Natural Lands - The Magazine of Natural Lands Spring/Summer 2019, Issue 154 | Page 2
N ATUR A L L A N DS
4 careful comeback.
7 generosity & purpose.
8 Fidèle’s house. forever green.
Bald Eagles breeding on our preserves.
Bob Hawkes’ legacy lives on.
editor Kirsten Werner
art director Holly M. Harper
principal photography Mae Axelrod
contributors Brittni Albright, Suzanne
Barton, Oliver Bass, Darin Groff, Ann
Hausmann, Erin McCormick, Sang
Phouansouvanh, Mark Williams, Peter
Williamson
Conserving Dr. Barnes’ country home.
bird’s-eye view.
Volunteer Mark Williams takes photos
Natural Lands
Hildacy Preserve
1031 Palmers Mill Road, Media, PA 19063
t 610-353-5587 | f 610-353-0517
[email protected] | natlands.org
2 NEWS
10 SAVING OPEN SPACE
The official registration and financial information
of Natural Lands Trust, Inc. may be obtained from
the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling
toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999.
Registration does not imply endorsement.
recent land conservation
successes.
Information filed with the Attorney General
concerning this charitable solicitation and the
percentage of contributions received by the
charity during the last reporting period that were
dedicated to the charitable purpose may be
obtained from the Attorney General of the State
of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215 and is
available on the internet at www.state.nj.us/lps/
ca/charfrm.htm. Registration with the Attorney
General does not imply endorsement.
#naturallands
facebook.com/NatLands
Natural Lands—along with the City of Coatesville and Brandywine Health
Foundation—completed construction of a new nature and water play area
at Palmer Park this past spring and the park has taken on a new life. Children
and families have been enjoying the unique splash playground. Kids are
spending hours climbing on the natural wood play features. Neighbors are
gathering among the native plantings… connecting, laughing, and relaxing.
Even by neighborhood park standards, Palmer Park in Coatesville, PA, is
small—just about one block. But there is nothing small about its value to
the community. In the land conservation world, we can be a little obsessed
with size. Spend any time with a conservationist and it won’t be long before
they share with great enthusiasm the total acreage they’ve saved. Make no
mistake, when it comes to natural landscapes, size is often important. The
larger the area of preserved open space, the more opportunities there are
for nature to thrive. The better the chance for wildlife like, for example, Bald
Eagles to breed beyond the reach of human disturbance.
This is one of the reasons why Natural Lands’ network of 43 nature preserves—totaling 22,000
acres—and the 23,000 acres of privately owned lands on which we hold conservation easements
are so important. They represent a critical mass that is essential to the health of our ecosystems.
But open spaces come in many sizes and varieties and each provides value. Parks, regardless
of their size, are places to recreate and connect with others. Trails are popular destinations for
exercise and transportation. Some trails have even helped to spark a town’s revitalization.
As a recent study in Chester County has reinforced, open spaces provide extraordinary
economic value, as well. As just one example, houses in the county that are within a half-mile of
preserved open space are worth, on average, $11,000 more. That’s a boost of $1.65 billion to the
county’s housing stock.
A researcher at West Chester University has identified 10 categories of value that people tend
to ascribe to nature. These vary widely and some are even negative, such as fear based upon
worries about what one might come across in the outdoors. But overwhelmingly, his research
suggests that we humans find a lot to love about nature, as well we should. No matter how large
they are or why we value them, open spaces give back to us in abundance.
OLIVER BASS, PRESIDENT
twitter.com/natlands
cover: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), photo by Bill Moses
instagram.com/natural.lands
natural lands
number 154 • spring/summer 2019
via drone.
1
from the president
contents
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