Lancaster Conservancy is the Lemon Street Market #GiveLocal partner organization for the rest of June! When customers opt to “round up” their total at the register or when they pay for the orders over the phone, all proceeds will be donated to the Lancaster Conservancy in order to find, fund, preserve and maintain natural lands in Lancaster and York Counties so that the community and visitors to the region can enjoy them for years to come. We spoke with Fritz Schroeder, Lancaster Conservancy’s Senior Vice President of Community Impact, about the how the pandemic is impacting nature preserves, upcoming projects, and more.
What is the Lancaster Conservancy?
The Lancaster Conservancy was founded in 1969 by a group of hunters, anglers, and naturalists that were concerned about the loss of Lancaster County’s natural lands and forests. 50 years later this concern remains. Our mission is to provide wild and forested lands and clean waterways for our community, forever.
How can saving nature benefit people, plants, and animals?
The Lancaster Conservancy protects remnants of what were once large forests, often glens with steep slopes and streams. We expand these properties parcel by parcel to create larger preserves with interior forests, which offer the best environment for wildlife to thrive. Kellys Run Nature Preserve started as a small preserve of 50 acres and is now over 500, with a 10 acre parcel added in 2019. As these preserves grow, we add infrastructure like parking lots, trails, and signs to ensure that people can enjoy these beautiful places with minimal impact on important ecosystems.
How can Lancaster city residents protect and restore land?
Our preserves are the perfect place to escape for a hike in nature along a stream in order to restore body, mind, and soul; we call it “Nature RX”. Local residents can also address nature in their own backyard through our Community Wildlife Habitat program, which provides knowledgeable volunteers who can visit your property and offer advice on the plants currently in your landscape as well as native alternatives that may be better suited for your environment.
How has the pandemic shifted things for the Lancaster Conservancy?
Our nature preserves are seeing three to four times the number of visitors as this time last year. It has put a lot of pressure on our parking lots and trails. Visitors are well behaved and practicing safe social distancing for the most part, but we are also seeing an uptick in litter and graffiti. We know people are looking for an escape and we want people to enjoy nature while being safe.
If you come across a full parking lot, please move on to another preserve. When going for a hike, come prepared with a backpack that includes layers of clothing, snacks, water, first aid kit, bug spray, a screenshot of the preserve hiking map, and a small trash bag to pack out your trash. If you see something out of the ordinary, please let us know. The more eyes and ears and people who care about these beautiful places, the better.
What is coming up from Lancaster Conservancy?
We recently launched Nature Hour, a virtual lecture series that will run every other week in June and July, kicking off June 3 with a presentation on what lives below the surface of our streams and rivers. We will also be celebrating Lancaster Water Week August 7-15 with a number of interesting events and fun ways for you to get involved and become a clean water champion.
Fritz Schroeder
Senior Vice President of Community Impact
Lancaster Conservancy
Coming up: Our July/August
#GiveLocal partner organization is
Columbia Animal Shelter.
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