| Look for us on social media!  
|
Heritage Conservancy
Members Photo Contest
Photo by Brian Firth, a winner of Heritage Conservancy's 2016 Members Photo Contest
Sunday, January 15th to Saturday, April 15th
Capture our region's natural and historic heritage! Our 2016 Members Photo Contest winners are featured in our 2017 wall calendar. For this year's contest, we're asking our members to send us their best photos that celebrate our natural and historic heritage in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Up to twelve winners may be chosen to have their photo included in our 2018 Heritage Conservancy calendar and will be honored at our Garden Party in June 2017.
Must be a Heritage Conservancy member to enter; free to members. Visit our website AFTER January 15th for a contest entry form, or at any time to become a member.
Click
HERE
for more information.
|
Bristol Marsh Cleanup in honor of
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, January 16th
Beginning at 10:00 AM
Bristol Marsh
159 Basin Park
Bristol, PA 19007
A rare freshwater tidal marsh, the Bristol Marsh Nature Preserve is home to more than 350 types of plants and animals. Come out on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and donate your valuable time to helping us keep this special habitat clean and healthy. Light refreshments provided. Please register at 215-345-7020 or [email protected].
For more information, click HERE.
|
O
wl Prowl
Saturday, January 21st
(Inclement Weather Date: January 28th)
7:00 to 9:00 PM
The Market at DelVal
2100 Lower State Road
Doylestown, PA 18901
Whooooooo knows about owls?? Diane Allison, a birding expert, does and will share her knowledge with us in an indoor presentation at The Market at DelVal, complete with hot beverages. Then we will carpool a short distance to Hart's Woods Preserve, Heritage Conservancy's first preserved property, where we will try to engage an owl or two living in Hart's Woods.
Free for Heritage Conservancy members, $10 for nonmembers. Children 12 and under are free but require supervision. Please register at 215-345-7020 or
[email protected].
For more information, click
HERE.
|
Bucksville House: Eyewitness to History
Saturday, February 11th
4:00 to 7:00 PM
Nockamixon Township, PA
Explore this historic Bucks County farmhouse! Jeffrey L. Marshall tours us through this 19th-century structure that was once an important stop on the stagecoach route from the Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia and New Jersey. Nicholas Buck settled there in the late-1700s and established a tavern and inn for stagecoach travelers. Buck's family owned the property for over 80 years, and his son built the Bucksville House in the 1840s, continuing the family tradition of running a hotel. The property also witnessed the practice drilling of the local militia in the early 19th century, and was a place for locals to cast their vote during elections.
$20 for Heritage Conservancy members;
$35 for nonmembers. Light refreshments.
Limited number of attendees;
|
Staying Out of Landfills: Ways for Your Business to Achieve Greater Sustainability through Recycling and Diversion
Thursday, February 16th
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Aldie Mansion
85 Old Dublin Pike
Doylestown, PA 18901
Reduce your carbon footprint! Dieter Scheel, VP and Business Development Manager of Sustainable Waste Solutions (SWS) of Souderton, PA, will discuss ways for your own business to improve your process of streamlining recycling practices and sustainably diverting waste from landfills. SWS is a NSF-certified Landfill Free Facility, and they provide a unique approach to sustainable Landfill Free services for customers such as Merck, Crayola, Just Born, Sam Adam's PA Brewery, Johnson & Johnson, Hatfield Quality Meats, Asher's Chocolates, the Philadelphia Eagles and many more.
Free for Heritage Conservancy members, $10 for nonmembers. Light refreshments.
Please register at 215-345-7020 or [email protected].
Click HERE for more information.
|
Any time of year is perfect for a wedding at historic
Aldie Mansion!
Visit our
for details.
|
|
Not one but TWO preserved properties in December so far!
The recently preserved 25-acre Ziegler property
On Friday, December 16th, Heritage Conservancy pitched a doubleheader! Jeff Marshall, our President, and Laura Baird, our Senior Land Conservationist, attended back-to-back conservation easement settlements on two properties in Springfield Township.
The first property was the 25-acre Ziegler property. Important natural resources on the property include prime agricultural soils and a tributary of Cooks Creek. Heritage Conservancy is the main holder of the easement, and Bucks County and Springfield Township provided funding for this project.
The second property was the 45-acre Pitcairn property. Important natural resources on the property include prime agricultural soils, woodlands, and a tributary of Cooks Creek. Heritage Conservancy is the main holder of the easement, and Bucks County Agricultural Land Preservation Program and Springfield Township provided funding for this project.
Both the Ziegler and Pitcairn properties are adjacent to Springfield Township's Peppermint Park.
The recently preserved 45-acre Pitcairn property
The rolling hills, woods, and farm fields of Springfield Township are breathtaking. Because of the vision of Springfield Township's supervisors, this will be a lasting legacy to be passed on to future generations.
We hope to settle on two more properties before the end of 2016. We look forward to sharing the good news with you early in 2017!
|
Heritage Conservancy's Christmas at Aldie Fundraiser Benefits
Our Area's Natural and Historic Heritage
We kicked off the holiday season on Sunday, December 4th, with our 28th annual Christmas at Aldie fundraiser. More than 200 guests filled the halls of Aldie Mansion to rally behind the preservation of our area's natural and historic heritage. With a delicious meal prepared by Jeffrey A. Miller Catering and enthusiastic supporters who share a passion for conservation, the evening celebrated Heritage Conservancy's conservation successes within our community.
The stately 1927 Aldie Mansion began its history as the private residence of William and Martha Mercer; William was the younger brother of Henry Chapman Mercer, Bucks County's acclaimed tile-maker and archaeologist. An ode to the English Tudor manor, Aldie Mansion evokes a time in America when craftsmanship reached an art form. Complete with watchful gargoyles, vintage leaded glass windows and intricate brickwork, the mansion's survival throughout the years is the result of community support. By adaptively reusing the mansion as its office and a special events venue, Heritage Conservancy safeguards this historic Bucks County landmark and community gathering space.
And gather the crowd did. Aldie Mansion's lavish holiday décor set the stage for holiday cheer and excitement while cocktail hour brought new friends together with old ones. Afterward, guests retired to the ballroom for a gourmet dinner followed by a rousing live auction and a focus on Heritage Conservancy's mission of preserving and protecting our natural and historic heritage.
Auction paddles went up left and right. The mission appeal centered on funding for the purchase and installation of preserved property signs. The Conservancy hears it quite often: "I first heard about Heritage Conservancy when I saw one of your preserved property signs along the road!" Heritage Conservancy's signs serve as great marketing tools to spread the organization's message and show first-hand the impact of its work.
"Heritage Conservancy's signs teach people what we do, show our respect for the land and inspire others to help us do more," said Jeff Marshall, President of Heritage Conservancy, while addressing the group. "They also show the pride of property owners and their belief that, working together, we can keep our special places special forever."
To close the evening, the crowd was treated to festive entertainment provided by the Central Bucks East High School Select Choir. The choir caroled from Aldie Mansion's Great Hall balcony to Christmas at Aldie guests down below; the von Trapp Family Singers of The Sound of Music acclaim sang from this same balcony close to 75 years ago during one of the Mercers' Christmas parties.
Our Christmas at Aldie Committee
Guests went away from the evening with a feeling of merriment and a deeper understanding of the importance of Heritage Conservancy's work in our community.
To view more photos from the event, click
HERE.
Heritage Conservancy extends special gratitude to the Christmas at Aldie sponsors. Presenting Sponsors: Cross Keys Place Shopping Center; Fox Rothschild LLP; Jeffrey A. Miller Catering; PennColor; The Thompson Organization; Zaveta Custom Homes. Cocktail Hour Sponsor: Eastburn & Gray, P.C. Supporting Sponsors: Bucks County Orthopedic Specialists; Eiseman Roofing and Construction Company; Inc., Univest-Banking, Insurance, Investments; and Wilmington Trust/ M&T Bank. Participating Sponsors: BB&T, Brooks & Barber Tree Management; Covenant Bank; Feeney's Wholesale Nursery, Inc.; Fulton Bank; Hill Wallack LLP; Langan Engineering and Environmental Services; Phillips & Donovan Architects, LLC; Pritchard, Bieler, Gruver & Willison, P.C.; Solid Products, LLC; and Wildlife Conservation and Game Management, LLC.
|
|
A Cleanup at Sol and Rose Preserve
On Saturday, December 10th, Heritage Conservancy hosted a cleanup at our Sol and Rose Preserve and enlisted the help of the Boy Scouts of America from the Washington Crossing Council's Order of the Arrow.
Heritage Conservancy's Sol and Rose Preserve is an approximately 25-acre property consisting of floodplain wetland forest, with a diverse plant life that includes black locust, tulip poplar trees, and white ash trees. Located along the Delaware Canal near Washington Crossing State Park, our Sol and Rose Preserve contains its own walking trail, which provides an enjoyable detour off of the D&L Trail towpath close by.
It was a blustery day, but the vital upkeep of the property kept everyone busy. It also helped that the group had a friendly mascot to rally them on: Max the Dog, who belongs to our Director of Resource Protection, Kris Kern.
Throughout the morning and afternoon, Scouts and Conservancy staff members worked vigorously to clear the property and cut back overgrown shrubbery from the property's trail.
A large portion of the cleanup entailed the removal of old vehicle tires from Sol and Rose Preserve. It required rolling the tires up a hill and then down a hill to place them at the edge of the property for pickup by the Delaware Canal State Park. In total, the group removed
100 tires from the property. Suffice it to say, everyone felt very "tired" by the end of the day!
Thank you to the Boy Scouts of America for doing their part in helping to protect our natural resources!
|
Wishing all of you happy holidays and a happy New Year!
A 219-acre farm in Nockamixon Township that Heritage Conservancy preserved in 2016
With a new year come new possibilities! Here are some Heritage Conservancy happenings to look forward to in 2017:
- Fridays in the Forest
- Mondays at the Marsh with Jim
- Farm to Table at the Russell-Mandel Preserve
- Open House Day on our preserved properties
- A Heritage Conservancy Boy Scout badge
- A "heartbomb" social media campaign
- More conservation successes
Stay tuned throughout the year for news on this and more!
|
|
|
