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French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust

Preserve, steward, and connect people to the land in northern Chester County

French & Pickering

Land Trust Accreditation Public Notice

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The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of accreditation. A public comment period is now open.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. We value the Land Trust Alliance accreditation as it is our best means to assure all our constituents that we operate with integrity and transparency and that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical and operating standards in the industry.

The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org.

Comments may also be mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Comments on French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust’s application will be most useful by July 3, 2026.

The Impact of Road Salts on the Ecosystem

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By Karena DiLeo, Stewardship Coordinator

Every winter as inclement weather approaches, deicing chemicals are liberally applied to roads and walkways. As a result, half of the streams in northern metropolitan areas experience elevated levels of sodium and chloride from the meltwater that washes downstream1. Sodium chloride (NaCl), the most common deicer, has been shown to increase salinity in freshwater ecosystems and decrease water quality in human water supplies1. Since these chemicals can be retained in the soil for up to 5 months, elevated concentrations of sodium and chloride can be present in surface and groundwater throughout the year2. 

A study of the Philadelphia region, which primarily relies on the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers for drinking water, found the highest levels of sodium and chloride in the water supply following periods of snowmelt. With elevated concentrations found in areas of dense development upstream, these levels continued throughout the year as contaminated groundwater entered small streams during the summer5. 

Sadly, the influx of sodium and chloride into freshwater habitats degrades the ecosystem, reduces water quality, and decreases both species’ abundance and richness1. Scientists have found this increase in salt is detrimental to wetland vegetation, amphibians, plankton, insects and other macroinvertebrates and promotes a shift towards salt tolerant species 2,4.

Vernal pools are ephemeral wetland habitats, or landscapes that are wet in late fall and winter and dry during the summer months. This seasonality makes them especially susceptible to salt-polluted water from snowmelt 4.  Vernal pools provide essential breeding and foraging grounds for wildlife, with several species of amphibian completely dependent on these pools for reproduction. The influx of road salts has been shown to reduce egg and larval survival in spotted salamanders and wood frogs and increase frequency of malformations in other amphibians6. These effects are greatest in vernal pools within 50 meters of the roadway, with evidence that on-going annual salt influx may cause local populations to even go extinct6. 

Unfortunately, deicing chemicals not only affect our water, but also wash from roadways and leach from snow piles into soils3. Once salt is in the ground, it has been shown to significantly change the soil’s chemical composition and raise the pH, with elevated levels of sodium detected up to 50 meters from the roadway3. While these elevated levels may be detrimental to all biota in the soil, the impact on the growth, health, and survival of many tree species has been well documented. Sodium interferes with the trees’ ability to absorb nutrients and water from the soil which leads to deficiencies in the leaves. In turn, these deficiencies weaken photosynthesis (the process plants use to create energy) and can cause premature aging3. 

These deicing chemicals also become airborne as heavy traffic or winds spray the salts on surrounding vegetation. This can lead to reduced cold hardiness of leaf and flower buds making them more susceptible to late-season frosts3. 

The application of deicing chemicals to our roadways is necessary for safe travel in the wintertime; however, thoughtful and judicious application, along with consideration of alternate methods for deicing, can have a significant impact on our water quality and surrounding ecosystems.

For best practices and alternative deicing options, please visit Penn State Extension: https://extension.psu.edu/watershed-friendly-deicing

1. Hintz W.D. & R.A. Relyea (2017) Impacts of road deicing salts on the early-life growth and development of a stream salmonid: Salt type matters. Environmental Pollution 223:409-415

2. Robinson H.K., Hasenmueller EA., and L.G. Chambers (2017) Soil as a reservoir for road salt retention leading to its gradual release to groundwater.  Applied Geochemistry 83:72-85

3. Equiza M.A., Calvo-Polanco M., Cirelli D., Senorans J., Wartenbe M., Saunders C., and J.J. Zwiazek (2017) Long-term impact of road salt (NaCL) on soil and urban trees in Edmonton, Canada. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 21:16-28.

4. Vigil J.P. and M.S. Schuler (2024) Salt pollution reduces turbidity, dissolved organic matter, and cyanobacteria in experimental vernal pool communities. Science of the Total Environment 931:172948

5. Cruz, Y. D., Rossi, M. L., & Goldsmith, S. T. (2022). Impacts of road deicing application on sodium and chloride concentrations in Philadelphia region drinking water. GeoHealth, 6, e2021GH000538. https://doi. org/10.1029/2021GH000538

6. Karraker N.E. and J.P. Gibbs (2011) Road deicing salt irreversibly disrupts osmoregulation of salamander egg clutches. Environmental Pollution 159(3):833-835

Riparian Buffers: Benefits and Functions

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Riparian buffer restoration work in progress!

By Karl Russek and Karena DiLeo

Chances are you’ve heard us use the term “riparian buffer” before, and you probably have a general idea it concerns keeping trees and shrubs along streams. But why are so they important,  and how do they work?

A riparian buffer is an area adjacent to a stream, lake, or wetland that contains a combination of trees, shrubs, and other perennial plants and is managed primarily to provide conservation benefits. A wide variety of state and federal programs support the installation of riparian forest buffers on public and private lands.

Riparian buffers are the among the most cost-effective protection for our water resources. These strips of grass, shrubs, and/or trees along the banks of rivers and streams filter polluted runoff and provide a transition zone between water and human land use. Buffers are also complex ecosystems in their own right that provide habitat and improve the stream communities they shelter. Natural riparian buffers have been lost due to agriculture and development in many places over the years. Restoring them is an important step forward for water quality, riverbank stability, and wildlife.

BUFFER BENEFITS AND HOW THEY WORK

These are some of the main benefits:

Sediment Filter

Riparian buffers help catch and filter out sediment and debris from surface runoff. Depending upon the width and complexity of the buffer, 50–100% of the sediments and the nutrients attached to them can settle out and be absorbed as buffer plants slow sediment-laden runoff waters. Wider, forested buffers are more effective than narrow, grassy buffers.

Pollution Filter, Transformer, and Sink

Riparian buffers trap pollutants that would otherwise wash into surface and groundwater. Phosphorus and nitrogen from fertilizer and animal waste can become pollutants if more is applied to the land than plants can use. Because excess phosphorus bonds to soil particles, 80–85% can be captured when sediment is filtered out of surface water runoff by passing through the buffer. Chemical and biological activity in soil, particularly of streamside forests, can capture and transform nitrogen and other pollutants into less harmful forms. These buffers also act as a “sink” when nutrients and excess water are taken up by root systems and stored in the biomass of trees.

Better Aquatic Habitat

Forested riparian buffers benefit aquatic habitat by improving the quality of nearby waters through shading, filtering, and moderating stream flow. Shade in summer means cooler, more even water temperatures, especially on small streams. Cooler water holds more oxygen and reduces stress on fish and other aquatic creatures. A few degrees difference in water temperature can have a major effect on their survival.  Woody debris feeds the aquatic food web. It also can create more complex habitat, providing cover for fish and their food supply while reducing erosion by slowing flow.

Stream Flow Regulator  

By slowing the velocity of runoff, the riparian buffer allows water to infiltrate the soil and recharge the groundwater supply. Groundwater will reach a stream or river at a much slower rate, and over a longer period of time, than if it had entered the river as surface runoff. This helps control flooding and maintain stream flow during the driest times of the year.

Bank Stabilizer 

Woody buffer vegetation helps to stabilize streambanks and reduce erosion. Roots hold bank soil together, and stems protect banks by diffusing the energy of flood waters. Buffers can also reduce the amount of streambed “scour” by absorbing surface water runoff and slowing water velocity. When plant cover is removed, more surface water reaches the stream more quickly, causing the stream to be more “flashy” and mobilizing sediment and nutrients from the banks.

Figure 1:  A stream with a healthy buffer (credit: USDA)

Wildlife Habitat

The distinctive habitat offered by riparian buffers is home to a multitude of plant and animal species, including some rarely found outside this narrow band of land influenced by a stream. Continuous stretches of riparian buffer also serve as wildlife travel corridors.

Trees planted along the French Creek to create a future riparian buffer.

If you have a lake, stream, or wetland on your property and you’d like to know more about improving your riparian buffers,  French & Pickering can help! Please contact Karena at kdileo@frenchandpickering.org or Karl at krussek@frenchandpickering.org.

Moths of the Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve

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Recapping our August Moth ID Night Hike

By Amy Langman and Shelby Coulton

Last month, we welcomed the French & Pickering community to our Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve for a special nighttime program – a Moth ID Night Hike! Using white sheets, black lights, the right placement, and a little luck, we were able to attract and identify a variety of insects that help diversify and strengthen the Preserve’s ecosystems.

This was the first year we successfully attracted moths using this technique, and they certainly did not disappoint… after 10pm when the program had already concluded. As discussed at the beginning of the program, most of the moth magic happens hours past nightfall. We saw an influx of moths following initial sightings of adult water-loving insects including mayflies, caddisflies, crane flies, beetles, and a few stoneflies.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped spot all the neat sights along the path, like a caterpillar munching on a leaf! Keep an eye out for more Moth Nights on our event calendar, and remember to plant native, leave the leaves, turn off unnecessary lighting, and eliminate the use of pesticides. Our winged (and non-winged) friends will thank you!

If you walk within the Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve or Templin Woods Preserve, please join our iNaturalist projects and report your nature sightings. This data will be used by researchers for real-time scientific studies. Join the citizen-scientist movement!

Enjoy the entertaining common names of some of the species we spotted:

Virginia Creeper Sphinx and Palthis Moth
Bold-feathered Grass Moth
Crocus Geometer
Deep Yellow Euchlaena Moth
Delicate Cycnia Moth
Texas Mocis Moth
Wavy-lined Emerald
Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth
Tulip-tree Beauty
Virginia Creeper Sphinx
Tiger Moth species (likely Nais)
One-spotted Variant

Some other fun sightings:

Black light on leaf after being eaten by an insect
Rustic Quaker munching (our best guess!)
Spider species in black light

Dark Skies – A Case for Turning Off the Lights

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By Karena DiLeo, Stewardship Coordinator

We as humans have a habit of modifying our surroundings to better suit our needs to the detriment of our natural environments. 

Sometimes it’s difficult to make the best decision to reduce our impacts in a world we have designed for consumption, but perhaps it can be as easy as turning off a light switch. Nighttime artificial lights disrupt the critical behaviors of both plants and animals and can have community-wide impacts, from earlier bud burst in plants to changing activity patterns in animals 1. Ecological communities are organized by daily and seasonal light cycles. By lessening the difference between day and night we are altering how species interact, which impacts their long-term survival 2.

Perhaps the most widely known impact is on songbirds, waterfowl, and seabirds during their spring and fall migrations between summer-breeding and winter-feeding habitats. During these long-distance, nighttime flights, birds rely on their complex navigational systems which include phototaxis, the movement towards or away from light. Light pollution disrupts these flights, leading birds off course and causing millions of deaths as birds collide into illuminated buildings and communication towers 3. Light pollution disrupts their circadian rhythms (internal clocks), alters their reproduction times, and changes flight behavior 4.

Bats synchronize their feeding intensity with the lunar cycle, decreasing activity on full moon or brighter nights5. This change in behavior has translated to bats altering their flight routes in response to light pollution6, most likely to avoid nocturnal predators.

Nighttime lights surrounded by buzzing insects and moths are a common summertime sight, however, light pollution is one of the greatest drivers of insect decline worldwide (along with habitat loss and pesticide use). Scientists have found that one third of all insects drawn to lights die before morning from predation, exhaustion, or collision with vehicles7. These artificial lights affect seasonal and daily movements of insects, reducing foraging, altering reproductive timing, increasing the risk of predation7, and even delaying diapause (dormancy) which increases winter mortality8. The impact on bioluminescent insects, like lightening bugs, is even more stark as light pollution hinders the male’s ability to locate females for reproduction9.

Ninety-nine percent of the United States has light polluted skies, with nearly eighty percent of North America unable to see the Milky Way10. But the good news is that unlike most other forms of pollution, by reducing usage or turning off our lights, we can fix the issue – no long-term clean-up needed. Once the skies are dark again, the natural world can begin to repair itself and we can anticipate a safer environment for all wildlife, including the beloved lightening bug.  

Common eastern firefly (Photinus pyralis). Courtesy weaver1234 on Getty Images/Canva.
  1. Sanders D., Hirt M.R., Brose U., Evans D.M., Gaston K.J., Gauzens B., and R. Ryser. 2023. How artificial light at night may rewire ecological networks: concepts and models. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 378.
  2. Gaston K.J., Duffy J.P., Gaston S., Bennie J., & T.W. Davies. 2014. Human alteration of natural light cycles: causes and ecological consequences. Oecologia (176): 914-931
  3. Van Doren B.M., Willard D.E., Hennen M., Horton K.G., Stuber E.F., Sheldon D., Sivakumar A.H., Wang J., Farnsworth A., & B.M. Winger. (2021), PNAS 118(4)
  4. Cabrera-Cruz S.A., Smolinksky J.A., & J.J. Buler. 2018. Light pollution is greatest within migration passage areas for nocturnally-migrating birds around the world. Scientific Reports 8:3261
  5. Li H., Allen P., Boris A., Lagrama S., Lyons J., Mills C., Moussi P., Nichols C., Tacosik C., Tsaousis M., Wilson N.L., Grider J.F., Parker K.A., & M.C. Kalcounis-Rueppell. 2024. Artificial light at night (ALAN) pollution alters bat lunar chronobiology: insights from broad-scale long-term acoustic monitoring. Ecological Processes 13:13
  6. Stone E.L., Jones G., & S. Harris. 2009. Street lighting disturbs commuting bats. Current Biology 19:1123-1127
  7. Owens A.C.S., Cochard P., Durrant J., Farnworth B., Perkin E.K., & B. Seymoure. 2019. Light pollution is a driver of insect declines. Biological Conservation 241
  8. Merckx T., Nielsen M.E., Kankaanpaa T., Kadlec T., Yazdanian M., & S.M. Kivela. 2022. Dim light pollution prevents diapause induction in urban and rural moths.  Journal of Applied Ecology (60) 1022-1031
  9. Bird S. & J. Parker. 2014. Low levels of light pollution may block the ability of male glow worm (Lampyris noctiluca) to locate females. Journal of Insect Conservation 18:737-743
  10. Falchi F., Cinzano P., Duriscoe D., Kyba C.C.M., Edvidge C.D., Baugh K., Portnov B.A., Rybinkova N.A.& R. Furgoni. 2016. The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness. Science Advances 2(6)

Let It Grow: The Case For Less Mowing

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Courtesy of Xerces Society.

You may be familiar with “no mow May” but what if less mowing could be a yearlong change?  There are over 2 million acres of lawn in Pennsylvania, and from an ecological perspective, our lawns are sterile habitats, or habitats that lack the necessary conditions for supporting diverse animal and plant life. Lawns are monocultures (an area where a single crop is grown) of one or several species of cool season turf grasses that offer little to no food or shelter for native wildlife. These dense-growing grasses absorb minimal amounts of storm water and lead to increased run-off and poor water quality, especially when lawns are treated with pesticides or herbicides. 

This spring, take some time to contemplate what your lawn means to you: how do you use it and how much do you really need? 

Prioritize the areas of your lawn that offer the most value for playing or relaxing then consider how best to utilize the remaining areas.  There are lots of options for ditching, or at least minimizing, the mower: creating native flowerbeds, converting a section to meadow, or even planting trees to create a patch of woods.  

Native violets. Courtesy of Emily May and Xerces Society.

Even the simple step of forgoing the herbicides and pesticides and mowing your lawn at a higher level is beneficial.  Natives like common blue violets (Viola sororia) and common selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) may start to grow within your lawn.  These early bloomers offer food for pollinators (bees, butterflies, bats, birds, and others) and are host plants for caterpillars (or larval butterflies), including fritillaries (genus Speyeria) for violets and clouded sulfurs (Colias philodice) for selfheal.  

Even the naturalized white clover in your lawn offers pollinators food and provides habitat to beneficial insects, like ladybugs and parasitoid wasps, that prey on garden invaders like aphids and caterpillars. Compared to turf grass, clovers enhance soil quality by adding nitrogen to the ground and may provide more drought tolerance and erosion control due to their long and fibrous roots.  

Regardless of how your lawn works for you, this Earth Day let’s all take some time to appreciate how small changes we make can have big impacts on our environment!

If you’re an easement owner and would like more information on converting your lawn into a meadow or woodland, please contact Stewardship Coordinator Karena DiLeo at kdileo@frenchandpickering.org