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Pennypack Trust

@pennypacktrust

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The mission of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust is to protect, restore, and preserve land within the Pennypack Watershed. Become a member!

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We recently welcomed the Montgomery County cohort of @pamasternaturalist trainees to the Pennypack Preserve for a field experience focused on ecological restoration and stewardship.

We started with an introduction to the Preserve's birds and habitats, including some time using binoculars, before heading out for a more in-depth tour of our restoration and management work.

Throughout the walk, we discussed invasive species management, active and passive restoration, riparian buffers, watershed health, and some of the challenges that come with planning, implementing, and maintaining restoration projects. We also talked about how these practices can be applied on a smaller scale and the important role volunteers play in our work at PERT.

Our partners at the @ttfwatershed (TTF) also joined us to share their work in a more developed portion of the watershed, where urban runoff, combined sewer overflows, and limited green space present different challenges for restoration and water quality.

One highlight of the morning came as we were discussing the recovery of bald eagles and their success at the Preserve, when two bald eagles flew overhead!

It was a great opportunity to share our work with a group of people training to become knowledgeable, active volunteers in their own communities. Thank you to the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program and TTF Watershed Partnership for being part of the experience!

**Interested in bringing a group to the Pennypack Preserve?** We offer guided educational tours and field experiences for clubs, organizations, schools, and other groups. Tours can be tailored to your interests, whether that's birding, habitat management, ecological restoration, or learning more about the work happening at PERT. Contact us to discuss arranging a visit! by @pennypacktrust

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3 days ago

The trio is so excited to partner with the @pennypacktrust to celebrate their Fall Festival on Saturday, October 24th from 4pm-9pm!

Formerly known as the Full Moon Hayride, Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust’s (PERT) Fall Festival is a fun way to enjoy the Preserve in autumn. Take a hayride, listen to live music, grab food and drinks, play seasonal games, make s’mores, and more! Admission is free, and registration is not required.

Hayride tickets must be purchased in advance, per person, through our website to reserve a timeslot. Please bring cash or Venmo for food, drinks, retail items, and activities.

Check our website and social media for event updates and hayride ticket sale information.
PERT members receive early access to hayride tickets. Become a member today and be among the first to know when tickets go on sale. There will be no hayride tickets sold on the day of the event.

Register Here: LINK IN BIO by @pennypacktrust

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5 days ago

Join us for Pre-School Nature Club at PERT this week!

We’ll read our October Story Stroll, *Gustavo the Shy Ghost*, spend some time exploring nature, and color a ghost to take home.

Bring your little ones for a morning of stories, fresh air, and a little Halloween fun!

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/2natzrnv or use the link in our bio!

https://www.facebook.com/share/19chr7C4cB/ by @pennypacktrust

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11 days ago

How healthy are our trees and the Pennypack Creek? Yesterday, students from three @psuabington classes joined us to help find out!

Students learned about Beech Leaf Disease and helped with our ongoing research by measuring the health and growth of trees in the experiment. They also sorted aquatic macroinvertebrates from the creek to assess water quality, learning about sampling methods and related careers along the way.

Getting students involved in local research is an important part of our plans for PERT. We’re excited to begin this partnership with Penn State Abington and look forward to having them back!

Thank you to our members and supporters for making this work possible.

Know a college professor or student who would love to get involved? Share this with them! We welcome more colleges and universities interested in learning and conducting research at Pennypack. by @pennypacktrust

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15 days ago

Fall is the best time to plant native plants, and PERT still has them for sale! Cooler temperatures help plants establish roots before next year’s growing season.

Planting natives supports local wildlife and helps create a healthier Pennypack Watershed.

Stop by to purchase plants:

Monday through Friday: 9 AM to 5 PM at our main office
Saturday: 10 AM to 2 PM at our Visitor’s Center
Sunday: 11 AM to 2 PM at our Visitor’s Center

Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust
2955 Edge Hill Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA

Make room for more native plants in your yard this fall! by @pennypacktrust

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16 days ago

October’s Story Stroll is here! Join us at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust to enjoy Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, a sweet story about friendship, courage, and finding the confidence to be yourself.

Gather your little ones, enjoy the fall scenery, and read together as you walk from page to page. It’s a fun way to combine time outdoors with a little Halloween spirit!

Thank you to @southampton_free_library for sharing this story with us! by @pennypacktrust

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17 days ago

**Help your township protect our watershed and save money this winter.**

Using road salt wisely can help keep roads safe while reducing salt pollution in our streams and avoiding unnecessary spending.

The **Winter Salt Wise Workshop on October 9 in Camp Hill, PA**, is an opportunity for township officials, public works crews, stormwater staff, and contractors to learn about better winter maintenance practices.

**Community members: Please share this opportunity with your township and encourage them to send a staff member.** Supporting better salt practices helps protect the Pennypack Watershed and make the most of municipal resources.

Details and registration:
https://certified.cblpro.org/product/winter-salt-wise-powr/
Or use the link in our bio!

**Want to help beyond the workshop?** PA Road Salt Action brings together volunteers and professionals working toward smarter winter maintenance and cleaner Pennsylvania waters. Visit their website for resources to share with your township and opportunities to join their advocacy efforts:
https://www.paroadsaltaction.org/ by @pennypacktrust

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18 days ago

Recently, our education and stewardship staff joined Maria Paula, our Director of Research and Restoration, to check on trees planted with Lower Moreland High School students in spring 2025 as part of our Beech Leaf Disease research and restoration project.

Tree by tree, we recorded survival, height, and stem diameter. These measurements help us answer a bigger question: How can we help our forests recover as Beech Leaf Disease changes them?

In one of our research plots, we have selectively thinned beech trees to reduce competition for the remaining beeches and planted native trees, including oaks and hickories, to help rebuild the canopy and provide food for wildlife.

Together with Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories, we are studying whether this approach can offer land managers a reliable way to respond to Beech Leaf Disease. Tracking these trees over several years will help us understand what is working and guide what we do next.

The students who helped plant these trees are part of that work. We hope to bring high school and college students back into the forest to help monitor growth and protect naturally emerging seedlings from deer.

Caring for the preserve means planting, observing, measuring, and learning—and sharing what we learn with you.

Learn more about the research and restoration project using the link in our bio! by @pennypacktrust

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a month ago

🌙 Annual Chimney Swift Migration Watch Presented By Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

Every September, something extraordinary happens right here at Bryn Athyn College: hundreds — sometimes thousands — of Chimney Swifts swirl through the sky at dusk before funneling into a single roost for the night. For years, they've chosen the historic Forge chimney right here on the college campus as their gathering place — and you're invited to see it in person.

📅 Thursday, September 24, 2026
🕡 6:00 p.m. — Intro talk, Pendleton Hall Auditorium
🕖 6:45 p.m. — Migration Watch, Bryn Athyn College Forge
📍 Parking: 2965 Campus Drive, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 (Follow the event parking signs).

Free admission, but pre-registration is required. Bring a chair and your binoculars!

👉 Register here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/volinteres/event/september24th-chimneyswiftwatch/

#brynathyncollege #communityevent #ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇᴘʜᴏᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜʏ #birdphotography by @pennypacktrust

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a month ago

You asked us to share more about the work happening behind the scenes at PERT, and that includes the research, conversations, and partnerships that help guide how we care for the preserve.

As we continue looking for ways to improve the management of PERT’s grasslands and other habitats, we recently welcomed Colin, Brooke, and Gene of StewardGreen and StewardAir to the preserve.

Their team uses drone, aerial imaging, and mapping technology to support conservation and land-management work. During the visit, PERT staff learned how these tools could potentially assist with vegetation monitoring, identifying and tracking invasive species, evaluating canopy gaps, and improving long-term habitat monitoring and maintenance.

The conversation brought together staff from across PERT including horticulture, research and restoration, stewardship, education and outreach, and communications to think about how new technology could complement the field work and ecological monitoring we already do.

We don’t yet know if this is a tool PERT will ultimately use, but exploring new ideas is an important part of improving our work. Just as our recent conversations about grassland bird habitat are helping us think differently about how we manage our fields, we are continuing to seek out expertise, partnerships, and new approaches that can help us make informed, science-based decisions for the land in our care.

Thank you to the StewardGreen and StewardAir team for spending time with us and sharing what is possible. by @pennypacktrust

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a month ago

Our Fall Native Plant Sale is today!

Stop by PERT and bring home native plants to support birds, butterflies, and other wildlife in your own backyard.

Saturday, September 12 | 9:00 AM–noon
Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust
2955 Edge Hill Road, Huntingdon Valley

We hope to see you there! by @pennypacktrust

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a month ago

Bird migration is underway, and there’s something we can all do to help: turn off unnecessary lights at night.

Many birds travel after dark. Artificial lights can disorient them, leading to exhaustion and collisions with buildings. Turning off outdoor lights and closing curtains or blinds can help make their journey safer.

“The preserve belongs to wildlife at night.” — Chris Mendel, PERT Executive Director

That line from our 2025 Annual Report is a good reminder that protecting habitat includes protecting darkness. And that work extends into our own backyards.

Tonight, take a look outside. Are there lights you could turn off? For lighting you need, consider timers or motion sensors, and keep lights dim, warm in color, and directed toward the ground.

Read Chris’s full article, “The Importance of Darkness,” to learn more about how we can help birds and other wildlife at home. You can find the article using the link in our bio! by @pennypacktrust

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a month ago