Welcome to Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

PENNYPACK TRUST RECEIVES $1.025 MILLION GRANT FOR LAND ACQUSITION

The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust was awarded a $1.025 million grant by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for the acquisition and permanent preservation of 66 acres along Paper Mill Road in Bryn Athyn Borough and Lower Moreland Township, Montgomery County. DCNR announced the grant on May 23, 2006.

"This generous grant goes a long way in helping the Trust to preserve one of the most ecologically valuable natural areas in the Pennypack valley, but the Trust still needs to raise $1.025 million to match the DCNR grant," said Christopher Asplundh, president of the Trust's board of Directors. "The property's owner has offered to sell the land to the Trust at a very steep discount, but the DCNR grant will only cover half the purchase price, which explains why the Trust still needs to raise a lot of money for the project."

The Paper Mill Road property is one of 10 parcels of land identified for preservation as natural areas in the Pennypack Trust's recently completed 25-year master plan. All of the parcels are adjacent to the 720-acre Pennypack Preserve.

Dr. David J. Robertson, the Trust's executive director, said, "The DCNR grant will help the Trust to secure a natural treasure that features a 250-year-old forest, land surrounding a high-quality tributary of Pennypack Creek, and the largest block of intact woodland in the central Pennypack valley."

Pennypack Preserve Grows to 720 Acres

Newest acquisition preserves 4-acre woodland

The Pennypack Trust continues to preserve land in the central Pennypack Creek valley despite rising land prices and competition from developers. On December 23, 2005, the Trust acquired the Creek Road Woods, a 4-acre woodland along Creek Road in Upper Moreland Township. The Trust was able to purchase the property with the generous assistance of Montgomery County’s Green Fields / Green Towns Open Space Program. The Trust received a Private Organization grant from the Green Fields / Green Towns program supplemented by a Municipal grant awarded to Upper Moreland Township. Upper Moreland, in turn, partially matched the county’s support with funding from the township’s own open space funds.

Creek Road Woods slopes eastward toward Pennypack Creek. The tract is completely forested with a mixture of native hardwoods, although the dominant canopy trees are white ashes. The woods appears to have regrown on agricultural fields abandoned a half-century or more ago and is still in the process of maturing and gaining in diversity.

Creek Road Woods is currently visually accessible from the Creek Road Trail along the woods’ east border and the Mitchell Trail along woods’ north side. (Land to the south and west is private.) Eventually, the Trust will re-route the Mitchell Trail through the Creek Road Woods to provide direct visitor access.

Inside Pennypack's Gift Shop

Pennypack’s Gift Shop is located in the Visitors' Center and shares space with the nature center. It is staffed by a volunteer from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturdays and from 1 - 4 p.m. most Sundays. During the week it is opened upon request by office staff members. People frequently call or stop by to ask what we have in the Gift Shop. For those who don't know, here’s an incomplete list of what we sell:

• Birdfeeders, including a variety of squirrel-proof feeders and an 18"-wide window feeder.
• Books, including bird guides, tree guides, childrens’ books and books about gardening, wildlife and nature.
• Shade-grown and fair-traded coffee from Costa Rica that is cultivated on farms where trees remain standing to preserve important forest ecosystems and where farm workers are offered fair wages and working conditions.
• Garden sculptures in cast stone by Allentown-area sculptor Martha H. Cawley.
• Soy candles that are soot-free, lead-free, clean burning and 100% biodegradable.
• Soaps and hot and cold lavender packs made by a local crafter. The soaps are 100% vegan and contain no detergents or hardeners; the lavender packs are filled with lavender, flax seed and rice.
• PLUS bird bath heaters, window thermometers, doormats, T-shirts, stationery, jewelry, coloring books, sticker books, stencils, temporary tattoos and more!

Don't see what you're looking for in the Gift Shop? Let us know and we will try to special order it for you!