Upcoming EventsBristol Marsh Clean-UpThe Bristol Marsh Preserve, located just southwest of HistoricBristol BoroughRiverfront Park, is acritical natural feature, serving as a community park and educational area.The Nature
Conservancy,Heritage Conservancyand Historic BristolBorough invite allvolunteers to celebrate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with a trash clean up to help us keep this areabeautiful.
Individuals, families, scouts, students, organizations and volunteer groups arewelcome!Date: Monday, Jan.17Time: 10 amContacts: The NatureConservancy's MollyAnderson at 717-232-6001, ext. 117 or Heritage Conservancy's Susan Myerov at 215-345-7020, ext.101.
Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce's GreenBuilding SeminarThurs., Mar.17, 2011 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Heritage Conservancyhosts Central BucksChamber of Commerce's Green Building Seminar atAldie Mansion, 85 Old Dublin Pike, Doylestown, PA. Join us for an informative seminar on the benefits and challenges of GoingGreen in your home and business.Contact: Sandra Yergerat 215-345-7020, ext.103.
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Our accredited status demonstrates our commitment to excellence, trust and permanence.
Out of about 1,700 lands trusts nationwide, we're one of only 105 to receive this recognition.
Learn more!
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Weddings at Aldie Mansion
Any time of year is perfect for a wedding at historic Aldie Mansion!
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Who We Are ...
Simply put, we are a 52-year "young," not-for-profit conservationorganization that has been a loyal caretaker to the places you call home.
Your continued support allows us to serve our community and its environs with a complete range of proven services that encompass open space and historic preservation as well as natural resource protection. Thank you for being such an integral part of our success -- and for your generous giving.
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Did You Know?
Aldie Mansion, our preserved headquarters, is an excellent example of adaptive re-use of an historic property.
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New Member Special!
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| Membership Has its Rewards! |
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Become a new member of Heritage Conservancy and you'll receive a handy Conservancy tote bag!
Strong enough to haul groceries and other essentials, this great bag is made of 100% recycled material (of course!).
Click HERE to become a member today! Or contact Sandy at 215.345.7020 x103 to learn more.
Thank you for helping preserve our natural and historic resources! |
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Our 20th Annual "Christmas at Aldie" CelebrationOn Sunday, December 5, we held our 20th Annual "Christmas at Aldie" Celebration for over 200 guests.  Showcasing our Aldie Mansion headquarters, the former English Tudor revival home of William and Martha Mercer, our black-tie fundraiser featured a gourmet three-course meal from Aldie's in-house caterer, Jeffrey A. Miller Catering.
The guests were also serenaded with holiday music by the award-winning Central Bucks West Choir Ensemble, and treated to a breath-taking display of holiday elegance and decorative splendor. Two wonderful raffle prizes were offered during the evening: an enchanting painting entitled "Blue Moon," created by locally renowned artist Christopher Willett and "A Walk in Meryl's Shoes," a private half-day tour for four tracing Meryl Streep's local roots, as seen on PBS's "Faces of America" series, led by Jeffrey Marshall, the Conservancy's Vice President of Resource Protection. This winner also received a gift certificate for lunch at the historic Black Bass Hotel and a copy of Bucks Montgomery Living Magazine autographed by Ms. Streep!All proceeds from this fundraiser support Heritage Conservancy's mission of preserving our natural and historic heritage. A special "thank you" to our event sponsors:
Gold- Penn Color Inc. and its subsidiary Penn E&R (our continuing sponsor since 1991)
- Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Yoshida
Silver- BNY Mellon Wealth Management
- Thompson Lexus
- Don and Judy Worthington
Bronze - Bio/Data Corporation
- Feeney's Wholesale Nursery
- Sandra Carpenter Fickes
- Fox Rothschild LLP
- West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Bringhurst Funeral Home
Heritage Conservancy also wishes to recognize the following individuals for their efforts in making this year's event a great success:Christmas at Aldie Planning Committee- Diane Bilheimer, Chair
- Whitney Chandor, Co-Chair, Planning
- KC DelPlato, Co-Chair, Planning
- Barbara Donnelly, Co-Chair, Marketing and Communications
- Valerie Eastburn, Co-Chair, Entertainment
- Bonnie Klein, Co-Chair, Cuisine and Wine
- Angela Giovine, Marketing and Communications
- Judith Renstrom, Co-Chair, Planning
- Blythe Stephenson, Planning
- Rochelle Thompson, Planning
- Mary Walrond, Co-Chair, Sponsorships
- Susan Yoshida, Co-Chair, Decorations
In-Kind, Special Gifts and Services- Carousel Flowers
- Robert Hurford Calligraphy
- Jeffrey Miller Catering
- Photography by Christopher
- Christopher Willett
- Susan Yoshida
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Meet Christopher Willett, ArtistHeritage Conservancy would like to introduce Christopher Willett, the talented local artist who graciously donated his beautiful painting, Blue Moon, as one of the wonderful raffle items for this year's Christmas at Aldie Gala. Christopher Willett is a Bucks County native with a notably artistic family history. Willett artisans were renowned for their designs and beautiful works in stained glass that adorn Bryn Athyn Cathedral.Willett is also a descendant of the renowned painter Edward Hicks, known for his work entitled "Peaceable Kingdom," and for whom the Bucks County Community College's Hicks Art Center was named.Chris uses a color palette of rich warm earth tones in the mediums of oil paint on board or canvas and watercolor. His style is consistent with those of the traditional Bucks County Impressionists, portraying the landscape and daily lives of the people who live and have lived in the Bucks County region.Willett's recent work has been compared to Edward Redfield's, both in subject and style. Earlier works by Willett are reminiscent of the photographic representational influence of Andrew Wyeth - Willett's revered friend and mentor. Chris attended Hartnell University in California and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He served in the U.S. Navy for 6 years aboard an aircraft carrier and is a decorated veteran.The works of Christopher Willett are included in many corporate and private collections.
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Heritage Conservancy Protects Additional Bat HabitatThe Rattlesnake and Mine Hill Wildlife Preservation Trust property is located in the Cooks Creek Watershed, directly adjacent to the previously protected Durham Bat Mine. This mine, one of the largest bat hibernacula in the state of Pennsylvania, recorded six species of bats and two species of "special concern." The preservation of the Rattlesnake and Mine Hill Wildlife Preservation Trust property will help to further protect this important natural area, which serves as a roosting and foraging site for the bats of the Durham Bat Mine Hibernaculum.  According to Bat Conservation International, bats are the most endangered land mammals in North America, suffering from habitat loss, environmental pollution and vandalism in caves. The newest threat to bats is White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a poorly understood malady associated with the deaths of more than a million bats. The condition is named for a distinctive fungal growth around the muzzles and on the wings of many affected animals. WNS was detected at the mine in 2009. Currently, the Conservancy is working with the PA Game Commission and biologists from Bucknell University and the University of Kentucky to test several natural compounds in the mine that have been known to be effective in fighting the fungus, and modes of deployment to treat large populations in a cave setting.The 37-acre Rattlesnake and Mine Hill Wildlife Preservation Trust property is also part of over 1000 acres of contiguous preserved open space located in the Cooks Creek watershed and Durham Hill, Mine Hil and Rattlesnake Hill natural areas.Funding partners for this project are the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Bucks County.
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Christmas at Aldie Community Open House
On Thursday, December 9, Heritage Conservancy opened the doors of Aldie Mansion for its annual Community Open House. Once the former home of William and Martha Mercer, the Tudor Revival mansion now serves as headquarters for the Conservancy.In keeping with Martha Mercer's tradition of inviting the community to enjoy the mansion's beautiful holiday decorations, the Conservancy uses this event as an opportunity to thank members of the community for supporting its mission during the past year. This year over 100 guests took part in the numerous family activities including holiday music by the Central Bucks West Harlequin Club Strolling Singers, storytelling, nature crafts and environmental programs. These free activities and programs were provided to educate children and adults about the important historic preservation and environmental conservation work of Heritage Conservancy.
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