Friends of Exton Park

05/11/2026

There have been MANY shorebirds hanging out at the pond this week: greater and lesser yellowlegs, solitary and spotted sandpipers, dozens of least sandpipers, and a semipalmated plover. Plus plenty of warblers.
BIrds and Brew Tuesday at 5:30 PM.
Thursday bird walk at 8:30 AM.
Both meet at the gravel parking lot off Swedesford Road.
Photos and new page banner by Cheryl Taylor.

04/13/2026

Birds and Brews this Tuesday (4/14) at 5:30 PM. Meet at the gravel lot on Swedesford Road - all are welcome!

03/27/2026

On the March 26 Thursday morning bird walk, we encountered an unexpected guest in the park: a river otter, exploring the small pond south of Chester Valley Trail.
The long tail was the distinguishing feature.
How did a river otter get to that pond? Either through the culvert (which seems too small) or over the berm and trail to the new Summerhill community south of the trail.
In any case, it was not alarmed by our group, and fun to watch playing in the water. Let us know here if you visit and spot it still there.

02/25/2026

YES - we'll have our regularly scheduled Thursday morning walk tomorrow, February 26, at 8:30 AM. We'll meet at the gravel parking lot off Swedesford Road and follow our usual route. The parking lot is clear of snow, but some trails still have a few inches of slush. Expect some mud and ice as well.
See you there!

02/18/2026

The snow is melting in Exton Park, but the gravel parking lot off Swedesford Road was never plowed, has been in use by some heavy construction vehicles, and may be difficult to navigate.
For Thursday, February 19, we'll meet and park at the well-plowed Chester Valley trailhead.
Some areas of the park still have deep snow or ice and some areas are very muddy, so the walk will be in part along the plowed Chester Valley Trail, and some along the more level areas of the park between the trail and the pond.
Wear boots that can handle snow and muck!

02/04/2026

There's still deep snow at Exton Park, now crusted over and hard to walk through, with predicted cold through the end of next week.
So walks are cancelled for February 5 and 12. We'll hope to resume on February 19.

01/29/2026

Given the extreme cold this morning, the regular Thursday morning walk has been cancelled.
Stay warm and well! See you next Thursday.

01/26/2026

Friends of Exton Park and Friends of the Chester Valley Trail: in 2022 East Whiteland Township approved a "hyperscale campus to make way for 2 million square feet of data center usage" - on 100 acres of the old Foote Mineral Co. property, east of Valley Creek Blvd, south of Swedesford Road across from Malvern Hunt, north of the Chester Valley Trail. https://vista.today/2023/01/chester-county-data-center-hub
The developer has applied to expand the project significantly. That application will be considered at the township Planning Commission meeting this Wednesday, January 28, at 7 pm. Commission meetings are open to the general public and begin promptly at 7:00 pm in the East Whiteland Township building.
https://www.eastwhiteland.org/government/departments/planning_development/land_developments_applications/index.php
Plans can be found here (search "Green Fig"): https://www.eastwhiteland.org/government/departments/planning_development/land_developments_applications/index.php

100 acres of Chester County are in the process of being developed as a hyperscale campus to make way for data center usage.

01/01/2026

In case you were wondering: there is NO organized bird walk at Exton Park this morning. Roads are icy, the park is snowy, and it's a holiday: New Year's Day!
Enjoy your quiet morning.
We'll see you next Thursday at 8: #0 AM.
Happy New Year!

08/14/2025

Some interesting birds have been spending time together on the Exton Park pond. The group on this morning's walk saw 15 Mallards, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Wood Ducks, 1 juvenile Little Blue Heron, plus a Green and a Great Blue Heron.
The new header photo shows some of those together. You may need to look hard to see them -in both the photo and the pond- but it's a great time to be watching for interest shore birds migrating through.