Growing Garlic
With our recent warm February weather, almost 60 degrees, the garlic has popped tiny sprouts out in the field. This is the beginning of the season-long process that gives us a multitude of opportunities to harvest and use the garlic as it grows. If you joined us for our ...
Identifying Wildlife Tracks in the Snow
When it snows, we are given a wonderful glimpse into the paths and activities of the animals that visit our backyards, trails, and Open Space. Animal tracks are perfectly captured in the fresh snow cover. Most animals tend to stay put during blizzards and many hibernate (learn more in our ...
Getting Ready for Winter Hiking
As long as you prepare, hiking in the winter can be an excellent opportunity for fun! The outdoors in the winter months offers unique and beautiful scenery that you can only experience while cold hiking. When cooler temperatures begin, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy nature – we'll show you how ...
Spotted Lanternflies & Tree of Heaven
Spotted Lanternflies As many of you have been noticing, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) has been spreading in the Mid Atlantic over the last few years. Also known as SLF, the spotted lanternfly is native to China and parts of Vietnam where its populations are kept under control since ...
2024 Bluebird Monitoring Update
Bird populations have been decreasing across the globe for the past 50 years. Bluebird populations in particular experienced a dramatic decrease in population size in the early 20th century, reaching a 90% population decrease at one point. Largely due to habitat loss and introduction of aggressive species that outcompeted bluebirds ...
Invasive Species 101
Invasive species are defined as any non native organisms that are introduced to an area and begin to spread beyond the original site of introduction. This could include animals, plants, parasites, or even diseases. Invasive plant species typically share many of the ...
Helping Injured & Orphaned Wildlife
Emily, one of our Rangers, helping a baby cottontail in one of our work areas. As spring transitions into summer, wildlife across our region are busy raising their young. It's common during this time to encounter seemingly orphaned or injured animals. However, wildlife parenting is very different ...
Spotlight on Cedar Pond Pavilion
Tucked away in a serene setting in the southern section of The Greens, Cedar Pond Pavilion was envisioned by the founders of Willowsford as a place for education, recreation, and contemplation. Over the years, it has been used as a venue for birthday parties, nature classes, scout sleepovers, and the ...
All About Farm Stands
The Willowsford Farm Stand opened this week for the Summer season! It’s our favorite time of year to see this Willowsford landmark bustling with activity. While our Farm Stand may be unique with its location and hours, the history of roadside Farm Stands and markets goes way back before the ...
Go Native!
Willowsford residents take pride in their lawns and gardens, and rightfully so! Some residents have even taken it upon themselves to incorporate native plants into their landscapes which we love to see here at the conservancy! In this article, we’ll focus on why native plants are a great option ...
Food Choices Impact Our Planet
This month we celebrate Earth Day – and today we would like to share a bit about how agriculture plays a substantial role in the world we live in and what you can do to help us cultivate a brighter future. Some of you have probably already experienced when shopping ...
Vernal Pools
If you’ve ever visited our wet meadow in the Grange village, you may have noticed some small pools of water, they’re called vernal pools. A vernal pool is a seasonal pool of water that provides habitat for distinct plant and animal species. They are a unique type of wetland, as ...
