Green Valleys Association Of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Programs: Welkinweir - the association's headquarters and former home of the associations founding members, who donated the property. The estate house and 162 permanently protected acres are listed on the national register of historic places; an adjacent 35 acres are under permanent protection. The property features an arboretum of rare or unusual trees and shrubs and formal gardens set within ecologically diverse forests, meadows, wetlands, ponds, and stream habitats as well as an ever-growing collection of projects that demonstrate sustainable practices and nature-based infrastructure. We provide training through summer internships for students in the fields of horticulture, forestry, ecological restoration, who go on to work at public and private gardens. Welkinweir is where many of the association's educational programs take place. A very limited number of special event rentals (primarily weddings, but also memorial services, business meetings, and civic functions) are allowed in the arboretum and at the estate house during the spring and fall. Funds generated are used to support the continued preservation and restoration of the historic property as well as to support the organizations mission-related programming.

nature education - connecting people with nature has been a part of the association since its founding fifty years ago. Summer nature camp, our longest running program, encourages a child's natural curiosity of the outdoors by engaging them in fun and educational activities. Other on-site nature programs are little wonders and kinder nature for pre-k to kindergarten age children and a caregiver, boy and girl scout badge programs and school field trips. We deliver nature programming off-site at local libraries and in schools. Family oriented community programs, such as owl prowl, firefly, and raptors, are offered throughout the year. Summer internships give students in the fields of education or science majors' experiential learning opportunities.

watershed health assessment - assessment of the watersheds of northern chester county (french, pigeon, pickering, valley creeks and stony run) biological condition provides the detailed information we need to identify the sources and impacts of stressors. It allows mapping of impaired waters and provides a guide to the least stressed areas in the watershed where watershed ecosystems should be most intact. It enables prioritization of conservation and restoration efforts, and forms the basis for effective advocacy. With sufficient data, it allows the development of long term trend information and provides quantitative information about the effectiveness of protection and restoration programs, as well as warning of new degradation. Assessments include chemical and microbiological monitoring, macroinvertebrates, habitat assessments, gis mapping and modeling. Restoration work includes restoration of forested streamside buffer, stormwater basin naturalization and other nature-based infrastructure. Summer internships for science and gis majors provide experiential learning. Science education programs for middle and high school students show real-world.

rental program - green valleys headquarters, the national historic site, welkinweir, allows a very limited number of special event rentals (primarily weddings, but also memorial services, business meetings, and civic functions) in the arboretum and at the estate house during the spring and fall. Funds generated are used to support the continued preservation and restoration of the historic property as well as to support the organizations mission-related programming.