Trust Renovations Have Focus on Student Education

Approximately $240,000 will go into renovating the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust’s Visitors Center, which will include a classroom dedicated to area students.

The renovations to the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust began on Dec. 27, and it didn’t take long for the Lower Moreland based company Bickel and Scena Construction to completely demolish its interior. “It's just a general overhaul of the building. It's a little tired at this point," Art Scena, working foreman for Bickel and Scena Construction and Trust member, said. "The finished product should look nice, according to the plans." According to the Trust’s executive director, Dr. David Robertson, plans for renovating the visitors center were long in the making. It wasn’t until after successfully matching the $120,000 grants from the Beneficio Foundation, which has supported the Turst since the 1970s, that the Trust went forward with …

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Practical Science with Phil Freda

Practical Science Profiles: The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

This week, we have the unique opportunity to discover a hidden gem: The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust.

After pulling into the main entrance of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust, I thought that I stumbled into a dream. I said to myself, “Wasn’t I just on Huntingdon Pike? How on Earth did I get here?” A few quick turns of the wheel, and I had discovered a magical realm with pristine woodlands and prairie. It seemed that civilization itself was far away. After I got myself together, we were met by the executive director of the Trust, David J. Robertson, Ph.D. Dr. Robertson received his Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981 and has been employed by the trust since 1988. He is responsible for the overall administration of the preserve. The Trust is operated by nine employees, but garners the help of over…

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Viewfinder: The Big Buzz—A Beekeeping Program

A large group visited the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust Tuesday, July 19, to learn about honeybees from beekeeper Nancy Schnarr.

The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust hosted its Beekeeping Program Tuesday, July 19.

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Ruth Z. Deming

9:22 am on Saturday, July 23, 2011

fantastic photos, kevin! the honey at pennypack is sublime.   more ›

Viewfinder: Stream Safari

The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust hosted an aquatic safari Tuesday, July 12.

Families and friends were invited on a watery quest in search of hellgrammites, water pennies, whirligigs and other exotic denizens of the water world at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust's Stream Safari. --- Check out next week's Viewfinder as Patch heads back to PERT for its beekeeping program. ---

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Practical Science with Phil Freda

Biology’s Amazing Processes: Bioluminescence

The biological world is full of amazing creatures with even more amazing adaptations and abilities. Bioluminescence is one of the most striking and baffling adaptations of the natural world.

A welcome addition to a muggy summer night is myriad fireflies buzzing through the trees. It really doesn’t feel like summer has officially come until the first firefly is spotted. Have you ever sat and wondered how fireflies produce their light or why? This article aims to “shed some light” on how the mechanism of bioluminescence works and also to introduce many other amazing species that also have this amazing adaptation. How does bioluminescence work? There are actually many different bioluminescent systems out there, but all of them have the same basic blueprint. The first is a chemical called a luciferin. If you look at the word, what do you immediately see? That’s right—Lucifer. So what does the devil have to do with bioluminescence…

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Philip Freda

4:30 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Thanks again!   more ›

Pennypack Trust Celebrates the Fourth of July Early with Natural 'Fireworks' Display

For over a decade, the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust has held an annual night walk focusing on fireflies.

June 28 was a particularly uncomfortable night to be a human. However, the oppressive heat and sweltering humidity that hung over the 800 acres of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust (PERT) made for perfect weather to bring out hundreds and hundreds of fireflies. These little bioluminescent creatures were the main reason for a gathering of nearly 60 people at PERT. Each person was eager to catch glimpses of fireflies in their natural habitat. The gathering is part of an annual PERT event called “Fireflies: A Field of Fireworks!" According to Brad Nyholm, PERT director of stewardship, the event takes participants on an after-hours walking tour of the nature preserve. Event participants not only learned of the science behind fireflies…

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Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

5:11 pm on Thursday, June 30, 2011

This was a very exciting event! We had a wonderful time hosting, and look forward to having even more support for our other events. Gerry, thank you stellar reporting, a wonderful story, and a fantastic video!   more ›

Get Out

Summer officially kicked off Tuesday! What better way to celebrate everyone’s favorite season than by getting out to some great local activities?

We’ve got a selection of community events for you below:   1. Town Meeting About Willow Grove Train Station Relocation Where/When: Giant, Community Room, 315 York Road, Willow Grove; June 23, 4 to 8 p.m. Why go: The Upper Moreland Revitalization Task Force will hold an open house to discuss the relocation of the Willow Grove Rail Station one block south to Davisville Road. The public is invited to attend to provide ideas about the future of the station. Pricing: Free   2. Lions Club Fundraiser - The Elvis Pretzel Show Where/When: Otto’s Brauhaus, 233 Easton Road, Horsham; June 26, 4 to 7 p.m. Why go: A different twist on Elvis will benefit the Lions Club's efforts in eyesight preservation. Pricing: $10   3. Fresh Ground Coffee House Where/…

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MLK Day volunteer event at Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

Despite the freezing weather and a few thorny vines, volunteers kept their day of service at PERT a warm and fun event.

Crunchy snow and gray skies covered the 800 acres of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust (PERT) today, Jan. 17, as a handful of volunteers and PERT staff worked to pull invasive vines from sleeping trees. The temperature never quite reached past 26 degrees during this MLK Day event at PERT, which took place at its Huntingdon Valley headquarters.  However, the frigid conditions and tough task ahead didn't stop volunteers from turning their day off into a day on for community service. "Even now it's beautiful," Keith Colquitt, a Jenkintown resident, said. Colquitt found out about the PERT volunteer opportunity through his biology professor at Penn State Abington, where he is studying secondary education. He said that he jumped at the …

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Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust celebrates MLK Day

The PERT MLK Day of service opportunity offers volunteers a chance to get a little dirty.

Tomorrow, Jan. 17, the nation will observe the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. For the last 15 years, the federal government has celebrated the life, work and the peaceful civil rights message of Dr. King. As a response to this federal recognition, Americans have seen MLK Day not as a day off, but as a day on for volunteer service. The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust (PERT) is a nonprofit conservancy based in nearby Huntingdon Valley. According to PERT executive director Dr. David Robertson, professional staff and volunteer stewards take care of the land, which encompasses hundreds of acres, including a stretch into Upper Moreland. PERT is offering a volunteer service opportunity from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. tomorrow, Jan. 17…

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