Local Non-Profit Helps Explore and Conserve Nature

MEDIA–For more than 50 years, Natural Lands Trust, which was a bird watching group in the 50s that later formed the land preservation organization, continues its mission to preserve and maintain lands. It has accumulated more than 20,000 acres of nature preserves throughout eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

Natural Lands Trust or NTL's headquarters is located on the Hildacy Farm Preserve in Media, . It's part colonial farmhouse and part modern "green" building. Hildacy is 55 acres of trails and paths that run through wetlands, meadows and wooded area. The preserve is open to the public for hiking, walking, bird watching, or just connecting with nature. Hilda and Cyril Fox who raised horses and German Shepherds, donated the property.

The goal of NLT is to find parcels of natural land and conserve them. They work with municipalities, individuals and they even consult township or state parks on how to conserve their natural elements.

"On the larger scale we look for ecological features and habitat that say to us 'this is a special place, it is deserving of out attention and efforts to protect it,'" explained Molly Morrison, president of NLT.

The group works in several ways and offers many services to provide help in conserving land. The major part of their work is to acquire the land. They can buy it outright or sometimes the land is donated. Once they own the land, NLT works towards redeveloping the property to create an original and native habitat.

NLT and a team of volunteers will work to remove invasive (non-native) plants and replace them with new native plants to help improve the quality of the ecosystem. For example, ponds are actually not a native landscape to this area. NLT will transform the pond back into a wetland area. Ponds absorb heat from the sun and if not maintained can be overtaken with algae. Wetlands, on the other hand, will attract native plants, wildlife, and provide a quality water source.

NLT will also work with individuals in conservation easements. With a conservation easement owners give up the right to develop their land, but this also prevents anyone else from doing that as well. While, this sometimes detracts from the value of the property, there are many benefits, for example, this process has allowed families to keep family homes because taxes are less.

"We've had children say, 'We're going to put an easement on the property because that's what mom and dad would have wanted, they would want this land to be protected.' So it becomes a very personal experience," said Morrison.

The key to a conservation easement is communication with the landowners, who have to do their part in maintaining the land. NLT does perform yearly check-ups on the property to enforce the term of the easements.

NLT also works with municipalities to develop conservation plans. Last year they helped acquire Mineral Hill, which are valleys right above Ridley Creek just west of Media. It was clear to NLT the value of this land. The wooded area features many stone specimens and crystals. In addition to its geological significance, Mineral Hill is part of a 100-acre open space that protects Ridley Creek at the intake point for the water treatment plant west of Media. It has now been added to Middletown Township's systems of parks.

There is always a need for volunteers at NLT, and you won't be on the phone begging for donations. Kirsten Werner, the director of communications, explained that volunteers at NLT are very hands-on and they do get dirty. Many volunteers help plant trees and maintain the preserves.

"If you don't have a yard, come out to ours, we have plenty of them," she said.

Visit a Force of Nature for more information on volunteering at NLT.

Other NLT perseves in the area include:

• Wawa Preserve, Media—77 acres

• Stroud Preserve, West Chester—574 acres

• Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve, Ambler—279 acres

• Saunders Woods Preserve, Gladwyne—25 acres