Landview THE MAGAZINE OF THE LANCASTER COUNTY CONSERVANCY. The Conestoga Greenway in early winter

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1 FALL / WINTER 2012 Landview THE MAGAZINE OF THE LANCASTER COUNTY CONSERVANCY Saving NaturE for people and wildlife acres and growing. The Conestoga Greenway in early winter

2 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Moving Forward The Conservancy s current Strategic Plan was adopted in Since that time, we have successfully implemented the plan in key areas including addressing our urban landscape, improving our educational programs with the county s children, exploring the potential of developing earned income sources to supplement our charitable gifts and memberships, and advancing the potential for a permanent and visible headquarters for the Conservancy after more than 40 years as a renter. This fall, the Conservancy is embarking on the rewrite of our current plan that will guide the organization for the next 3-5 years. We have retained a consultant who has substantial experience with land trusts throughout the country. We are currently collecting information from our friends and supporters on what we are doing and should be doing, and will then evaluate that information and write a new plan with board, staff, volunteers and others helping and guiding. Everyone can help by providing feedback. There is a survey on our website, and some members have received it already if we have your address. Please help by completing this short survey. The work the Conservancy has done for more than 43 years is for the benefit of our county community. Help us make sure that we are focusing our efforts on the right stuff. As we collect opinions, we have heard some concern that we may be trying to do too much. That perhaps our mission is creeping to far afield of land protection. From the outside of our organization, with all that is happening with the LIVE Green merger, Urban Forest Center, Camp Snyder acquisition and our new education program efforts, I can see why some may be concerned. Is an active education program for children a stretch from our mission of saving land? Are we trying to purchase more land than we can afford to buy, or to steward effectively? Is urban greening and water quality improvement a stretch from our mission? I think about these questions in two ways: First, Can we raise enough support to succeed without threatening our 43 years of financial stability; and second, are we diluting our land protection capacity to protect the key natural resource Gems of Lancaster County. The board of directors and senior management ask the same questions as well as many others about what we are doing and our direction. We talk with community leaders, we compare and learn from other land trusts, and we make decisions very carefully. We don t always succeed at everything we try to do, but we have a strong track record of success. We plan and sequence our big efforts to avoid overly stressing our resources, but we know when we must act to protect critical lands, or assign extra resources and attention to stewarding or improving our lands. We often ask ourselves, why are we protecting critical lands through our acquisitions? It is not because we want to own more land, it is because we want to protect critical natural resources for people to use. We are Saving Nature for all residents and visitors of Lancaster County. But we know that we cannot save all the critical lands, waterways, wildlife habitats, hilltops and forests by owning rights in them. We must use a wider range of tools including land use regulation, helping landowners better manage their property and developers to better improve their properties, and community education so that decisions that affect our lands are made with the health of our lands and waters in mind. So working with urban residents, local and state officials, land owners, schools and youth-focused community organizations must be part of our palette of tools to carry out our mission. The key is to achieve a balance in how much we can do at any one time, and to build our base of support. We are doing this thoughtfully and systematically so that everything we do is done the best we can and that our organization stays strong as we increase our benefit to the people and nature of Lancaster County. Ralph H. Goodno, President & CEO 2 Landview Fall/Winter 2012

3 FALL / WINTER 2012 LANDVIEW THE MAGAZINE OF THE LANCASTER COUNTY CONSERVANCY IN THIS ISSUE LCC Fall/winter Events 3 Master Naturalist Certification 4 Historic Poole Forge Grant 5 Salvaging Trees 5 Black-Crowned Night Heron 6 Thank you 6 You can LIVE Green and Save It! 7 Look Out! Invasive Species 8 Blueprints 8 The Extraordinary Give 9 Hunting Seasons 9 Dine on Harvest Moon 10 Sharing Nature: LCC Annual Fund 11 Staff & Board 12 GET OUT THERE! fall/winter 2012 EVENTS Learn About Land Stewardship EVERY SATURDAY 9Am to 12pm Commencing Saturday, November 24th, and each following Saturday, Martin Stolpe (Felix Sylvius) will again begin his volunteer work stewarding Greider Run Nature Preserve along Willow Street Pike from 9:00 until noon. You will have an opportunity to learn about land stewardship and how it affects the vegetation, soil, wildlife, and the Conservancy s goals. Martin is always good for a story or joke; he has fun and you will too! Volunteer Oportunity HISTORIC POOLE FORGE As part of the Riparian Buffer Planting Plan through our William Penn Grant, we will remove invasive species and plant trees at the Historic Poole Forge site in Canaervon Township. This work will commence the beginning of November and continue into the spring when we finish the scheduled planting. We are in need of volunteers to assist us in removing brush and planting larger trees for the riparian buffer and live stakes along the stream bank. If you would like to take part in one of these opportunities, please contact Nate Ruckinger (nruckinger@lancasterconservancy.org or ) Fall/Winter 2012 Landview 3

4 LCC NEWS Lancaster County Conservancy to Host Master Naturalist Certification The volunteer training initiative Pennsylvania Master Naturalist is expanding its reach by partnering with five organizations across southeastern Pennsylvania. With training courses now in Lancaster, Philadelphia, Bucks, and Chester counties, Pennsylvania Master Naturalist will prepare substantially more citizens to become volunteer leaders in conservation education, citizen science, and stewardship. Pennsylvania Master Naturalist is based on a national model that promotes awareness, understanding, and stewardship of the natural environment by developing local corps of rigorously trained volunteers dedicated to conservation education and citizen science within their communities. Pennsylvania Master Naturalist is a year-long volunteer leadership program with three key components: an initial natural history training course, annual volunteer service, and continuing education in the natural sciences. Why is the Conservancy interested in hosting the Master Naturalist Program? The format of the program and the outcomes are a great fit for the Lancaster County Conservancy. Many organizations in our community depend on citizen volunteers for implementing education programs; for operating and maintaining parks, greenways and natural areas; and for providing leadership in local natural resource conservation and stewardship efforts. In fact, a short The program consists of 55 hours of instruction. (March 26 May 6, 2013). Two evening classes per week and three Saturday fieldtrips during the 10 week course. supply of dedicated and well-informed volunteers is often cited as a limiting factor for community-based conservation efforts. While training is a key component of the program, the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program also provides volunteer management and retention activities, and connects volunteers with service and ongoing education opportunities through partnering groups. The primary focus is to motivate these trained individuals to engage in natural resource stewardship of their communities. FOR APPLICATION, QUESTIONS, AND MORE DETAILS CONTACT MIKE BURCIN, LCC EDUCATION DIRECTOR: MBURCIN@LANCASTERCONSERVANCY.ORG How will our community benefit from the Master Naturalist program? Master Naturalist volunteer service projects actively engage youth, adults and families in the out-of-doors as well as motivate citizens to become environmental stewards through their local service projects. More specifically, volunteers plan outdoor educational experiences for schools, nature centers, and audiences of all ages; use social networking and web forums to connect people in their community to outdoor education and stewardship activities, engage the public in stewardship and outdoor activities. 4 Landview fall/winter 2012

5 LCC NEWS Historic Poole Forge: William Penn Foundation Earlier this year the Conservancy received a grant through the William Penn Foundation to prioritize critical protected and unprotected agricultural and natural lands and trail corridors along the Conestoga River in Caernarvon Township. LCC is partnering with the Lancaster Farmland Trust (LFT) to identify properties where LFT will protect farms through easements and LCC will protect waterways by installing riparian buffers. The goal of this partnership is to educate the community about repairing our waterways through protection and rehabilitation of riparian areas. As we worked through our analysis, Historic Poole Forge emerged as a very public and highly visible location to have a demonstration riparian buffer installation. It would not only benefit the site from a conservation standpoint but would also serve as an educational tool to the community and other visitors. The Poole Forge site once contained a mill dam, which held water back and trapped sediment behind the dam. That sediment has become known as legacy sediment. Though there has been much debate on the success of planting riparian buffers in legacy sediment, Stroud Water Research Center has successfully reforested riparian buffers in these types of soils. Through our planning process, we have identified the best approach to retain soil, strengthen the stream bank, and establish a successful riparian stream buffer. Plantings will provide habitat to attract birds and insects, but will also shade the stream to create better habitat for aquatic insects and fish. The vegetative species will also aesthetically enrich the landscape at Poole Forge as well, with the beautiful spring flowers of Eastern Redbud and Sweetbay Magnolia as well as the rich fall foliage of the Sugar Maple and Flowering Dogwood. We have been fortunate that Historic Poole Forge and Caernarvon Township have been willing to work with us on a project such as this, the first of its kind at the Conservancy. Starting this fall, we will begin removing invasive vegetation on site and planting native trees. Starting in March/April, we will finish implementation by installing live stakes and the remaining vegetation within the plan. Through proper management and care, this riparian buffer will establish itself within a few years and provide a blueprint for other landowners to do their part in repairing our waterways and conserving our natural resource. We would like to express our appreciation to the following woodworkers for the beautiful items they create for the Conservancy. Robert Gochnauer Don Wilson Tom Deneen Phil Reed Mike Freitag Ron Sheehan Dean Rust Kirk Kapp fall/winter 2012 Landview 5

6 HELP CONSERVE Black-Crowned Night Heron by allison mann, Volunteer If you keep your eyes and ears peeled while exploring the Conservancy s properties, you will have the opportunity to see or hear one of the many types of birds that inhabit Lancaster County. You may hear the scream of the Red-Tailed Hawk or the chirp of the Purple Finch. But a sound you may not hear as often is the squawk of the Black-Crowned Night Heron. The Night Heron can usually be found near rivers, creeks and streams or nesting in sycamore, maple, ash or birch trees, but slowly they are becoming endangered here in Pennsylvania. They are medium-sized birds, but stocky in appearance. Their bodies are mostly gray, with a lighter breast and the distinctive black crown on their head, which continues down the upper back. Their nests are cup shaped and composed of twigs, sticks, grasses and roots. Night Herons are social nesters and often found in colonies, which they are capable of maintaining for many years, as long as humans don t interfere. The downfall of living in a colony is, if something threatens one of the birds, it is very likely that the others will soon be affected. The reason the population of the Night Heron is so important is because their presence signifies good environmental quality, which also makes them more vulnerable to pesticides and other pollutants. Because of wetland loss and human encroachment, the nesting areas for water fowl have become scarce, which causes competition between species. The population of any species is important to monitor because in the environment, everything is connected. Even though the population of the Night Heron isn t at risk in the rest of the nation, we need to keep Pennsylvania s wildlife as abundant as possible. There are two important steps you can take to ensure the Night Heron s population does not decrease even further. First, if you are lucky enough to be near one of these birds or spot one while on a hike, make sure you keep your distance so you don t scare them away from their territory. Second, if you apply pesticides to your yard or plants, make sure you are aware of how to use them. Apply the pesticides at the right time of day, apply the correct amount, control runoff, and choose environmentally friendly pesticides. Stay ConneCTed with Conservancy News! Find us on Facebook, visit our website, and sign up for our newsletter. Lancaster.County.Conservancy Thank you! We would like to thank David Bassett for improving our Greider Run Nature Preserve along Willow Street Pike. He and his scout troop repainted the Greider Run sign, cleared the surrounding brush, and installed bee boxes for native solitary nesting bees. It s a great Eagle Scout project that can be seen by thousands as they drive Willow Street Pike each day! Thanks David! We would like to thank Nate Rahe and his group of volunteers for cleaning our barn at Homewood Nature Preserve as part of his Eagle Scout project. It was a project in need of attention. Lumber that has been harvested from Shiprock Nature Preserve will be stored in the barn for later construction use at the Urban Forest Center. Thanks, Nate! 6 Landview fall/winter 2012

7 LCC NEWS You Can LIVE Green and SAVE IT! Since joining the Lancaster County Conservancy, LIVE Green continues to build strong and healthy communities through environmental projects starting right here in Lancaster City. LIVE Green is working with Lancaster City on a long term Green Infrastructure plan to eliminate 750 million gallons annually of stormwater runoff that pollute Lancaster s waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. There are over 100 green infrastructure projects in some form of development in Lancaster City, which includes green roofs, porous paving in alleys and parking lots, vegetated curb extensions and rain gardens along streets and a comprehensive strategy to plant more trees. All together these projects are soaking up millions of gallons of stormwater and helping to improve our neighborhoods. Key to this effort is community education and outreach. Public service radio announcements remind residents to visit saveitlancaster.org, which provides simple ways to conserve water that will save money! Water conservation can be as simple as making sure to turn off the water when you re brushing your teeth and waiting to run the dishwasher or washing machine when they are full. In addition to conservation, the website offers concrete action steps, with fact sheets on all the green infrastructure technologies that residents could use to make improvements around your property to keep our waterways clean. LIVE Green s recent neighborhood of focus has been in the southeast quadrant of Lancaster City, where the City has focused on greening four neighborhood parking lots that will capture 1.6 million gallons of water. In addition to handling all the education and outreach around these projects LIVE Green has begun to work in the neighborhood elementary school George Washington to help develop an Outdoor Learning Community Garden that incorporates clean water education, with vegetable, pollinator, and native plant gardens. Just around the corner from the school is the community of Franklin Terrace where LIVE Green is working in partnership with the Conservancy stewardship program and the City of Lancaster Arborist to plant 40 shade trees and a 1.5 acre riparian buffer. When the project is complete the canopy on this 13 acre property will be increased from 36% to 52% serving as a model for other neighborhoods throughout the City. Planting trees reduces stormwater runoff and cooling costs when placed strategically near buildings, they provide aesthetic beauty and wildlife habitat while increasing property values! Visit SAVEITLAncaster.org to learn about all of these initiatives and more. The Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects has graciously presented the Conservancy s LIVE Green program with a $ donation. Randy Wright and Robert Shenk unveiled a giant version of the check at the June 13th Barnstormers double header, in Lancaster s Clipper Stadium with our LIVE Green s program Director, Fritz Schroeder, and LCC s President, Ralph Goodno. fall/winter 2012 Landview 7

8 Look Out! Invasive plant species are everywhere. Chances are you met up with one or more invasive species when hiking in one of our preserves or even in your own backyard. Invasive species are creeping up everywhere. The DCNR states that invasive plants are plants which grow quickly and aggressively, spreading and displacing other plants. Invasive plants impact the quality of our forests, woodlands, streams, wetlands, meadows and fields by outcompeting native plant communities thus altering healthy ecosystems and reducing native wildlife habitat. Pennsylvania lists 60 species of invasive trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and forbs that are wreaking havoc in the region. Ornamental pears, burning bush, oriental bittersweet, Japanese stiltgrass, and garlic mustard are examples of invasive species that dominate the landscape throughout the seasons. Another 16 exotic species on the watch list, such as butterfly bush and Japanese pachysandra, show signs of rapid spread. Sadly, the nursery trade continues to sell many invasive species. All have proven problematic at some level throughout our state costing tax payers time, energy, and money to manage. Education is the key to identifying and monitoring invasive species. Use an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach to management by using the least harmful method of removal first such as hand pulling, with the use of a pesticide or heavy equipment as last resorts to minimize disturbance. Once targeted species are removed, replace with native species. Finally, monitor annually to remove incoming infestations. Think twice before purchasing and planting invasive species. Sign up to volunteer removing invasive plants on our preserves and share what you learn with others. Our preserves and backyards deserve to be sanctuaries for native plant and animal communities for life. LCC NEWS Blueprints On October 10, 2012 Lancaster County became the second county in Pennsylvania to adopt an Integrated Water Resources Plan ( Blueprints ), as the Water Resources Element of the Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan. Blueprints is the result of a collaborative effort that proposes a systems approach to handling water resource issues by recognizing the interrelationships of the various components of our water system. Stormwater has historically either infiltrated into the ground (groundwater) or it has been collected and managed. Many times the water and what it carries with it (sediment, manure, pesticides, herbicides, petrochemicals from roadways, etc.) enters our streams and rivers (surface water). Managing stormwater without regard to sewer and water facilities, green infrastructure, and growth and transportation planning can negatively impact both the quality and quantity of our drinking water and the availability of surface and groundwater for other uses. The Conservancy has been protecting water resources for over 43 years. Acquiring and preserving forestlands, streams, and headwaters is the first step in protecting water resources. Recognizing that more is needed the Conservancy has expanded its efforts through initiatives such as our William Penn Foundation grant funded riparian buffer work, LIVE Green programs in Lancaster City, our collaboration with developers in conservation design, and work with municipalities in drafting Watershed ordinances that protect source areas, and Transferrable Development Rights ordinances that protect the forests. Through Blueprints the Lancaster County Planning Commission has proposed an organized and collaborative systems approach to the serious problem of sustaining water quality and quantity. We are looking forward to working with the Planning Commission and the many other partners who are working on water resources to move forward in an integrated manner to protect the water resources on which we all depend. INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES TUTORIAL: invasivetutorial/list.htm To learn more about Blueprints visit : 8 Landview fall/winter 2012

9 November 30: One Day to Make a Difference What is it? A day to show support for the Lancaster County causes you care about. A way to give a little extra. When is it? For all 24 hours of November 30, Who is organizing it? The Lancaster County Community Foundation in partnership with 200+ local organizations, including the Lancaster County Conservancy. Mark your calendar. Tell your friends. Choose an organization to support. Feel good. Make a difference. ExtraGive.org Why are we doing it? The Community Foundation is the epicenter of local philanthropy. They exist to help people who love Lancaster County give back. They are committed to strengthening our local community. They inspire giving by connecting you to the causes you care about. The Extraordinary Give is a special way to bring all of these things together. How Does It Work? On November 30, you can go to ExtraGive.org from your computer, Smartphone or device. Visit the pages of more than 200 local organizations, including the La ncaster County Conservancy and learn about how their work impacts Lancaster County. Make an online donation (min. $25) to your selected organization(s). There s more. The Community Foundation will stretch your gift with their $250,000 match fund! If the Conservancy raises 5% of the day s donations, we would receive 5% of the stretch fund. So come and be a part of the largest day of giving ever in Lancaster County. It promises to be a fun day with a HUGE IMPACT on Lancaster CountY. Hunting Seasons Here is a list of hunting seasons within Lancaster County and dates when you may or may not come across a camouflage or orange clad hunter when hiking. Remember, they are doing their part in habitat management and conservation by hunting so please respect one another in the woods. There are many ways to contribute to and enjoy nature and the outdoors! Note: We want everyone to be aware that hunters may be seen throughout the year when attempting to take coyotes, opossums, skunks, weasels, or woodchucks; there is no closed season for these species. Small Game (Grouse, pheasant, squirrels) October 13 through November 24; December 10 through December 24; December 26 through February 23 Deer Season - Archery September 29 through November 12; December 26 through January 12 Deer Season - In Line Muzzleloader October 13 through October 20 Deer Season (Rifle) November 26 through December 8 Deer Season (Flintlock) December 26 through January 12 Spring Gobbler April 27 through May 31st fall/winter 2012 Landview 9

10 Thanks to YOU... Dine On Harvest Moon was a wonderful success! Our collective efforts raised $64,000, well above our $50,000 goal! Of that total, $9,000+ was raised for the Camp Snyder special appeal. Friends old and new gathered to celebrate the Conservancy s work to protect natural lands, green our cities and share nature with children. We savored a delectable dinner and bid on terrific auction items. We also enjoyed great conversation about Camp Snyder Nature Preserve, the Urban Forest Center and our shared Lancaster County community. Special appearances by Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray and Annual Fund chair Jack Hubley and his great horned owl, Lester, were additional highlights of the evening. Don t miss Dine on Harvest Moon 2013! Thank you to our SPONSORS, many auction item donors, guests and supporters. Every SEAT was filled this year! 10 Landview fall/winter 2012

11 LCC 2012 annual fund Experiences in nature resonate throughout a lifetime. I ve been fortunate, or maybe it was just inevitable that my livelihood would spring from a lifelong interest in the natural world. But I know this: The choices I made professionally are a direct result of formative, enjoyable and memorable outdoor experiences I had as a child. As a multimedia advocate for the natural world, I try to educate my audiences through nature programs. I introduce folks very directly to the animals that share their world. I ve found that live animals play well to all audiences and that seeing live creatures is a battery recharger for people. In my more than 30 years of mentoring, and after hundreds of presentations bringing live animals close to people, I ve seen excitement, wonder and sometimes fear on the faces of my audiences. But the one thing I have never seen is indifference. There s hope and power in that knowledge. We want everyone to have the chance for formative outdoor experiences and to develop an understanding of how natural places enrich their lives. Please help the Conservancy continue Sharing Nature, with your gift to the Annual Fund. Sharing Nature LANCASTER COUNTY CONSERVANCY 2012 annual fund Thank you. Jack Hubley The Conservancy offers wonderful places to be outside! If you ve spent time on the trails at Fishing Creek, Bellaire Woods, Rannels Kettle Run, House Rock, Turkey Hill Trail,.. then you ve explored lands and waters protected by the Lancaster County Conservancy. We are working hard on natural lands protection and stewardship, environmental education, urban forest center planning, and greening Lancaster City. We need your support to continue these efforts. Recipe for instilling an environmental ethic... One large measure of eagerness in a child. Combine it with memorable opportunities to explore nature. Add the company of trusted mentors to share knowledge and give encouragement. It s happening! Provide freedom and security to forge independence. Season with experiences over a lifetime s connection to nature Share with the people in your life. fall/winter 2012 Landview 11

12 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. Postage PAID Lancaster, PA Permit No. 243 P.O. Box 716, Lancaster. PA Phone Fax: We encourage dissemination of this material Lancaster County Conservancy Editor: Bette Phillips-Hershey Design: Half-Full Design BOARD & STAFF Lancaster County Conservancy Board of DireCTors Henry W. Huffnagle, M.D. Chair Elizabeth H. Phillips-Hershey, Ph.D., Vice Chair Education Jeremy H. Chase, Vice Chair Land Protection William K. Ebel Jr., Vice Chair Stewardship Richard A. Minnich, Vice Chair Development Andrea Campbell, Vice Chair LIVE Green Curtis L. Miller, CPA, Treasurer John W. Kerlish, Secretary David Dobbins, Ph.D. Daniel C. Good, M.D. John McGrann Eric A. Nordstrom Carl Pike, Ph.D Richard M. Rankin Donald K. Roseman, Jr. Angela M. Sargent Carol Simpson Patricia T. Stockwell STAFF & contractors Ralph H. Goodno, President & CEO Jerry Fulmer, Vice President of Administration and Finance Theresa Shuman, Director of Development Thomas Stahl, Director of Stewardship Kathie Shirk Gonick, Director of Land Protection Betty Moyer, Office Administrator Fritz Schroeder, Director of LIVE Green Nancy Beachler, Administrative Assistant Lydia Martin, Land Steward Nate Ruckinger, Conservation Planner Nick Ebersole, Land Protection Assistant Mike Burcin, Director of Education Danene Sorace, LIVE Green Consultant MISSION The mission of Lancaster County Conservancy is to save and steward the ecosystems and landscapes upon which we depend for food, clean water and air, economic and public health, and the restoration of soul and spirit.