Gwynedd Preserve

Gwynedd Preserve Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve is a 279-acre oasis of meadows, woodlands, and wetlands in Montgomery County, PA. Closed Tuesdays. Learn more at www.natlands.org.

Gwynedd Preserve is open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. Gwynedd Preserve is an oasis of nature nestled among the highly developed suburbs of Blue Bell and North Wales. After more than a century in agriculture, the preserve’s fields are being carefully restored. A walk along the trails reveals a re-emerging ecosystem of native flora including warm-season grasses and native wildflowers. Gwynedd Preserve is owned and managed by non-profit conservation organization Natural Lands.

Dogbane Tiger caterpillars feed on dogbane but also milkweed plants. These mostly nocturnal moths have evolved an impres...
06/09/2026

Dogbane Tiger caterpillars feed on dogbane but also milkweed plants. These mostly nocturnal moths have evolved an impressive defense against bats. Equipped with special ears that are sensitive to the echolocation call frequencies used by bats, they listen for and jam the bat’s echolocation with their own ultrasonic clicks, throwing off the bats’ ability to accurately see the potential meal.

📸: Bill Moses

from The Cloud, by Percy Bysshe ShelleyI bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,From the seas and the streams;I b...
06/02/2026

from The Cloud, by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.

📸: Amy Meister

Sibling rivalry among young American Kestrels can be fierce, and yes — hatch order matters! The larger the clutch, the t...
05/26/2026

Sibling rivalry among young American Kestrels can be fierce, and yes — hatch order matters! The larger the clutch, the tougher it can be to compete for food, space, and attention. Clear pecking orders are established early, with the earlier-hatched chicks (or older siblings) usually dominating and getting first-dibs at the dinner table. Or you know, the mouse that was just dropped off.

📸: Ronald Lee Zigler

The genus name of our native fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) comes from the Greek words for “snow” and “flower,” per...
05/19/2026

The genus name of our native fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) comes from the Greek words for “snow” and “flower,” perfectly describing its late-spring blooms.

📸: Tianna Godsey

Skipper butterflies (family Hesperiidae) are evolutionary intermediate forms between butterflies and moths, known for th...
05/12/2026

Skipper butterflies (family Hesperiidae) are evolutionary intermediate forms between butterflies and moths, known for their rapid, "skipping" flight, reaching speeds up to 37 mph. They are distinct for having stout, moth-like bodies combined with hook-tipped antennae and a habit of folding their wings in unique, angular ways.

📸: Amy Meister

Today's weather will be a little taste of summer. Take a moment to lay in the grass and look up at the clouds. We see a ...
05/05/2026

Today's weather will be a little taste of summer. Take a moment to lay in the grass and look up at the clouds. We see a face... what do you see?

📸: Tianna Godsey

Who else thinks Barn Owls look a little like the Porgs from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"? May the Fourth be with you. 📸: S...
05/04/2026

Who else thinks Barn Owls look a little like the Porgs from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"? May the Fourth be with you.

📸: Steve Eisenhauer

The Carolina silverbell tree is highly attractive to pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. The bell-shaped flowers ...
04/28/2026

The Carolina silverbell tree is highly attractive to pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. The bell-shaped flowers produce nectar and provide a valuable food source for these beneficial insects.

📸: Carol A. Traveny

Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray. The herons comb this “powder ...
04/21/2026

Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray. The herons comb this “powder down” with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers as they preen. Applying the powder to their underparts protects their feathers against the slime and oils of swamps.

📸: Derrick Barkley

“Don’t you know what that is? It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, yo...
04/14/2026

“Don’t you know what that is? It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
~ Mark Twain, "Tom Sawyer"

📸: Joanne Bosco

Address

South Swedesford Road
North Wales, PA
19454

Telephone

+16103535587

Website

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