Conservancy Blog

Conservancy Blog

Sustainable Christmas Tree Disposal Ideas

When the holidays are over and it's time to take the tinsel down, there are multiple sustainable options for disposing of your Christmas tree. Read on for some ideas of how to recycle your real tree, what to do with an artificial tree that's past its prime, as well as some tips on what to avoid.
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Piedmont Spotlight: Serpentine Barrens Complex

Join us as we continue our exploration of the vegetative communities of the Piedmont region of the Eastern United States. In this ongoing series of blogs, we will spotlight specific vegetative communities, define their historic structures, describe the processes that created them, examine past...

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New Lease on Life: Penguin Court’s Bluebird Trail

The Brandywine Conservancy's Penguin Court Preserve recently revitalized a 1.3 mile bluebird trail along its grounds, demonstrating the importance of predator guards and careful bird box placement. In the following guest article by D. Scott Jones, learn more about these recent changes, lessons learned, and the success that followed.
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Invasive Species Spotlight: Norway Maple

The Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) is a classic example of an invasive tree- with ties to the early American nursery trade, it was planted extensively in North America for its aesthetic appeal and horticultural value before eventually spreading into natural areas where it disrupts native plant communities.  
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Invasive Species Spotlight: Autumn & Russian Olive

The genus Elaeagnus contains about 100 different species of shrubby trees. In this invasive species spotlight, we will look at two that have become invasive in large parts of the United States: Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) and Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia). Although they have distinct differences, both species are often conflated due to similar growing habits and recommended control treatments.
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