After two years of research, community engagement, and strategic planning, the Mason-Dixon/Arc Corner Heritage Interpretation and Connectivity Plan is entering its final review phase. This initiative brings together four neighboring municipalities—London Britain, New Garden, Franklin, and Elk Townships—to celebrate and share their region’s unique history while strengthening connections between heritage, community, and recreation.

Beautiful and peaceful, ponds grace our neighborhoods, parks, and backyards with a sense of calm and connection to nature. They provide quiet places for reflection, shelter for wildlife, and essential support for healthy ecosystems.

The Chester County Planning Commission has long been a valued partner of the Brandywine Conservancy and a dedicated advocate for land conservation, outdoor recreation, trails, and community planning initiatives. We recently had the chance to sit down with their new Executive Director, Matt Edmond, who previously spent 20 years working at the Montgomery County Planning Commission. Read on to learn what inspired Edmond to pursue a career in local planning, his goals for the future of the county, and ways everyday citizens can get involved.

When most people think of bees, the image that comes to mind is likely the European honeybee (Apis mellifera). But while honeybees are crucial pollinators and support agriculture globally, they are not native to North America. In Pennsylvania alone, over 400 species of native bees quietly work behind the scenes, doing their part in maintaining the health of local ecosystems, supporting agriculture, and preserving biodiversity through providing the critical ecological service of pollination. Understanding the importance of native bees in our state is crucial, especially as they face mounting threats from habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and competition from non-native species.