Sacred Heart Academy In Bryn Mawr Gets New Native Trees Planted

BRYN MAWR, PA – Normally, Sacred Heart Academy is a quiet place of study and learning. But on a recent Saturday, this Bryn Mawr school saw a busy group of volunteers planting native trees in the wetlands on Sacred Heart’s campus, along Meadowbrook Run.

According to Sue Miller, Director of Darby Creek Valley Association, "Protecting and rehabilitating wetlands like the one at Sacred Heart Academy, bringing back its former beauty, boosts the health of the entire Darby Creek watershed.

"DCVA Board member Derron LaBrake, a Professional Wetland Scientist and Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward, was instrumental in identifying the scope of the project, and Board member Ann Jackson has done a terrific job coordinating the work since it began last winter," Miller said.

"The tree planting event was a complete success," Jackson said. "Sacred Heart Academy deserves so much credit for supporting the work. Their students, parents and staff have all come out on many occasions to pitch in, and it’s a true partnership between DCVA and Sacred Heart."

"We’re grateful for financial support from the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, TreeVitalize Watershed, Delaware County Conservation District, and a couple of local contractors that donated services," Jackson said.

This event was the latest step in an ongoing effort to strengthen the upland and wetland meadow environments on school property.

Native tree species attract native pollinators to the area, erosion is reduced, and natural balance is restored to the downstream Darby Creek watershed, which drains the eastern half of Delaware County.

Tree planting volunteers at work near Meadowbrook Run on the campus of Sacred Heart Academy in Bryn Mawr

The Sacred Heart tree planting crew, led by Darby Creek Valley Association’s Ann Jackson (far right)

Images via Darby Creek Valley Association