A volunteer community service organization committed to supporting Pennsylvania’s White Clay Creek Preserve through improvement/maintenance projects, educational programs and fund raising efforts.

Friends of White Clay Creek Preserve (PA) was chartered by a group of concerned citizens to support the Pennsylvania portion of the White Clay Creek Preserve and Park system in March 2012. It is a local chapter of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping all of Pennsylvania’s state parks, forests and preserves.

Check it out at:
http://friendsofpawccp-org.doodlekit.com/home

The weather was great and about a dozen volunteers arrived between 8:30 and 9:00. There was a full plate of things to work on and because the weather was so nice, people continued work up through 12:30 and we accomplished most of the planned tasks.

People started showing up at 8:30. The weather was a little cool but was great within the hour.

The first task was to put out the remaining mulch along the paths down by the woods.

People also took the time to weed some of the new mulch beds by the parking area.

From here, multiple projects were going on at the same time (trash pickup, pulling stakes, cutting invasives.)

The oaks are doing great so it was time to remove the stakes and ties from them.

Some of the invasive plants along the woods edge got cut but there is still more to do here.
This could be an entire clean up day all by itself.

Cutting invasives and removing tree stakes and ties and trimming lower and dead branches.

An unexpected gift from an anonymous donor (tires, garbage, an old sink, and a bicycle frame, and more)

Heading for Home

 (Some - but not all - of today's volunteers)

 Thanks Again to Everyone Who Participated on this Very Successful Clean-up

Agenda: Our planned work was in three areas of the Mason Dixon Greenway-South.
                (See very bottom of web page for a map of the work locations)

Area #1 – Woodlands along Strickersville Rd. between Durham Dr. and Reynard Dr.

Remove trash and debris from the entire area

Remove woody stemmed invasive materials from woods and woodland edges

Re-stake trees that need further structural support – Remove stakes/tubes on mature trees

Remove tree tubes for cleaning and replace to prevent ‘deer rub’

Area #2 – CREP Tree Area and Meadow - intersection of Flint Hill and Strickersville Rd.

Remove trash and debris from the entire area

Re-stake trees that need further structural support – Remove stakes/tubes on mature trees

Remove tree tubes for cleaning and replace to prevent ‘deer rub’

Area #3 – Woodland Walkway – below parking lot on Flint Hill Rd.

Remove trash and debris from the entire area

Mulch short pathways to picnic tables

Sweeping/raking of walkway

Removal of old ‘No Trespassing’ signs

With the help of 32+ volunteers, and after a cold and windy start, all work planned for Areas 2 & 3 was completed. We again worked in the meadows/CREP area cleaning up debris, removing/picking up trees tubes and stakes. We also started removing invasive plants at the woods edge near the woodland walkway. A third group placed mulch at the picnic tables and benches along the woodland walkway. Three full pickup trucks worth of trash, spent tree tubes, and stakes were removed from the area. The "gator" tree watering bags and some of the stakes were removed from the large Scarlet Oaks along Strickersville Road.

Time ran out before work could be started in Area #1 between Brunswick Lane and Reynard Drive (removing trash and invasive plants),  which in retrospect, is really a full project all by itself.
Many of our volunteers suggested we meet again to do this so we are looking into  a separate clean-up day just for Area #1, possibly in April.  Details will be posted here if that becomes definite.

 Thanks Again to Everyone Who Participated on this Very Successful Clean-up.

Agenda:

Our planned work will be in three areas of the Mason Dixon Greenway-South.

Area #1 – Woodlands along Strickersville Rd. between Durham Dr. and Reynard Dr.

Goals for the day:

Remove trash and debris from the entire area

Remove woody stemmed invasive materials from woods and woodland edges

Re-stake trees that need further structural support – Remove stakes/tubes on mature trees

Remove tree tubes for cleaning and replace to prevent ‘deer rub’

Tools needed:

pruning shears          loping shears                        yard carts/wheelbarrows

Area #2 – CREP Tree Area and Meadow - intersection of Flint Hill and Strickersville Rd.

Goals for the day:

Remove trash and debris from the entire area

Re-stake trees that need further structural support – Remove stakes/tubes on mature trees

Remove tree tubes for cleaning and replace to prevent ‘deer rub’

Tools needed:

pruning shears          loping shears                        yard carts/wheelbarrows

Area #3 – Woodland Walkway – below parking lot on Flint Hill Rd.

Goals for the day:

Remove trash and debris from the entire area

Mulch short pathways to picnic tables

Sweeping/raking of walkway

Removal of old ‘No Trespassing’ signs

Tools needed:

pruning shears          loping shears                       yard carts/wheelbarrows     leaf rakes

push brooms             pitchforks       shovels          soil rakes

Dress for conditions:

apply generous amounts of insect repellant (deer ticks are abundant in this area)

wear sturdy work boots

wear work gloves

wear heavy weight clothing (beware of barbs on multi-flora rose stems)

Click Here to download the above Cleanup Day Details in a printable PDF file