freshwater marsh and is home to many native birds, including pileated woodpeckers, and rare game birds. The lands are also the site of avian and geology research projects conducted by Villanova University and Franklin & Marshall College.

Putting the creek in the hands of the Trust will allow for more public engagement with a cultural and environmental treasure.

“There will (now) be more programmatic uses,” the Trust’s executive director Andy Pitz told Patch. “And we intend to create a trail that will link this area with other nearby open space.”

The Trust will monitor and maintain the property, and said they plan to open up a portion of the land as a preserve in 2016.

“We are pleased to transfer the property to the Trust as they are in the ideal position to protect and manage the Marsh now and into the future,” Liz Johnson, Director of Ecological Management for the Pennsylvania Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, said in a statement. “Their vision, commitment to conservation and stewardship plan for the preserve will safeguard the quality of the wetlands, freshwater resources, and the unique habitats of this beautiful place.”

The bulk of the Great Marsh is located in East Nantmeal Township off of Route 401.

Image courtesy Franklin and Marshall University.