Beautiful Weather Forecasted for Creek Fest!

Bring your sunscreen and grab some friends and family to celebrate the White Clay Creek this Saturday, May 4! Commemorate Mason Dixon's arrival in Philiadelphia 250 years ago with a hike to Arc Corner and the Tri-State Marker. Relax in the sun and take in the live performances on stage. Kids will receive a watershed passport to fill with stamps while visiting exhibitors and learning more about the White Clay Creek! Live music, performances, animals, great food, and more...See you there! SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

11:00 a.m.  -  Pre-Fest Hike to Arc Corner & Tri-State Marker with Friends of the    Pennsylvania Preserve.

STAGE LINE UP

11:45-12:30                 Unity Reggae

12:30- 1:00                  Jugglers

1:00 -1:45                    Unity Reggae

1:45-1:55                     Bird setup / Announcements

1:55-2:40                     Conservation Partners Live Bird Presentation

2:40-3:10                     Jugglers

3:10-3:55                     Unity Reggae

3:55-4:00                     Concluding announcements

Map to White Clay Creek State Park, Carpenter Recreation Area, 880 New London Rd, Newark, DE 19711.The event is free, but park entrance fees will be in effect (3$/vehicle DE resident, 6$/vehicle out of state).

Earth Day Garlic Mustard Pull at the PA Preserve in Landenberg.

Thank you Blue Hen Leadership Program for sending a group of students to help pull the invasive Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard) from the Pennsylvania White Clay Creek Preserve last Saturday. The group of 34 students from the University of Delaware and area high schools traversed over 4 miles of the PA Preserve trails, hiking and pulling the invasive plant from the woods as part of a day of service celebrating Earth Day.

The students learned about the invasive plant and the the threats it poses to native ephemeral wildflowers. Opportunistic plants that have not co-evolved with other species in our area often have fewer threats to their viability. In other words, they may have fewer natural pests and predation threats, as well as the ability to rapidly colonize an area. This  often gives them a competitive edge over our native species allowing them to displace or greatly reduce the population of natives.

It was a day of service, but there was also time for some sight seeing. We spied a spotted turtle basking in the sun, heard spring peepers singing in a nearby wetland, and saw some of the many beautiful spring wildflowers blooming along the trail such as Jacob's ladder, may apple, trout lily, spring beauty, and the emerging fronds of the Christmas fern. All of which make the White Clay Creek Preserve such a treasure to visit.

Help Put the Woods Back in Penns Woods!

Volunteers Needed for a Riparian Reforestation at the Franklin Preserve (Franklin Township) adjacent to an impaired section of White Clay Creek.

1,050 native trees, provided through a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) grant from DEP’s TreeVitalize Program obtained by the Brandywine Conservancy and the Stroud Water Research Center, need to be planted on Tuesday April 23 at noon. (Site prepping crew will arrive at 8 AM for flagging and tree distribution; feel free to arrive early and help out).

Franklin Preserve Site is located off Parsons Road just a little east of Crossan Park (gated drive to Colonial Pipeline will be unlocked; proceed through unlocked gate to areas marked for parking, angling in on grass, and walk down to planting site (don’t block gate into Pipeline compound).

Wear durable and warm clothes.  Gloves.  Heavy shoes.  If you can, please bring shovels and hammers for the stakes.  Restrooms at Crossan (plan ahead).  We will cancel if heavy rain.

Contact Wes Horner at 610-388-8124 (610-350-7605 cell) with questions.