Greetings Readers!

May is Leave a Legacy Month, and this issue of Connections is our chance to reflect on what that can mean. A legacy doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture; sometimes it's a decision made quietly, with intention, that turns out to matter for generations. We hope the stories in this issue stay with you and encourage you to leave a legacy of your own. 

-The Heritage Conservancy Team

The property encompasses tributary headwaters of the Martin’s Creek Watershed and the Delaware River-Jacoby’s Creek Watershed

Heritage Conservancy and Upper Mount Bethel Township have permanently protected 32.8 acres of ecologically significant land in Northampton County. Freshwater wetlands, forested riparian buffers, and critical wildlife habitat are now preserved for generations to come, thanks in part to the Haddad Family's commitment to the land they value.



Learn more about this preservation project

This preserve's legacy predates our organization entirely.

Some legacies are measured in decades. Hart's Woods Preserve is measured in centuries. During Leave a Legacy Month, we're telling the story of Heritage Conservancy's first preserve: a 300-year-old forest in Doylestown that one family fought to protect, and that a community rallied to save.

Read the full story of Hart's Woods Nature Preserve

All week long, our volunteers and supporters planted roots for conservation!

This Earth Week, our community showed up in a big way. On Earth Day, 17 volunteers from Reed Tech, Ally Financial, and our community spent the morning sprucing up the grounds at Aldie Mansion. Keeping our headquarters beautiful matters beyond aesthetics; event rentals at Aldie are an important source of income that supports our conservation mission. (Mother Nature had other plans for our afternoon shift, but we appreciate everyone who braved the morning!)

Later that week, on Arbor Day, 20 employees from Gilmore and Associates came out to Lindsay Farm Preserve to plant 88 native trees and shrubs. Gilmore has been a dedicated conservation partner for many years, and their annual tradition of giving back to the land is something we are grateful for.



And the good news kept coming: thanks to the generosity of Wehrung's Lumber & Home Center and your support, we successfully met the Wehrung's Greenhouse Challenge Match, raising over $15,000 for our conservation work. Thank you to everyone who gave, and to the Wehrung family for their leadership. Stay tuned for updates on the greenhouse project at our Russell-Mandel preserve!

4th Grade Titus Tigers after a fun day of learning.

As they rotated through different hands-on learning stations, 4th graders from Titus Elementary in the Central Bucks School District learned about the water cycle, Tudor architecture, and macroinvertebrates. They also explored nature journaling and mindfulness practices on the Aldie grounds. 


See what they discovered at Aldie

Yellow Warbler (Photo Bill Kunze)

The warblers are back. If you've been curious about these small but mighty birds and aren't sure where to start, Heritage Conservancy's Conservation Biologist Sebastian Harris has you covered with a beginner-friendly guide to four of the most common species you're likely to spot this spring.


Meet your starter warblers

"Once the land is gone, it is gone. That's why we love and support the work of Heritage Conservancy."

Leah and Doug Beck discovered a 30-acre farm for sale adjacent to our Russell-Mandel Nature Preserve and knew immediately it was something worth protecting. For Leah, the connection to land runs deep. "My parents shared their love of conservation of the land. I heard about it through the years, and it means the world to both of us."

When the couple realized the farm sat right next to our Russell-Mandel Preserve, that sealed the decision. "What could be more perfect than if we could continue that expanse of property?"

For the Becks, protecting this land isn't just about right now. As Arbor Circle members and Bur Oak Society members, they support Heritage Conservancy both in the present and through a planned estate gift — ensuring the land they love will be protected long after they are gone.

"We love Heritage Conservancy. We are so grateful for your work. We wish we could get more people involved."

Thank you, Leah and Doug!

Thank you to the following Business Leaders for supporting Heritage Conservancy's mission and making accomplishments possible through their generosity:

And to the following Business Partners for their new and renewed support:

NJM Insurance Group
Penn Color, Inc.
Period Architecture
Remake Learning Days - Southeastern PA

Thank you to Warren Weiss Agency for recognizing Heritage Conservancy at the upcoming Biz & Brews event on June 4th in Quakertown. Learn more here.

Heritage Conservancy | 215-345-7020 | social@heritageconservancy.org | heritageconservancy.org