Brandywine Conservancy

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Chadds Ford, PA
Brandywine Conservancy

Preserving art and the environment in the Brandywine Valley since 1967. The Brandywine Conservancy protects water, conserves land and engages communities.

For over 50 years, the Conservancy’s unique approach to conservation has been to establish models and provide technical assistance to municipalities while also providing direct land conservation and stewardship services to landowners. The Conservancy currently holds over 485 conservation and agricultural easements and has contributed to the permanent preservation of more than 66,000 acres of farml

and, forests, water resources, historic sites and scenic vistas in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. The Conservancy is a program of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.

06/01/2026

Mondays are better in the Laurels.

📸: Hannah Davenport

05/31/2026

Starting the day with a stroll through the Laurels.

05/30/2026

Tiny treasures from the field to kick off the weekend. 🐌🍄🦗

From fanciful mushrooms to brilliantly patterned insects and delicate wildflowers, our easement stewards are always discovering small wonders hidden in plain sight. A reminder to slow down, look closely, and appreciate the details that make our natural world so extraordinary.

📸: All photos by Norah Roth-Moore: Garden snail, parasol mushrooms, red banded leaf hopper, Moth mullein, harlequin beetle, and short-horned grasshopper.

05/29/2026

Today's Native Plant Friday is commonly known as Spiderwort, Ohio Spiderwort, and Widow’s Tears (Tradescantia ohiensis).

This native's common name, Spiderwort, has several explanations, one of which is that the three petaled flowers (which can be lighter or darker blue/purple/reddish, or even white) resemble a large squatting spider. Others attribute the name to the thin strands of sap that form when a stem is broken open, or the thick cluster of wavy hairs found on the stamens of each flower, which resemble a spider's web.

Bees of all sorts nectar on these flowers, and although the blooming period for this perennial is around six weeks, each flower lasts less than one full day. They open pert and eager in the morning but begin wilting long before the end of the day, turning into a jelly-like fluid (which stains, and brings us to the third common name: widow’s tears). On sunny days the longevity of each flower is shorter; it is somewhat longer on gray days.

This species is very, very similar to Tradescantia virginiana, though a little taller (2-4’) and probably more at home in full sun conditions. It is widely tolerant of sunlight levels, soil types, and self-seeds easily (even in well-established plantings of Japanese pachysandra).

🌱 Looking to incorporate native plants into your home landscape? Check out the Brandywine Native Garden Hub, our go-to guide for getting started with native plants! Learn more at www.nativegardenhub.org⁣⁣

📸: Mark Gormel

05/28/2026

Brightening up the afternoon with a bit of beauty, courtesy of these Northern Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) flowers now blooming across our campus.

05/27/2026

Snaking into Wildlife Wednesday with this rare sighting! This rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus) was spotted during a recent stewardship visit to a property in Chester County.

Critically imperiled in Pennsylvania, rough green snakes are found only in wetland-rich habitats in Chester, Lancaster, and Greene counties. They can be distinguished from the more common smooth green snake by their keeled scales, which give them a slightly rough texture.

If you encounter a rough green snake, consider submitting photos to the Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey (PARS). The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is using community observations to help determine the range and abundance of these endangered snakes.

📸: Kevin Fryberger

05/26/2026

The Brandywine Creek Greenway’s 2026-2028 Mini-Grant Program is now open, with applications due by June 8, 2026! Grants will be awarded between $5,000 and $25,000 to support and advance the goals and objectives of the Brandywine Creek Greenway.’s Strategic Action Plan, including park improvements, open space and community trails, and other conservation and recreation projects.

For more information on the Greenway's Mini-Grant program, including important dates and application details, please visit www.brandywine.org/mini-grants

05/25/2026

A moment of reflection as we remember all those who bravely served and sacrificed this Memorial Day.

🎥: Brendan Delaney

05/24/2026

Starting the day with a moment of stillness from Brandywine's Waterloo Mills Preserve.

📸: Jen Goebner

05/23/2026

Celebrating World Turtle Day with this snapping turtle spotted in Brandywine's Laurels Preserve. 🐢

These aquatic turtles prefer slow-moving, shallow bodies of water with muddy bottoms, which give them places to hide. Unable to retract into their shells fully, snapping turtles instead will bite or snap in order to protect themselves from predators.

📸: Caleb Meredith

Address

1 Hoffman's Mill Road
Chadds Ford, PA
19317

Website

https://www.brandywine.org/conservancy

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