Bradford Woods PA

PA.._Forest_Stewardship_Program

Memorial_Donations

Storytelling night

Bradford Woods Conservancy - promoting and maintaining the natural beauty of our community. A fund of the Allegheny Land Trust.

The Bradford Woods Conservancy has mixed in many new faces on the Board over the last year to compliment our long-standing members, and I'm happy to say that the combined ideas and experience have given us all an optimistic outlook for 2010. The following are planned opportunities for everyone in the Borough throughout the year:

Naturalist Training with the Audubon Society in the BW Reserve
Community Programs, including a Birds of Prey Program, a presentation from the PA Forest Stewards, backyard composting, a Borough Clean-up Day, as well as the annual Sapling Give-Away and Perennial Sale
Conservancy Committees, including many opportunities to promote and support Conservation in and around BW.

The very best way to hear more about programs you'd like to attend is to become a member and get on the email list at allebach@nauticome.net. Ward Allebach, President

Mission - to promote education, appreciation and conservation of the community, and to encourage environmental stewardship of our natural resources as they affect BW and the surrounding communities. The goals include maintenance of the Reserve, trail building and maintenance, and educating all about the many aspects of the local environment.

Memorial Donations:

Many friends and neighbors choose to memorialize a loved one by donating to the BW Conservancy in their name. Any denomination is appreciated. Donations of $50 or more are honored with the Memorial Plaque placed in the BW Borough Office entrance. To donate to the Memorial Fund contact Leslie Kanter at leslieborsett@aol.com or call (724) 934-0416.

Pa. Forest Stewardship Program

On January 28, Bradford Woods resident and Forest Steward Bob Slagter presented to the Conservancy about the mission of the nation-wide Forest Stewardship program. Since 1990, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded this program in all 50 states. The PA program is administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry and is overseen by a committee composed of private landowners, conservancy group, educational, government, and industry representatives.

The overall goal of the program is to meet today's needs for forest resources (lumbering, tourism, community living) without compromising the future health of our forests. Did you know that the average age of PA forests is only 80-100 years old? In the 1800's, PA was clear-cut in order to stoke the coke furnaces. In PA, 71% of our forest land is privately-owned and this comprises 70% of all land in PA. As a community, BW is comprised of about 320 acres of forested land.

The Forest Stewardship Program is available to help private landowners and communities to design, establish, and maintain healthy forests thus providing scenic beauty, shade and windbreaks, and clean water. With Bob Slagter's help, the BWC is planning to invite our area's Service Forester to visit the BW Reserve and the Lake Loop Trail sites for initial assessments of the health of these publicly-owned forests. And, if one so chooses, the Forester's services are also available to individual landowners in BW as well.

The Conservancy is tentatively planning to coordinate a community-wide effort for interested land-and homeowners to take advantage of this service in order to extend the life and health of our backyard trees here in the Woods. If you are interested in learning more, or participating in the organization of this effort, please contact the BWC Events and Special Projects Committee through Vicki Wiegand (724-816-0413) or Liz Cothren (724-799-8586). For more information about the PA Forest Stewardship program, visit http://rnrext.cas.psu.eud/publications.htm

PLEASE KEEP OUR RESERVE BEAUTIFUL AND NEIGHBOR FRIENDLY:

If you are having any kind of tree problems. Please call the Borough office to be placed on a continuing list that the Borough can track the areas of problems.

* * * *

Kindly do not throw grass clippings or other items onto Reserve property
Remember to clean up after your dog
Enjoy this beautiful addition to our Borough

* * * *

Storytelling night - (sponsored by the Conservancy) August 6 in the Reserve at 7:00 p.m. Jane Thompson will again be telling her wonderful stories for adults and children around the camp fire. Please bring a friend, a chair or blanket for a wonderful evening. The Conservancy will supply all the makings for S'mores

7/15/2010