Swallowtail caterpillar

Eastern Black Swallowtail Emergence At Hildacy

July 2, 2014

Photographs and life cycle information of the Eastern Black Swallowtails, by Mike Coll at Hildacy Preserve in Delaware County, PA.

hail on green grass, a wooden bench, and a short stone wall

Hail storm at Crow's Nest Preserve

After Two Hailstorms

May 23, 2014

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager. Wow. This was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Two heavy hailstorms separated by a few minutes of sun. Just […]

We use this no-till drill for seeding native meadows.

Seeding Grasslands With No-Till Drill

May 13, 2014

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager I spent the day yesterday with the no-till seeder planting 10 acres of crop fields back to grasslands of native […]

people planting plants in a brown meadow

Volunteers plant plugs in a meadow restoration at Crow's Nest Preserve

Meadow Restoration at Crow’s Nest: The Big Planting

May 10, 2014

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager Actually, it’s not a big area, but it is a LOT of plants. We’re planting meadow plugs on 1 to […]

Screech Owl in nest box at Hildacy Preserve

Attracting Owls, Kestrels, Wood Ducks And Blue Birds

March 27, 2014

Installing nest boxes can help attract migratory nesting birds like screech owls, wood ducks, blue birds, and kestrels.

postcard with black and white photo of dairy cows and farmers

postcard with black and white photo of original Wawa family dairy farm

Holy Cow! Wawa’s “Home Farm” Is Preserved!

June 18, 2013

One of the largest, privately owned properties in Delaware County preserved forever!

a bird with a red breast and speckled black and white wings wades through water with its beak downturned almost touching the surface of the water

A Red Knot (Calidris canutus) wades into the waters at Glades Wildlife Refuge in spring.

Remarkable Red Knots

May 24, 2013

About halfway along their spring trek, Red Knots make a critical stopover to Delaware Bay to refuel before continuing on. In fact, an estimated 90 percent of the entire species population can be found on the Bay in a single day.

Genista Broom Moth Caterpillar on a leaf at Crow's Nest Preserve

Genista Broom Moth Caterpillar

June 19, 2012

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager. Yesterday on the blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) plants I saw this pretty caterpillar. I had left my camera at […]

grass and dirt with trees and blue sky in the background

A suburban lot that will be restored to meadow near Crow's Nest Preserve

Restoration Of A Suburban Lot At Crow’s Nest Preserve

June 5, 2012

By Daniel Barringer, preserve manager. It’s a commonly held belief that once land is developed into houses, streets, stores and parking lots, it will never […]

Tufted Titmouse (grey and white bird) sits in a tree

Tufted Titmouse sits in a tree at Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary

Tufted Titmice Or Titmouses?

January 12, 2012

By Tim Burris, Preserve Manager. A long time ago, I read, or was told by a respected birder that the plural of Tufted Titmouse was […]