“The aim of science is to discover and illuminate truth. And that,
I take it, is the aim of literature, whether biography or history or fiction.
It seems to me, then, that there can be no separate literature of science.”
–Rachel Carson
Water Resources
Hershey’s Mill has eight ponds, two major tributaries to Ridley Creek, and several wetland habitats. These aquatic habitats support a thriving fauna including freshwater clams that are indicative of high water quality. We want to keep it that way by identifying any threats and correcting them. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has identified runoff, stormwater, and pathogens as potential threats. While we must be vigilant of upstream and unintended inputs, maintaining and enhancing the riparian buffers of ponds and streams are a focus of the HMNG.
The Nature Group has undertaken consultations with the Stroud Water Research Center, the Willistown Conservation Trust, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and East Goshen Township to obtain management guidance and potentially funding for implementation.
Serpentine Barrens
The serpentine barrens ecosystem is a globally rare habitat that supports rare flora and fauna. The integrity of the Hershey’s Mill Barrens was summarized by Roger Latham, PhD of Continental Conservation after a visit in the summer of 2021:
“I’m super-impressed by the barrens as a whole. Diversity of species of highest conservation need is very high relative to the site’s size. There’s more of the crucial rock outcrop-gravel community than at some much larger sites, and at Hershey’s Mill Barrens that community is especially rich in species of greatest conservation need. Overall patch diversity is high, too, with areas of mature grassland, rock outcrop-gravel community, seepage wetland, vernal pool, and intermittent stream, and appropriately small areas of eastern redcedar woodland and greenbrier thicket confined to the edges.”
In cooperation with volunteer local expert botanists, the HMNG has conducted site characterization surveys and invasive species removal field days to further define and enhance the quality of this rare ecosystem.
If you would like to be part of any of these initiatives or have other ideas, please contact us at HMNatureComm@HMHOA.com.