Stone Hills Preserve

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Stone Hills Preserve Stone Hills Preserve is part of one of the largest contiguous woodlands in Montgomery County.

Known as the Unami Forest, it is a vast, interconnected mosaic of mature forests, rocky outcrops, and more than 24 miles of streams. The high ecological value in this landscape results from an extraordinary combination of overall size, unique forest and meadow plant communities, interior forest nesting bird species, and high quality streams. The property that comprises Stone Hills Preserve was once the home of Frank Hartmaier. Frank was raised there and later lived there with his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter. Frank and Elizabeth shared a deep love for the land and its beauty. In the spring, Stone Hills is filled with ephemeral wildflowers including Virginia bluebell, yellow trout-lily, and spring beauty. But no matter what time of year, the forest trails are a treat for visitors seeking a quiet patch of nature.

“Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.” — Elizabeth Lawrence 📸: Tianna Godsey
10/22/2026

“Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.” — Elizabeth Lawrence

📸: Tianna Godsey

It's that oh-so special time of year again...time to leave the leaves! Really, the entire food chain benefits from leaf ...
10/15/2026

It's that oh-so special time of year again...time to leave the leaves! Really, the entire food chain benefits from leaf litter come winter. Fallen leaves provide vital habitat to overwintering insects, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Leaf litter also makes for wonderful nesting material and insulation for our den-dwellers like groundhogs. Then, of course, our larger mammals such as foxes and coyotes still need to hunt, and where are many of their go-to meals hiding out? You guessed it, the leaves!

Help a firefly make it to summer. Feed a fox. Do it for the salamanders.

Even if you live in a small space, leaf litter can be fastened to containers, window boxes, and raised garden beds with chicken wire. It's just one of those things where every little bit helps.

Happy fall, all!

P.S. Don't feel too guilty if you still need to mow some...leaves become excellent dirt!

📸: Image designed by hand and in-house by Brittni Hribar, Senior Graphic Designer

American persimmons are absolutely beloved by our native wildlife! Skunks, foxes, black bears, turkeys, woodpeckers...al...
09/25/2026

American persimmons are absolutely beloved by our native wildlife! Skunks, foxes, black bears, turkeys, woodpeckers...all these critters (and many more) enjoy this fall fruit.

That’s why we kindly ask all our visitors not to forage. The wild fruits (and other foods) of our preserves belong to the wildlife who call our properties home.

State parks, however, do allow foraging for those who are interested.

📸: Rachel Rhodes

This salamander is still just a baby, and will rely on the shelter, protection, and moisture of leaf litter to survive t...
09/18/2026

This salamander is still just a baby, and will rely on the shelter, protection, and moisture of leaf litter to survive to see spring. Please keep this in mind as the leaves begin to fall, and make a plan to leave the leaves wherever and however you can this year.

Remember, one person can’t do everything...but everyone can do something 😊 Even just one extra square-foot of leaves in the yard is better than none.

📸: Preston Wilson

The owls have some competition...this might be one of the most photogenic raptors we’ve ever seen 😍 📸: Red-tailed hawk b...
09/11/2026

The owls have some competition...this might be one of the most photogenic raptors we’ve ever seen 😍

📸: Red-tailed hawk by Bill Moses

Catch bugs! Climb trees! Flip rocks! No, these are not new family-friendly curses. They're simple things anyone and ever...
09/04/2026

Catch bugs! Climb trees! Flip rocks! No, these are not new family-friendly curses. They're simple things anyone and everyone can do with their kids to keep them engaged in the outdoors amidst the chaos of the back-to-school season. And let's be honest...you could probably benefit from a little extra time outdoors, too.

Other fun nature-play ideas include:

🗺️ Treasure hunting. Hide a natural treasure, then make a map showing where to find it.

🧚‍♀️ Crafting a magical residence. Fairy house, gnome home, or toad abode, make a tiny house for the other residents of your yard...real or fiction!

⛵️ Building a natural boat. Is it a pirate ship? Vikings? Make two (or more) and race them down a stream.

🪵 Constructing something together. A swing, a shelter, or a simple hammock, it doesn’t need to be grand.

🛶 Kayaking. A classic!

Bonus tip: Just be present. Whether it's the playground after school or the sidelines of a soccer field, nature can be found almost anywhere by those who go looking for it.

📸: S. Badiyah Austin

Berkeley's polypore is a parasitic fungus that causes butt rot in oaks and other hardwood trees. Should we intervene? No...
08/28/2026

Berkeley's polypore is a parasitic fungus that causes butt rot in oaks and other hardwood trees. Should we intervene? Nope... removing the fruiting body we can see won't stop the rate of mycelium growth within the tree.

📸: Kate Rash, Taproot Photography

Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) gets its botanic name from a Greek word meaning "unwetted," because the leav...
08/21/2026

Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) gets its botanic name from a Greek word meaning "unwetted," because the leaves easily shed water and stay dry, and the Latin word for "footed," describing how the leaf divisions look like a bird's foot.

📸: Kate Rash, Taproot Photography

Invasive species spotlight: The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin)--native to Asia--was introduced to our region by famed...
08/14/2026

Invasive species spotlight: The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin)--native to Asia--was introduced to our region by famed botanist William Bartram. In fact, Thomas Jefferson obtained some seeds from Bartram and planted them at Monticello. The species outcompetes native vegetation, particularly in disturbed habitat like roadsides and stream banks. A single tree produces thousands of seeds that can remain viable in the soil for many years.

📸: Kate Rash, Taproot Photography

The Pileated Woodpecker digs characteristically rectangular holes in trees to find ants. These excavations can be so bro...
08/07/2026

The Pileated Woodpecker digs characteristically rectangular holes in trees to find ants. These excavations can be so broad and deep that they can cause small trees to break in half.

📸: Kate Rash, Taproot Photography

Address

Laver Road
Schwenksville, PA
19473

Telephone

(610) 353-5587 Ext 505

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