November 25, 2022

Greetings Willistown Parks & Recreation Friends,

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are able to get outside during these beautiful end of fall days!

Enjoy this edition of the Willistown Parks and Recreation Breaking Good News, and please consider taking our Greentree In Tune and On Tap music series Survey.

As always, please contact me with any questions, ideas, or constructive criticism.

See you in the park,

Mary

Mary N. Hundt
Director of Parks and Recreation
Email
610-647-5300 x224

Willistown Township Community Garden
Spring 2023 Openings

Located in Sugartown Preserve, the Willistown Community Garden is a volunteer garden under the oversight of Willistown Parks and Recreation where Willistown and area residents share fellowship over growing organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

The gardeners donate a portion of their harvest to local Chester County Food Bank food cupboards. Historically, the gardeners have donated close to 900 pounds of fresh produce per year for Chester County neighbors in need.

Gardeners sign a pledge outlining expectations, requirements, and agreements required of being a gardener as well as volunteer liability waiver(s).

If you are considering becoming a member, please review the Pledge and Waiver(s) to be sure you are comfortable with the time and diligence needed to participate in the garden. Contact Mary, Director of Parks and Recreation, with any questions after reviewing the materials. If interested, kindly execute this Willistown Community Garden Interest Form. The deadline for membership inquiries is February 14, 2023.

12 Acres Added to Kirkwood Preserve

Willistown Conservation Trust Hosts Funding Partner Celebration

On Monday, October 24, Willistown Township representatives Bill Shoemaker, Molly Perrin, Ted Leisenring, Mary Hundt, and Brook Gardner attended the Willistown Conservation Trust ribbon cutting commemorating the addition of 12 acres to the 83-acre Kirkwood Preserve, owned and maintained by Willistown Conservation Trust. The ceremony honored the funding partners that made the acquisition possible. Grants were provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) through the Keystone Act of 1993, by the Chester County Commissioners through the Chester County Landscapes 21st Century Fund; and by the Willistown Township Supervisors through the Willistown Township Open Space Fund.

Partners attending included representatives from Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT), Chester County Commissioners, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Willistown Township, and, Chester County Preservation Programs Department.

Pictured at the celebration, from left to right, Julie Graham (WCT), Drew Gilchrist (PA DCNR), Judy Thomas (Chester County Parks & Preservation), Jeanne Swope (WCT Volunteer), Ted Leisenring (Willistown Township Open Space Review Board), Erik Hetzel (WCT), Michelle Kichline (Chester County Commissioner), Bill Shoemaker (Willistown Township Supervisor), Josh Maxwell (Chester County Commissioner), Kate Etherington (WCT), Bonnie Van Alen (WCT), Mary Hundt (Willistown Township Parks & Recreation), Beth Hucker (WCT Board Chair), Brook Gardner (Willistown Township Open Space Review Board), Molly Perrin (Willistown Township Supervisor). County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz joined WCT before the ceremony.

Thanks to Willistown Township funding, WCT is installing a stepping stone creek crossing in Crum Creek connecting the main portion of Kirkwood Preserve to additional Kirkwood lands and this new addition. Due to permitting timelines, WCT expects the crossing installation to begin in early fall of 2023, though walkers and hikers with appropriate footwear may cross the creek at this time. The Township also funded an expansion to the parking lot, both projects increasing and assuring easy public access to the preserve.

Bill Shoemaker, Willistown Board of Supervisors Chairman, addressing the group at the ceremony with the now 95-acre Kirkwood Preserve, owned and managed by Willistown Conservation Trust, as a backdrop as far as the eye can see.

Bill Shoemaker remarked, “The celebration of this addition to the Kirkwood Preserve marks another chapter in the longstanding partnership of Willistown Township and WCT. The expanded parking lot and the soon-to-be-added stepping stones across the creek make the Preserve even more available for people to enjoy. The advantages of preserving open space resources are so important to this community, and Willistown Township is proud to be a part of this today!”

Ted Leisenring, Open Space Review Board Chair, on behalf of himself and Vice Chair of Supervisors, Bob Lange, shared, “This couldn’t be possible without public/private partnerships like the County, State, Township, and WCT. And it all begins with local landowners who believe in the direction Willistown is going and are willing to protect their land and make it available for public enjoyment.”

The Willistown Township Open Space Fund has been a critical component of the conservation of this now 95-acre preserve, It is protected in perpetuity for natural resource and open space protection as well as passive recreation by a Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (DOCCR) held by Chester County, Willistown Township, and Natural Lands. The DOCCR is attached to the deed and runs with the land forever.

The protection of this open space is also part of a larger 16-acre conservation project across Grubbs Mill Road that enables the preservation of an historic farmstead dating from the late 18th century with an iconic Chester County bank barn known locally as “The Lama Farm." Portions of the property have been placed under conservation easement and restricted from further development allowing for the preservation of an historically significant landscape that embodies the rural character of the Willistown countryside.

Greentree In Tune and On Tap
Music Survey RSVP by December 19

Greentree In Tune and On Tap is a music series hosted by Willistown Parks and Recreation at Greentree Park. Due to its popularity, we are adding a fourth event to the series, and we'd like your opinion on what type of band you'd like to see and hear!

The survey closes on December 19th. Please feel free to share with your friends and neighbors!

Take the survey now.

Pictured left to right: Ted Leisenring, CRC President, chats with Bart VanValkenburgh, Willistown Township’s Historical Commission Chair and member Terry Kile, as Eloise patiently waits for the hike.

Inaugural Okehocking Sip, Story, and Stroll—Cheers to the First of Many!
Thank you from CRC & Willistown Parks

Mary, Willistown’s Director of Parks and Recreation, and Carly, Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association’s Executive Director, welcomed all two and four-legged guests to the inaugural Sip, Story, and Stroll.

After sipping hot beverages and mingling, Bart VanValkenburgh, Chair of the Willistown Township Historical Commission, entertained the group with thoughtful stories and images about historical transportation and land use in the area. Thank you, Bart!
Insert Hawk Pic with People, Caption: The strollers enjoyed some bird watching as well as being watched by birds including this Broad Winged Hawk and a Great Blue Heron later in the morning.

Mary led the stroll highlighting the different landscape features and management practices at Okehocking as well as the combined conservation and cleanup efforts conducted by CRC and Willistown Parks and Recreation over the past almost twenty years(!).

We saw some spectacular birds including this Broad Winged Hawk overlooking the latest CRC/Willistown Parks collaboration. This fall, approximately one acre of invasive plants was brush hogged from 1,000 feet along the southeast side of Delchester Run, and 100 native trees were installed. The Trees were funded through a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to CRC, and CRC and Willistown Parks and Recreation volunteers installed them. Thank you all for helping to rebuild this important riparian buffer after devastating tree losses to the Emerald Ash Borer!

Mary, Willistown’s Director of Parks & Recreation, talks to the group about the location and purpose of the Hawk Watch Stand. Built so that bird counters can place their tripods on “solid” ground with an expansive view of the sky so they may easily track their counts. The Hawk Watch stand also offers a wonderful spot to sit and take in the view.

Willistown Parks & Rec looks forward to many more partnerships with CRC, the next being another Sip, Story, and Stroll this winter. Stay tuned…
If you’d like to find out more about Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association, please contact Carly, their Executive Director. For Willistown Parks and Recreation, contact Mary, our Director.

Comprehensive Plan Update

Willistown Township is updating our Comprehensive Plan, Guidelines for Growth. The Plan explores Willistown history, considers current conditions, and charts a vision for the Township’s future including how to grow, develop, and improve facilities and services. We want to keep you up to date and would like to hear from you about this important plan. Find out more:

Extensive information about the Comp Plan Update and public comment is available on our website: willistown.pa.us/CompPlan

Sign up for Comp Plan Update Bulletins: willistown.pa.us/NotifyMe

Head Outdoors in Willistown's Parks and Preserves

Enjoy Willistown and surrounding area public lands:

Check out our Willistown Township Park Land and Open Space Fund Map, an at-a-glance view including short descriptions of the wonderful recreational assets Willistown has to offer.
Check out Chester County's Parks & Trails
Get the dirt on the best trail navigation and exploration mobile map applications here.
Locate PA state parks through PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resource and their Find a Park by Region service

Township News

Towne Crier Newsletter

Check out the latest WillisTowne Crier where you'll find Parks & Rec and other Township News in brief. You can sign up to receive the Crier directly through Notify Me here.