Staff of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art to Plant 35,000th Tree for Its Reforestation Campaign

More than 30 shovel-wielding staff members of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art will spend Tuesday morning, October 27, planting 600 native hardwood tree saplings along Harvey Run, an impaired tributary to the Brandywine located on the organization’s Chadds Ford, PA, campus. During this planting, the Conservancy will plant the 35,000th tree in its major multi-year reforestation initiative.

“Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated staff and volunteers, today we reached and passed a major milestone in our “50 by 50” effort to plant 50,000 trees in the Brandywine Watershed by the Conservancy’s 50th anniversary in 2017,” said Sherri Evans-Stanton, director of the Brandywine Conservancy. “Thirty-five thousand trees have now been planted in the Brandywine Watershed. Once established, these trees will contribute to the health of this watershed, which provides drinking water to more than 500,000 people in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware.”

Planting trees helps to protect the quality of water and so much more. Forested riparian buffers—areas of trees, shrubs and grasses that form buffer zones along the banks of rivers and streams—reduce water pollution, provide clean drinking water sources, preserve valuable ecosystem services, add economic benefits, and beautify the natural landscape of communities and watersheds. The Conservancy targets land immediately adjacent to streams (riparian areas) and steep slopes for reforestation projects because these areas are especially vulnerable to erosion.

The trees are all native to the region, and selected for the soil conditions, so they will thrive. Each tree is encased in a protective tube that shelters the sapling from damage by deer, as well as voles (meadow mice), which can gnaw tree bark a few inches above and below ground level. The tubes are removed when the tree has a caliper or trunk width of 2-2½” at the top of the tube.

Volunteers who want to help can join the Conservancy for a planting of an additional 600 trees. They should wear sturdy work clothes and boots and bring gloves, a refillable water bottle, and a shovel (if possible). To volunteer, please contact Meredith Mayer at 610.388.8351 or [email protected].

This project was financed by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority.

The Brandywine and its tributaries are a major source of drinking water for more than a half million people, including the communities of Downingtown, Coatesville, and West Chester in Pennsylvania, as well as the city of Wilmington, Delaware. The Brandywine also provides surface water for commercial, agricultural, and industrial uses.

The Brandywine Conservancy protects water, conserves land, and engages communities.  The Conservancy uses a multi-faceted approach to conservation. We work with private landowners who wish to see their lands protected forever, and provide innovative community planning services to municipalities and other governmental agencies. The Conservancy currently holds 460 conservation and agricultural easements and has facilitated the permanent preservation of more than 62,000 acres of land.

The Brandywine Conservancy is a program of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, which protects art and the environment in the Philadelphia region. The Brandywine River Museum of Art presents Wyeth and American art in a spectacular setting. Visitors explore the art and the landscape that inspired N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, along with other renowned artists.

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