Monday, March 30, 2020
By: Susan Charkes, Easement Steward
In the best of times, and in the least best of times, nature’s seasonal rhythms provide a comforting sense of order. Spring wildflowers remind us that beauty is precious and worth taking note of. Enjoying flowers is an antidote to anxiety,...
Read MoreSunday, June 2, 2019
By: Kelly Ford, Easement Stewardship Intern
Many invasive species become such a large and familiar part of our landscape that we stop noticing them. Common Reed or Phragmites australis may be one of these plants. It lines highways, fills drainage basins, dominates floodplains and in some places covers thousands of acres. It is so common that even though it often grows to well over 10 feet, we barely notice it. In the northeastern United States and Canada this one plant has cost millions to state and local economies.
Continue ReadingThursday, May 30, 2019
How would you feel about a visitor who arrives without warning, then decides to camp behind your house for a few weeks, singing loudly and raising a family? And oh yes, he’s brought a dozen friends?You might feel differently if your visitors are Bobolinks. These brilliantly colored...
Continue ReadingFriday, May 10, 2019
By: Melissa Reckner, Program Manager, Penguin Court
In 2015, the Brandywine Conservancy took ownership of Penguin Court, Richard M. Scaife’s former family estate in Laughlintown, Westmoreland County, PA...
Continue ReadingThursday, February 21, 2019
By: Susan Charkes, Easement Steward
In spring, keep your eyes and ears open to experience one of nature’s most amazing phenomena: bird migration. Using both modern technologies and old-fashioned observation, scientists are learning more about where birds go and what they need to survive the journey.
Continue ReadingWednesday, February 20, 2019
By: Jillian Pyle, Easement Steward
The blooming of ephemeral flowers is one of the early signs that spring has finally sprung, and warmer weather is—hopefully—here to stay. However, not all spring ephemerals are a welcome start to the season. Don’t let the sweet buttercup appearance of lesser celandine fool you. This early, sprouting invasive species grows vigorously, quickly forming large mats and outcompeting native ephemerals before they even have a chance. Lesser celandine can wreak much havoc in its short lifecycle which makes early detection and control key to protecting our native nectar sources of spring.
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