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Winter Scenes and Cleaner Streams

Thursday, September 5, 2019

By: Jan Bowers, P.G., Director of Facilities, Chester County

As we prepare for the winter months ahead, learn about some of the challenges associated with keeping icy roads safe and waterways clean with this special guest article by Jan Bowers, P.G., Chester County's new Director of Facilities, and former Executive Director of Chester County Water Resources Authority (CCWRA). Throughout the years, monitoring has shown increased chloride levels over time due to a "runoff cocktail" of road and pavement deicers, wastewater treatments, fertilizers and animal manure. Read about how these increased chloride levels impact our waterways, as well as actions you can take to reduce your salt footprint at home.

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The Worms That Are Eating Our Woods

Monday, December 2, 2019

By: Land Stewardship staff

A walk in the woods here in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware should be through an understory that in springtime is lush and green with shrubs and bursting with colorful wildflowers. In the fall, the woods should be fragrant with a thick carpet of decaying leaves. Recently...

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History and Aftermath of the Southern Pine Bark Beetle in Nottingham County Park

Monday, August 26, 2019

By: Kelly Ford, Land Stewardship Intern

In the summer of 2015, pitch pines in Nottingham County Park and nearby sites started showing signs of stress. The crowns of the trees had started yellowing. Later, pea-sized globs of white resin were noticed on the bark of a few trees. At the time the Southern Pine Bark beetle was not yet considered a threat. They had been known to affect a damaged tree from time to time, but had never mounted a large infestation in Pennsylvania. By the fall of 2017 nearly every single pitch pine in the area was dead or dying. The infestation stretched from nearby state forest lands in the south to privately held tracts to the north.

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Foam in your Stream: Healthy or Harmful?

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

By: Lillia Schmidt, Brandywine Conservancy Intern

In these wet summer months, it is not unusual to notice a thick foam accumulating on the surface of your stream. Although it can look unnatural, even alarming, suds on your stream is not all harmful, depending on the type. The tricky part is identifying which foam you have and knowing what to do...

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Turtle Crossing: How You Can Help

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

By: Kelly Ford, Easement Stewardship Intern

You may have noticed an increase in the number of turtles out on the roads over the last couple of weeks.  This is because spring and early summer are the times turtles are moving about to find mates and a place to lay their eggs.  Pennsylvania is home to 14 different...

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