MEDIA, Pa., July 7, 2026 – Natural Lands, the region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Foxwynd Foundation. The funding will directly support a critical, multi-phase ecological restoration initiative at Bryn Coed Preserve in Chester Springs, Chester County.

The grant will fund two major projects on 102-acre parcel of the preserve, which was recently acquired and expanded the preserve to a total of 612 acres. Natural Lands will install a new 10-acre native tree planting and establish a five-acre pollinator meadow. Both projects will advance environmental sustainability.

“Every acre we save and care for cools and cleans the air we breathe, soaks up floodwaters, provides wildlife with habitat, filters our water, and brings humans improved health and joy,” said Oliver Bass, President of Natural Lands. “This generous support from the Foxwynd Foundation allows us to take the next critical steps in turning this newly acquired land into an ecologically resilient habitat.”

Impact and Restoration Details

The $20,000 budget-enhancing grant will be leveraged alongside an additional $20,000 in matching donations. The combined funds will cover the following initiatives:

Said Preserve Manager Darin Groff, “Last year, we acquired 102 acres adjacent to our Bryn Coed Preserve. We’ve already replanted 66 acres of this new addition with cool season grasses to support insects and wildlife, including grassland nesting birds. The Foxwynd Foundation grant will allow us to move forward with additional improvements that increase interior woodland and establish more pollinator habitat.”

These projects build upon previous successes at Bryn Coed Preserve, which include 64 acres of newly planted trees and 17 acres of established pollinator meadows.

A Shared Commitment to Sustainability

The project directly aligns with the Foxwynd Foundation’s core pillar of environmental sustainability. By restoring native woodlands and creating critical insect habitats, the initiative addresses pressing modern challenges like species loss, climate change, and regional suburban sprawl.

“Foxwynd Foundation invests in organizations that combine a clear mission with the experience and organizational capacity to deliver meaningful results,” said Pamela Villagra, executive director of Foxwynd Foundation. “Natural Lands exemplifies those qualities, and we are proud to support their continued leadership in conserving and restoring the landscapes that benefit both people and wildlife.”

The Foxwynd Foundation Donor Advised Fund (DAF) funded the Foxwynd Foundation’s generous donation to Natural Lands.

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 137,000 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,000 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:
Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267

Natural Lands Expands Stoneleigh: a natural garden in Villanova, PA

MEDIA, Pa., June 15, 2026 – Natural Lands today announced the acquisition of 10 acres of the historic Oakwell property from Lower Merion School District (LMSD). The land is immediately adjacent to Stoneleigh, Natural Lands’ beloved public garden and, in fact, was once part of the estate in the early 1900s. The land protection success marks the culmination of years of community advocacy, partnership building, and a shared commitment to preserving one of the region’s most significant cultural landscapes.

In a separate transaction, an additional three acres of the property, which includes the Oakwell mansion, was purchased by and will be carefully restored and preserved by the private Wyncote Foundation.

In 2018, LMSD purchased two parcels—collectively known as Oakwell—as a site for athletic fields for Black Rock Middle School. As development plans progressed, public concern grew. Over a period of years, community members campaigned for preservation of the property and its towering trees, historical structures, and horticultural legacy.

A turning point came early in 2024, when ongoing conversations between LMSD and Natural Lands led to a conservation solution. In August of that year, the two organizations announced an agreement: LMSD would sell 10 acres of Oakwell to Natural Lands to expand Stoneleigh and the remaining three acres to a separate entity whose use will be complementary.

Today, that agreement is reality.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to preserve all of Oakwell and to grow Stoneleigh for the benefit of residents and visitors from the entire region. We are immensely grateful to our generous funders, the community, and the leadership of the school district for making this possible,” said Oliver Bass, president of Natural Lands. “It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the culmination of years of work by our staff, our supporters, and members of the Lower Merion community.”

“None of this would be possible without the exceptionally generous support of the Wyncote Foundation,” Bass said. “Additional leadership support is being provided the William Penn Foundation,” he added.

Although Oakwell will require a period of preparation before opening to the public, its addition significantly advances Stoneleigh’s mission: to celebrate the beauty and importance of the natural world and inspire the cultivation of native plants for the benefit of all.

Dr. Frank Ranelli, LMSD superintendent, added, “We hope that this agreement, which came about after years of public discussion and collaboration with the purchasing parties, will enhance the quality of life for members of the Lower Merion community, which is so supportive of our schools. We look forward to future collaborations that might allow our students to explore and learn at Stoneleigh.”

A new Master Plan for the expanded Stoneleigh outlines a vision for thoughtfully weaving Oakwell and Stoneleigh together while creating inspiring new garden spaces, expanding educational capacity, elevating guests’ experiences, and honoring the properties’ historical significance.

“We are honored to reunite Oakwell with Stoneleigh in a way that pays homage to their shared and distinct histories while also incorporating new garden features,” said Ethan Kauffman, director of Stoneleigh. “Oakwell is a magical place with some truly spectacular trees and beautiful buildings, and we can’t wait to share it with the community when it’s ready. Honestly, I have to pinch myself to believe this opportunity is real.”

Highlights of the Master Plan for Stoneleigh include:

“Stoneleigh is growing in so many ways,” added Bass. “We look forward to the day we welcome everyone to experience all the joys of our expanded 52‑acre public garden.”

Stoneleigh will continue to welcome guests, free of charge, Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 AM -5 PM while work on the expanded portion is underway. To learn more, visit www.natlands.org/growing.

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 137,000 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,000 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:
Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267

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MEDIA, Pa., January 26, 2025 – Natural Lands announced today the preservation of a nearly 60-acre property in Union Township, Berks County, that was transferred to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry. The land provides critical habitat for migratory songbirds and other wildlife. The acreage will now be open to the public for visitation and recreation—and will never be developed.

Natural Lands purchased the 59.7-acre property from Reading Materials, LLC and then transferred it to the adjacent William Penn State Forest. To date, Natural Lands has helped to add more than 790 acres to Bureau of Forestry holdings.

The newly preserved land is located within the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape, an area designated by DCNR as a priority for land and water conservation, outdoor recreation, and compatible economic development. It is also within a region known as Hopewell Big Woods, the largest contiguous forest in southeastern Pennsylvania. At about 114 square miles, the Hopewell Big Woods provides essential forest habitat to birds and other wildlife.

“More than half of Pennsylvania’s breeding birds are dependent on large, intact forests,” said Jack Stefferud, Natural Lands’ senior advisor for land protection. “Woods that are fragmented into smaller plots by roads and developments favor predators that thrive along the edge of the forest, such as raccoons, snakes, Blue Jays, domestic cats, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Anytime we can add acreage to existing forest like those held by the Bureau of Forestry, it’s a victory for conservation.”

It’s also a win for the thousands of visitors to these lands, as the property will be available to the public for recreation, bird watching, hunting, and hiking. Approximately 600 feet of the 140-mile-long Horse-Shoe Trail traverses the parcel.

“The William Penn Forest District is excited to add another tract to our state forest system, within the Hopewell Big Woods region, and share additional open space for the public,” said Rick Hartlieb, district forester. “Of particular note is the opportunity to showcase a historical stone tunnel where Hay Creek passes under an old railroad bed.”

Hay Creek’s “Exceptional Value” status in Pennsylvania signifies its pristine water quality, which is ensured by the undeveloped land around it. In addition to being a vital ecological resource, Hay Creek is the primary drinking water source for downstream communities.

Funding for this project was provided by: Constellation Energy Generation, through the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund and the Delaware River Basin Commission; Highlands Conservation Act (administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service); and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, its Bureau of Forestry, and Bureau of Recreation and Conservation – Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund – LT.

“This addition to William Penn State Forest strengthens the protection of vital natural resources and critical wildlife habitat, while also expanding recreational opportunities for the region,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “We are proud to support this important project and grateful to Natural Lands for prioritizing the conservation of this remarkable tract within the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape.”

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 137,000 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,000 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:
Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267

###

MEDIA, Pa., January 5, 2026 – Natural Lands announced today the permanent preservation of a 23.4-acre property in East Bradford Township, Chester County. The land, now protected under a conservation easement held by Natural Lands, is connected to hundreds of acres of open space, offering important contiguous habitat to wildlife.

“We are grateful to the landowners, who wish to remain anonymous, for their generous donation of a conservation easement on their property and to East Bradford Township for their enthusiastic support of this project,” said Sarah Turner, land protection project manager for Natural Lands. “Conservation of this beautiful property increases the acreage of protected open space in East Bradford Township, helping to ensure the area’s natural and scenic values are protected in perpetuity.”

An easement is a legally binding agreement that keeps land in private ownership while ensuring it is conserved from development. It applies to present and future owners of the land. Natural Lands currently holds 500+ easements on more than 26,000 acres and monitors these properties regularly to ensure the terms of the easements are being upheld.

Natural Lands’ 571-acre Stroud Preserve is located less than a half of a mile from the now-conserved land. The organization’s most recent strategic plan, entitled Thriving Nature, Thriving Communities, Thriving Organization, includes goals to protect special places that provide conservation benefit and cultural significance to the community. Natural Lands’ nature preserves are just such places, and the plan calls for preservation of land adjacent to and nearby existing nature preserves, a goal that this conservation easement meets. Natural Lands’ strategic plan will guide the nonprofit’s priorities through 2030 and can be viewed at natlands.org/strategicplan.

The property was identified by East Bradford Township as a conservation priority in their 2016 comprehensive plan, and they are an enthusiastic partner in seeing this property conserved.
“East Bradford Township is proud to partner with Natural Lands to permanently protect more than 23 acres in the western portion of the township,” said Mandie Cantlin, township manager. “This conservation easement reflects our shared commitment to preserving open space, protecting natural resources, and ensuring that this land remains protected for the benefit of future generations.”

The landowners donated to value of the conservation easement and East Bradford Township covered Natural Lands’ expenses as well as a $20,000 contribution to the easement stewardship fund, which underwrites Natural Lands’ costs to monitor and manage the easement in perpetuity.

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 136,600 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,600 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:
Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267

###

MEDIA, Pa., December 18, 2025 – Natural Lands is celebrating a banner year for tree planting in 2025.  The non-profit conservation organization has planted 22,500 trees across 75 acres at four of its nature preserves. The seedlings are all native species. As they mature, the trees will help reduce erosion, filter and recharge groundwater, clean and cool the air, sequester carbon, and provide habitat for insects and wildlife.

The large-scale plantings transformed meadows, former farm fields, and stream corridors at Diabase Farm Preserve (New Hope, Bucks County), Peacedale Preserve (Landenberg, Chester County), Sadsbury Woods Preserve (Coatesville, Chester County), and Stroud Preserve (West Chester, Chester County). These preserves are free and open to the public year-round.

In addition, Natural Lands hosted several volunteer and member tree planting events where community members planted more than 1,000 trees at ChesLen (Coatesville, Chester County) and Stroud Preserves.

The seedlings planted include red maple, silver maple, hornbeam, redbud, tuliptree, black gum, sycamore, white oak, swamp white oak, pin oak, chestnut oak, elderberry, and flowering dogwood. Planted at a density of about 300 trees per acre, the seedlings are protected from deer by five-foot-tall tree shelters that photodegrade over time. The trees and shrubs were planted in 12-foot rows, wide enough to allow preserve stewardship staff to mow between them, which will reduce competition from other vegetation until the seedlings have matured.

“It’s really quite remarkable how much of a positive impact planting trees has on water quality,” said Gary Gimbert, vice president of stewardship for Natural Lands. “As these species mature, their roots allow water to penetrate deep into the ground, which reduces flooding and recharges underground aquifers. Alongside creeks, the tree roots stabilize the soil to reduce erosion.”

In addition to improving water quality, the planting projects will re-establish forest cover and improve wildlife habitat. In particular, woodlands are essential for migratory songbirds—such as Scarlet Tanager and Wood Thrush—that rely on the dense forest for food and protection from the weather and predators.

When Europeans first explored Pennsylvania, trees covered 90 percent of the territory. Though the Native Americans who had lived in the region for thousands of years did clear some land for hunting and agriculture, famed naturalist John Bartram still found forests so thick it was “as if the sun had never shown on the ground since the creation.” But by 1850, millions of acres had been cleared for farming, timber, and firewood.

Natural Lands’ is committed to restoring habitat on their nature preserves, which cover more than 23,000 acres of land across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Planting seedlings that will someday become thriving forests is part of this stewardship ethos.

Funding for these projects were provided by:

Please see this video about the yearlong reforestation project across Natural Lands’ preserves.

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone.  As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 136,600 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,600 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

MEDIA, Pa., November 24, 2025 – Natural Lands announced today the permanent preservation of a 14.6-acre property in Thornbury Township, Delaware County. The land, now protected under a conservation easement held by Natural Lands, is adjacent to 26.2 acres of township-owned open space, offering important contiguous woodlands for wildlife. It also helps filter pollutants before they reach nearby West Branch Chester Creek.

Jay Uradnisheck purchased the property in 1986 and has spent almost 40 years working to restore it to a more natural state. He has planted hundreds of trees to improve the forest cover and manages an eight-acre meadow.

Mr. Uradnisheck formed a deep connection with nature as a boy playing in the meadows, woodlands, and streams near his childhood home. As land development eroded the natural areas around him, he became determined to preserve and restore this almost 15-acre oasis.

“Even after 40 years of walking my property I still experience daily surprises and wonderment about the life in these woods and meadows. I walk slowly, making studied observations while uncovering critical relationships among species. The network of interactions is too complex to understand but, with enthusiasm, I have been reintroducing native plants to strengthen the resilience of that network of life.”

“I often remark that every land conservation success begins with a willing landowner, someone who makes a conscious choice to preserve their property,” said Oliver Bass, president of Natural Lands. “Jay Uradnisheck goes beyond a willing landowner; he is an enthusiastic and dedicated conservationist and steward of nature. We at Natural Lands are honored to help fulfil his wishes for this beautiful property.”

Photo by Sarah Turner

Mr. Uradnisheck will continue to own the property. He and and Thornbury Township have agreed formally that ownership of his property will transfer to the township after he passes or if he no longer lives there. The conservation easement’s protections will stay in place after transfer of ownership.

“We are pleased to partner with Natural Lands on the preservation of 14.7 acres of land owned by Jay Uradnisheck,” said Jeff Seagraves, Thornbury Township manager. “Although the township will not take ownership until Jay passes, we trust he will continue excellent stewardship. On behalf of our current and future residents, I would like to thank Jay Uradnisheck for his thoughtful gift.”

The property lies about a quarter mile north of West Branch Chester Creek, which is a tributary of the Delaware River and contributes water to the Delaware Estuary and Delaware Bay. Protecting land near streams is one of the most effective ways of protecting our water as trees, shrubs, and other plants help filter out pollutants before they reach the waterways.

Mr. Uradnisheck donated the value of the conservation easement and contributed substantially to its stewardship endowment fund.

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 136,600 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,600 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:

Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
kwerner at natlands dot org

MEDIA, Pa., October 31, 2025 – Natural Lands announced today the addition of two adjacent, undeveloped parcels totaling 102 acres to its Bryn Coed Preserve in Chester Springs, Chester County. The newly acquired lots bring the total acreage of the nature preserve to just over 612 acres. The properties will be stewarded to benefit native plants and wildlife.

In the 1970s, the Dietrich family assembled the vast acreage known as Bryn Coed Farms one parcel at a time. One of these tracts was the former homestead of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, who named his farm “Bryn Coed,” which means “wooded hill” in Welsh.

Many worried over the fate of the pristine farmland and forests—located just 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia—as development pressures increased in the region. In 2018, Natural Lands acquired the entirety of the 1,505-acre property to protect it from large-scale development. The organization created a 510-acre nature preserve at the heart of the property and partnered with West Vincent Township, which created the 72-acre Opalanie Park immediately adjacent to the preserve. Natural Lands preserved the remainder of the land by selling large-acreage lots, each under permanent conservation easement, to conservation-minded buyers.

Donors who wish to remain anonymous have gifted two of those lots back to Natural Lands to increase the size of the preserve and, ultimately, to make more of this important landscape available for public recreation. The parcels consist of gently rolling fields, forest, and hedgerows.

Said Natural Lands President Oliver Bass, “Saving Bryn Coed was the chance of a lifetime, and we’ve benefitted mightily from the support of devoted partners, funders, and donors. This extraordinary gift of an additional 102 acres will expand both the footprint and the benefits of the preserve for generations to come.”

He added, “I have such respect for Preserve Manager Darin Groff and Assistant Preserve Manager Caleb Arrowood, who have transformed Bryn Coed into a thriving nature preserve filled with native plants. They will steward these new parcels with the same care and passion, and we’ll all reap the benefits of their work.”

“It’s very exciting to add additional acreage to the preserve,” said Darin Groff, director of land stewardship. “Over the next couple of years, we will be planting wildflower meadows for pollinator habitat and additional grasslands, and work to connect wooded areas to one another by planting additional trees.”

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 136,600 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,600 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:

Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA, Pa., October 23, 2025 – Natural Lands announced today the permanent preservation of two wooded properties in Haycock and Nockamixon Townships, Bucks County, totaling nearly 14 acres. The properties were all inholdings within PA State Game Lands and have now been transferred to the state.

One parcel totaling 8.4 acres (“Parcel A”) was transferred to Game Lands No. 157, and a 6.3-acre parcel (“Parcel B”) was added to Game Lands No. 56.

“These parcels are rather small individually, but the conservation impact of protecting them is large,” said Jack Stefferud, senior advisor of land protection. “These properties were inholdings, pockets of privately owned land within a larger landscape of state game lands. Were they to have been developed, the trees would have been felled to make way for driveways, buildings, and lawns, destroying the unbroken forest.”

Dense forest provides essential habitat to wildlife, particularly migratory songbirds such as Scarlet Tanager and Wood Thrush. In fact, these birds—along with 89 other bird species and hundreds of mammals, amphibians, fish, reptiles, and invertebrates—depend on Pennsylvania’s natural areas for their survival. The Commonwealth plays a key role in sustaining these Pennsylvania Responsibility Species’ global security by hosting at least 10 percent of their North American population or encompassing at least 25 percent of their North American range.

Forests that are fragmented into smaller plots by roads and developments favor predators that thrive along the edge of the woods, such as raccoons, snakes, Blue Jays, domestic cats, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. These predators impact the survival of songbirds and other vulnerable species.

Said Tim Haydt, PA Game Commission bureau director for habitat management, “Acquiring these tracts eliminates indentures and adds additional forested habitat to the state game lands in Bucks County. Through our partnership with Natural Land, we are able to protect important wooded wildlife habitat for current and future generations of Pennsylvanians.”

To purchase and transfer the properties, Natural Lands used funds from the PA Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund – LT).

“These properties provide critical continuous forest cover for migratory birds and native wildlife that depend on heavily wooded habitat to survive,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “Thank you to Natural Lands for supporting this important conservation work and thank you to the Game Commission for protecting these areas of critical wildlife habitat from development in rapidly expanding southeastern Pennsylvania.”

Additional financial support came from the Highlands Conservation Act (administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and the PA Game Commission.

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 136,600 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,600 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:
Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267

###

MEDIA, Pa., October 6, 2025 – Natural Lands announced today the permanent protection of a 154-acre wooded property in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County. The land is owned by the Mechanicsburg Sportsmen’s Protective Association (MSPA) and is now under conservation easement, in partnership with Silver Spring Township, ensuring the beauty and ecological value of the forests remain forever.

A shallow stream runs along a rocky stream bed in a green woodland

Photo: Sarah Turner

The MSPA property lies about one-quarter mile south of Blue Mountain and is part of the Kittatinny Ridge complex. Kittatinny means “endless mountain” in Lenape, the tribe of Native people who once inhabited the region. The Kittatinny Ridge is a Globally Important Bird Area and a migration corridor for tens-of-thousands of hawks, eagles, and falcons each spring and fall. Other species migrate through, and use the MSPA property, including Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, and mammals like black bear and bobcat.

“Scientists have identified the Kittatinny Ridge as one of the most resilient landscapes in the state for adapting to climate change,” said Todd Sampsell, vice president of conservation for Natural Lands. “This forested corridor is like a biodiverse superhighway that allows wildlife to move safely within and between areas to escape rising temperatures, floodwaters, or drought. It’s critical to the future of hundreds of species.”

The vast majority of the MSPA property is forested and includes 3.1 miles of unnamed tributaries to Simmons Creek and ultimately the locally important Conodoguinet Creek, all of them designated by the PA Department of Environmental Conservation as “Warm Water Fisheries.” Their clear waters support fish and additional plant and animal species that rely on warm water habitat.

For the past 76 years, the land has been owned and managed as a sportsmen’s recreation club. The MSPA will continue to own the land, but the conservation easement—a permanent, legally binding agreement—restricts development and future use of the land.

“Mechanicsburg Sportsmen’s Protective Association is dedicated to advocating for and supporting the conservation of Pennsylvania’s natural resources, wildlife habitats, and outdoors heritage,” said Denny Filmore, president of MSPA. “We have done much in the past seven decades to further that mission as best we can. One of our primary concerns now is the preservation of not only our own wooded property, but the continuing efforts locally to protect and preserve as much land in its natural state as is possible in these times of increasing demands for development.”

A wide, grassy trail through meadow toward woodlands

Photo: Sarah Turner

Land preservation has become an increasing priority in Cumberland County, PA, where residential and commercial development—especially for large warehouses—is putting steady pressure on what’s left of the rural landscape. In response, Silver Spring Township launched its Land Preservation Program, funded by an earned income tax of residents, which—with the addition of the MSPA property—has preserved more than 1,000 acres of open space in the community.

In 2013, Silver Spring Township residents voted for an open space fund, which was used to underwrite all costs for this conservation project.

“Preserving the Mechanicsburg Sportsmen’s Club isn’t just a win for conservation—it’s the milestone that pushed Silver Spring Township past 1,000 acres of permanently preserved land,” said Laura Brown, Silver Spring Township supervisor. “This stunning woodland property, with its nationally recognized archery courses and abundant streams running throughout, is now protected for future generations of local residents and visiting sportsmen alike.”

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone.  As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 136,600 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,600 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:

Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267

###

MEDIA, Pa., August 21, 2025 – Natural Lands announced today that Victoria B. Mars has joined its board of trustees.

Ms. Mars’ four-decade career at Mars, Incorporated spanned operations to governance, with a focus on creating trusting relationships that yield mutual, impactful results. She is a former chairperson and director of the Mars Board and continues to serve on the Remuneration and Talent Committee.

Among her accomplishments at the company, Ms. Mars designed and built the global Mars Ombudsman program, which provides Mars associates with a service that addresses workplace challenges in a neutral, confidential, and informal manner. Ms. Mars notes that the Mars Five Principals—quality, efficiency, responsibility, mutuality, and freedom—are core to the company’s operations and to her non-profit leadership approach. “Being grounded in solid principles guides my decisions,” she says. “I’m especially intrigued by mutuality in land conservation—it should result in a win-win solution for the environment and for people.”

Ms. Mars began her involvement with Natural Lands through her role as a board member with the Virginia Cretella Mars Foundation, a charitable giving body named for her late mother. For nearly two decades, grants from the Foundation provided essential gap funding on land protection projects where public funding covered most—but not all—of the expenses. “Investment from the Virginia Cretella Mars Foundation has enabled us to leverage significant public funding, protecting more than 4,000 acres in Chester and Delaware Counties,” said Oliver Bass, president of Natural Lands. “We’ve been fortunate to have Victoria’s inquisitive and forward-thinking perspective inform our President Council since 2021. She will be an exceptionally valuable addition to our board of trustees.”

Ms. Mars earned her bachelor’s degree in administrative sciences, German, and French from Yale University and a master’s degree in finance from the Wharton School of Business. She serves on the boards of Livelihoods Fund for Family Farmers and Salzburg Global Seminar based in Washington, D.C. and Salzburg, Austria, where she served as chairperson. She has recently joined the board of the Philadelphia Ballet.  Ms. Mars formerly served on the board of directors for Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia, EcoHealth Alliance in New York, and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation based in Bozeman, Montana. She looks forward to bringing lessons learned there closer to home. “A connected landscape benefits everyone,” she said, “and collaboration among conservation organizations is key to achieving that goal.”

Susan Mucciarone, chairperson of Natural Lands’ Board of Trustees, noted, “We are thrilled to welcome Victoria as a trustee. With her principled approach, collaborative mindset, and substantive understanding of the value of connected landscapes, Victoria is poised to help shape the future of conservation in our region. We look forward to the vision, energy, and informed perspective she brings to our work.”

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands—which is member supported—has preserved more than 136,600 acres, including 40+ nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,600 acres. About five million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. natlands.org.

Please note: “Natural Lands” is the organization’s official operating name and should be used instead of its legal designation (Natural Lands Trust, Inc.).

Media Inquiries:

Kit Werner, Senior Director of Communications
610-353-5587 ext. 267