Heritage Conservancy

Earth Day is next Thursday, April 22nd! To celebrate, we are offering independent cleanups throughout the week and an in-person cleanup at our Croydon Woods Nature Preserve on Saturday, April 24th. Click the link below to learn more about these cleanups and to watch a video about how volunteer cleanups continue to help transform Croydon Woods!

Buckingham Palace recently announced that it will be opening its grounds to visitors this summer for self-guided garden tours and picnics on its grounds. You don't have to travel that far to see beautiful gardens and intricate architecture though! Just like our friends from across the pond, Aldie Mansion is doing the same! On Tuesday, May 4th, right in time to celebrate an early Mother's Day, we are offering this unique opportunity to explore the mansion's grounds during a se...lf-guided tour. If you'd like, bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy while historic Aldie Mansion serves as a backdrop. Aldie Mansion was originally the home of Martha Dana Mercer and William Mercer, brother of Henry Mercer, and many of William's concrete garden ornaments and landscaping can still be seen today. Some plantings even date back to centuries ago, including the magnificent bur oak tree, which we've been told is the widest spanning bur oak in Pennsylvania! Spaces are limited, and COVID guidelines will be in place. Register today by clicking the link below. (Thank you to Bucks Country Gardens Ltd. for sponsoring this event.)

We didn't have to go too far back into the archives to find the perfect #ThrowbackThursday for today! We released our 6-part series on the World of Waterfowl back in January, but now is the time of year to see ducks and other waterfowl as they begin to set up nests for their young on the way. Learn all about these birds through our videos, and then go outdoors to do some waterfowl watching!

The NCAA's March Madness may be over, but Heritage Conservancy's "Mulch" Madness is just gearing up! Join us next Tuesday and/or Wednesday to help us get Aldie Mansion's grounds ready for spring. The rental of Aldie Mansion for weddings and special events benefits Heritage Conservancy's mission--this is an important volunteer opportunity that we host annually. Register with Liz at [email protected].

Did you know that it took 48 hours or longer for a boat to get from Easton to Bristol on the Delaware Canal? A good biker could bike that distance faster! These days the trip takes about an hour and a half by car. Check out the How A Canal Built A Community interactive experience to learn more about past ways of life in Bristol Borough, PA: https://storymaps.arcgis.com//ef7f787895584747b52e8b187831 Plus, a big shout out to the D&L Trail which makes it possible to hike an...d bike along the old canal! Check them out at Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Video credit: National Canal Museum

Women's History Month may have just ended, but here is one last #HCWomenInConservation to close out the series: Kathryn Auerbach has shaped historic preservation in Bucks County for decades. A Bucks County native and current resident of Tinicum Township, she began working in historic preservation in 1976, following her graduation from the College of William and Mary. Kathryn first worked at the Virginia Research Center for Archaeology, before continuing her career with the B...ucks County Conservancy (now Heritage Conservancy). Throughout her illustrious career, Kathryn has testified in front of Congress for the designation of the Delaware River Wild and Scenic protections, written numerous nominations for structures and historic districts to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been a professor of historic preservation at Bucks County Community College since the historic preservation program’s inception in 1991. Her work includes the listing for the Doylestown Borough Historic District, conducting historic surveys, and advocating for the documentation and preservation of historic bridges, private historic preservation consulting, as well as serving on multiple boards and committees associated with historic preservation and conservation. Kathryn has been recognized four times with the Charles E. Peterson Prize (a national competition sponsored by the AIA, NPS and Athenaeum), most recently in 2008 with First Place. She is currently working to save the Headquarters Road bridge in Tinicum Township. In an op-ed piece about the demolition of the Smith-Soliday building in Doylestown Borough, Kathryn quoted Article 1 Section 127 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, stating that we are especially honored to have a right to natural, historic and aesthetic resources ... and for generations yet to come. It is an oath to defend the physical representation of our history. There could be no better summation of Ms. Auerbach’s life’s work than this. ***Our rationale behind this post was to close out our "Women in Conservation" post series by highlighting a local preservationist. Heritage Conservancy is not implicitly endorsing or taking a stance on the Tinicum bridge by having shared a previously posted video about it. Heritage Conservancy's mission is to serve this community by preserving and protecting its natural and historic heritage, and we strive to be reasonable and respectful of public safety in doing so. We recognize that this bridge's closure is a major worry for many of the people that it impacts on a daily basis. We have removed the video.***