Heritage Happenings June 2017

To preserve and protect our natural and historic heritage

Heritage Happenings
June 2017

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Concerts in the Garden

Tuesday, June 27th
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Aldie Mansion
85 Old Dublin Pike
Doylestown, PA 18901

Concerts in the Garden is back for the summer every 4th Tuesday of the month from May through September! Just like Martha Dana Mercer did in this same garden more than 50 years ago, we're opening Aldie Mansion and inviting people to come sit

on the lawn and listen to great

local musical acts.

Rain or shine! Free for everyone! No need

to register. Bring your own seating and

picnic dinner if you wish. Click HERE

for more information and for each

month's band lineup.

Foraging for Edible Mushrooms

Saturday, July 15th
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Heritage Conservancy's

Hart's Woods Preserve
Doylestown Township, PA
(Call for directions)

Which mushrooms can we eat? Jamie Hollander Catering & Events head chef Luke Smithson will lead a hike in a mature forest to identify wild edibles and provide a picnic lunch for attendees! Please RSVP. Call to learn more and get directions.

$20 for Heritage Conservancy members;
$ 30 for nonmembers. Contact Emily at

215-345-7020 ext. 107 to register or click HERE for more information.

Farm to Table

Saturday, August 5th
Beginning at 5:30 PM
at Heritage Conservancy's

Russell-Mandel Preserve
1515 Holicong Road
Buckingham, PA 18912

Join us at a picturesque preserved property and enjoy a gourmet meal prepared by Jamie Hollander Catering & Events using farm-fresh and locally-sourced ingredients. This event sells out every year so don't wait to purchase your tickets!

Click HERE for more information or to purchase tickets.

Any time of year is perfect for a wedding at historic

Aldie Mansion!

Visit our

Wedding Page

for details.

Getting batty at Tawanka Elementary School

Back in October, a spirited 3rd grader from Tawanka Elementary School in Lower Southampton Township, Sofia Allen, read a book about bats with her reading group. She learned about the devastating disease called White Nose Syndrome that has affected bats all over the country, killing more than 5.7 million bats nationwide and putting many bats on the endangered species list. Sofia led her classmates to action to raise $100 for saving bats.

Sofia's teacher, Holly Davis, contacted Heritage Conservancy to donate the money to our organization to help in our efforts to protect bat habitats (including our Durham bat hibernaculum) and further educate about bat conservation.

The school invited Heritage Conservancy for an assembly and check presentation. Laura Baird, our Senior Land Conservationist, did a short presentation to almost 170 students about bats and accepted the check from Sofia and her classmates.

Laura gifted the school with a bat house on behalf of Heritage Conservancy, and the students erupted into excitement. The students were overjoyed with the bat house and are looking forward to it being mounted on the school property to create a safe place for bats to roost.

Sofia was excited about the program, but it was truly her parents that were beaming with pride. Laura presented Sofia with an official Heritage Conservancy tee shirt and her family with a one-year membership.

When thanking Sofia and her classmates, Laura shared a quote from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better. It's not!" Laura went on to say, "Sofia, because you care so much about bats and have been a leader among your classmates, bats have a greater chance to rebound from this devastating crisis. It will take junior conservationists like all of you to make our world a better place in the future. Thank you!"

To learn more about Heritage Conservancy's work to protect bats and to consider donating to their plight, watch 3 Things You Need to Know About Bats.

Preserved: 17 acres in Springfield Township

Thanks to a collaborative effort, the Oraschin Farm (also known as Harley Hill Farm) is now under conservation easement. The property is a beautiful 17-acre alpaca farm located in Springfield Township.

Heritage Conservancy will cohold the easement with Springfield Township, and the Conservancy will bear the main responsibility of monitoring and defending the easement. Springfield Township and the Bucks County Agricultural Preservation Program funded the acquisition of this easement.

Located on Kellers Church Road, Harley Hill Farm was a priority for preservation due to its high visibility and it being an integral part of the expansive viewscape, its adjacency to other preserved farms, its prime agricultural soils, and due to important wetlands located on the property.

A stream belonging to the Tohickon Watershed that goes through the property makes this a unique setup. Bill and Lori, owners of the property, use best management practices on their farm to ensure that it has the least impact on the natural wetlands.

"A smaller farm can have as much of an impact as a large farm when it comes to conservation. We are pleased to have preserved this important piece of Springfield Township's landscape and to protect important wetlands in the region," said Jim Nilsen, Vice-Chair of the Springfield Township Open Space Committee.

Bill and Lori host events throughout the year that are open to the public. We encourage you to visit their beautiful farm and meet their alpacas.

Garden Party

On the evening of Wednesday, June 7th, our organization hosted our annual member appreciation and donor recognition event at our historic Aldie Mansion home in Doylestown, PA. We welcomed a record-breaking crowd to the Garden Party, with over 240 valued members, business members, and Board of Directors in attendance.

The celebrated guests were invited to enjoy a lovely cocktail reception outside on the terrace overlooking Aldie Mansion's beautiful gardens and landscaping. We also handed out our coveted Heritage Partnership Awards to individuals and groups who have shown extraordinary commitment to conservation of our natural and historic heritage.

The Community Business Leader of the Year Award was given to Jamie Hollander Catering & Events of New Hope, PA. Since 2010, Jamie Hollander Catering & Events has partnered with us at our annual Farm to Table to provide attendees with a locally-sourced meal. They have served as Business Leaders of ours since 2013. They also lead an annual mushroom identification hike on our preserved properties to educate attendees about mushrooms and their necessary place in the ecosystem.

"It's not just about what Jamie Hollander Catering & Events does for Heritage Conservancy but what their actions mean for your community overall. Their work with nonprofits throughout the region is simply driven by their desire to be a part of protecting and enhancing the quality life for all of us," said Katie Paone, Manager of Development at Heritage Conservancy.

Katie Paone with Luke Smithson, Executive Chef for Jamie Hollander Catering & Events

The Conservation Philanthropist Award was given to James and Pamela Gory. The Gory family's donation to Heritage Conservancy of their property on York Road in Buckingham Township highlights the historic preservation component of our mission--this house has a façade easement on it, which protects its historical exterior. The property was donated to Heritage Conservancy so that its resale will generate funding to help further our efforts to preserve our natural and historic resources in this region.

"This is a non-profit's dream that the Gorys brought to reality. They wanted to be able to drive past places that they knew were insurmountable in preserving. What more can we leave as a legacy to our children and our grandchildren? Thanking them isn't enough; we are humbled by the expression of commitment that the Gorys have made to our mission by donating their property to us," said Jeff Marshall, President of Heritage Conservancy.

Jeff Marshall with James and Pamela Gory

The Land Conservation Award was given to Terry W. Clemons. Terry is the proud founder of the law firm of Clemons Richter & Reiss. With his municipal clients, Terry works creatively to preserve farm land and open space. Terry also represents private property owners concerning preservation matters, including the sale of conservation easements to Bucks County and municipal entities as well as securing charitable deductions for contributions of open space interests in real estate. Terry's dedication to the cause of land conservation has resulted in the preservation of nearly 9,000 acres in Bucks County.

"To know that you play a part in preserving what is vital to the character of Bucks County, something that defines what Bucks County is, is a reward beyond compare. People like me, and organizations like Heritage Conservancy, we facilitate the efforts to preserve land. Township supervisors, volunteers and landowners are the lifeblood of those preservation efforts. I'm proud to be a part of that team that makes it all happen," said Terry while accepting his award.

Terry W. Clemons with Heritage Conservancy's Laura Baird and Kris Kern

The Community Leadership Award was given to Delaware Valley University's Project Earth. This volunteer group has supported our mission through their work on property stewardship projects with us. Beyond their involvement as volunteers with us at Heritage Conservancy, they work with other local organizations, including the Bucks County Audubon Society. Additionally, they are making a movement toward greater sustainability and recycling options on campus.

"These students are dedicated ambassadors of our conversation mission on campus and in the community. Their passion and enthusiasm is truly inspiring. They embody the future stewards of the land and are the next generation of environmental conservationists for our community and for our earth," said Shannon Fredebaugh, Heritage Conservancy's Senior Community Engagement Associate.

Shannon Fredebaugh (left) with Delaware Valley University's Project Earth

After the awards were presented, Heritage Conservancy's Members Photo Contest winners were also recognized with certificates for their winning photos that highlight the beauty of Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Their photos will be included in our 2018 calendar, which will be available at the end of September.

Heritage Conservancy's Garden Party was filled with compassionate and enthusiastic people who continue to make a significant impact for conservation and the environment through their support.

Jeff Marshall summed it up succinctly when he told the group, "You are the biggest assets of our organization."

We were happy to have this opportunity to show appreciation for our supporters who bring our mission to life!

To view more photos from the event, click HERE.

Bird Challenge 2017

Heritage Conservancy recently won the Pennsylvania Bird Challenge 2017! In participation with The Nature Conservancy's annual Pennsylvania Bird Challenge, 14 different natural areas across Pennsylvania were surveyed to gather information about birding habits in springtime. Our staff and volunteers identified 69 different bird species at our Bristol Marsh Nature Preserve.

After tallying the results from all 14 locations, a total of 124 unique species of birds were discovered nesting or passing by.

In October, a similar survey at Bristol Marsh Nature Preserve will be performed to count fall bird migrants, which we expect to produce a variety in the spring survey findings. These findings will help us to better understand and manage the natural resources of Bristol Marsh. If you'd like to volunteer for this inventory, please contact Shannon at 215-345-7020 ext. 104 or [email protected].