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Stories From Tinicum: New Conservancy Brochure tells the inspiring ...

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Our land. Our future. Our choice.


Table of Contents<br />

Celebrating <strong>Tinicum</strong>’s Places and People ....... Pg. 1<br />

A family tree that keeps growing ................ Pg. 2<br />

Land conservation is contagious ................. Pg. 3<br />

Little steps make big footprints .................... Pg. 5<br />

Supporting conservation in <strong>the</strong>ir own way .... Pg. 6<br />

Giving back to <strong>the</strong> community ...................... Pg. 7<br />

Our reciprocal relationship with nature ......... Pg. 8<br />

Nature’s temporary caretakers .................... Pg. 9


Celebrating <strong>Tinicum</strong>’s Places and People<br />

Dear Friends of <strong>Tinicum</strong>,<br />

I don’t have to tell you that <strong>Tinicum</strong> is a very special place. Covering just 19,723 acres and home to fewer<br />

than 5,000 people, <strong>the</strong> township is a rich but fragile landscape of cascading streams, scenic vistas, wide-open<br />

meadows, contiguous forest and deep, dark hollows.<br />

During <strong>the</strong> past two decades, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, has partnered with<br />

conservation-minded landowners, concerned citizens and local government to preserve almost 90 properties<br />

and 3,700 acres—or 5½ square miles of <strong>the</strong> township. With <strong>the</strong> addition of properties preserved through o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

conservation and government programs, more than a third of <strong>the</strong> township is now protected for <strong>the</strong> benefit of<br />

current and future generations. This is a remarkable achievement, not only in Bucks County but also in <strong>the</strong><br />

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.<br />

The <strong>Conservancy</strong>’s success has been as much a story of people as it has been about <strong>the</strong> land. The <strong>Conservancy</strong><br />

has been blessed with a group of landowners, volunteers, scientists and donors who share our common vision<br />

and have contributed to our accomplishments. Our supporters include farmers and weekend visitors; newcomers<br />

and lifelong residents; owners of small and large parcels; and o<strong>the</strong>rs who are concerned that <strong>the</strong> special nature<br />

and irreplaceable resources of <strong>Tinicum</strong> could be lost forever to become just ano<strong>the</strong>r suburb.<br />

This brochure celebrates our success through residents’ heartfelt stories and reflections on why <strong>the</strong>y think it is<br />

vital to protect <strong>Tinicum</strong>’s remaining open space. I am sure your reason for loving <strong>Tinicum</strong> will be reflected in<br />

one or two of <strong>the</strong>se stories that highlight your neighbors.<br />

If you haven’t already become involved with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>, I hope this brochure inspires you to do so. We all<br />

have a stake in protecting <strong>Tinicum</strong>’s future.<br />

Enjoy!<br />

Jim Engel<br />

Executive Director<br />

<strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong><br />

[ 1 ]


A family tree that keeps growing<br />

The Quinbys have had roots deep in <strong>Tinicum</strong><br />

for six generations, stretching back to <strong>the</strong> mid-<br />

1800s. The family has run a building restoration<br />

and construction firm, collected taxes, raised<br />

cattle, and served on <strong>the</strong> board of supervisors.<br />

Preserving <strong>the</strong>ir land for generations to come<br />

seemed only natural. “It was always <strong>the</strong> intention<br />

never to develop <strong>the</strong> land,” says Todd Quinby,<br />

who has lived on or near <strong>the</strong> farm his entire<br />

life. “We never had a<br />

conversation about<br />

developing it.”<br />

That, says Todd’s<br />

older daughter, Patti Lynn, suits her just fine:<br />

“I would like to raise my kids in <strong>the</strong> same<br />

environment that I had.”<br />

The farm’s expansive acreage of fields and<br />

woods, which went under conservation<br />

easement in 2006, for years has been <strong>the</strong><br />

perfect nature center, campground, fishing<br />

spot, and driver’s ed course for young<br />

Quinbys. “The fields were our playground,”<br />

remembers James Quinby, Todd’s son.<br />

“I would like to raise my kids in<br />

<strong>the</strong> same environment that I had.”<br />

Todd’s great-great-greatgrandfa<strong>the</strong>r<br />

Aaron Kohl,<br />

who ran a bakery in<br />

Upper Black Eddy, bought<br />

<strong>the</strong> original parcel on<br />

Upper <strong>Tinicum</strong> Church<br />

Road in 1855. The family<br />

gradually added to <strong>the</strong> acreage as it expanded<br />

its farming operation—and became involved<br />

in <strong>the</strong> local community.<br />

An uncle helped with<br />

<strong>the</strong> 1930 census. Todd’s<br />

grandfa<strong>the</strong>r, John L.<br />

Quinby, was a Civil<br />

Defense volunteer during World War II. Todd’s<br />

fa<strong>the</strong>r, John, served as township supervisor in<br />

<strong>the</strong> 1960s and 1970s, and his mo<strong>the</strong>r, Joan,<br />

has been tax collector, auditor, and school<br />

board member.<br />

Even with <strong>the</strong>ir busy lives, John and Joan<br />

always had time for <strong>the</strong>ir family. “It was nice<br />

knowing <strong>the</strong>ir door was always open,” says<br />

Patti Lynn. Echoes Todd: “It was <strong>the</strong> same<br />

when my grandfa<strong>the</strong>r was here.”<br />

[ ] 2<br />

The Quinbys<br />

For <strong>the</strong> Quinby children—<strong>the</strong> sixth generation—<br />

<strong>the</strong> farm’s future as open space is secure. As<br />

<strong>the</strong>y launch into <strong>the</strong>ir own careers, <strong>the</strong>y know<br />

<strong>the</strong> family homestead is something <strong>the</strong>y can<br />

depend on, whe<strong>the</strong>r it’s watching bald eagles<br />

soar above <strong>the</strong> Delaware River or building a<br />

campfire for <strong>the</strong> annual family campout.


Land conservation is contagious<br />

Lisa BerkLey and david PhiLLips<br />

The strong sense of community drew Lisa Berkley<br />

and David Phillips to <strong>Tinicum</strong> Township—and<br />

that like-mindedness sustains <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

One by one, this former urban couple and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

neighbors have put <strong>the</strong>ir land under easement<br />

through <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>, so that today, a wide<br />

patchwork of fields, meadows and woods at<br />

Hollow Horn and Ervin Roads is protected<br />

from development.<br />

When Lisa and David first moved to <strong>Tinicum</strong><br />

in <strong>the</strong> late 1980s, <strong>the</strong>y plunged right into a<br />

“green” lifestyle. David volunteered with <strong>the</strong><br />

monthly recycling effort at <strong>the</strong><br />

township building and discovered<br />

a group of o<strong>the</strong>r environmentally<br />

sensitive people.<br />

“It was a great network,” he says.<br />

“That’s where we met people,<br />

people who were really concerned<br />

about <strong>the</strong> look and feel of <strong>the</strong><br />

land.” And having once lived in<br />

a densely populated area, <strong>the</strong><br />

couple understood <strong>the</strong> importance of<br />

preserving open space and <strong>the</strong> need for<br />

smart development.<br />

“This is one of <strong>the</strong> most beautiful areas of<br />

Bucks County,” Lisa says with unabashed<br />

pride. So when <strong>the</strong>ir neighbors, Diane and<br />

David Allison, preserved <strong>the</strong>ir land, <strong>the</strong>y were<br />

impressed. Diane’s bro<strong>the</strong>r, John Cole, who<br />

lives across <strong>the</strong> road from Lisa and David,<br />

followed suit. When <strong>Conservancy</strong> officials<br />

[ 3 ]<br />

showed up next at David and Lisa’s, to ask if<br />

<strong>the</strong>y would preserve <strong>the</strong>ir 30 acres, <strong>the</strong> answer<br />

was a resounding yes. “It was a complete<br />

no-brainer,” David recalls.<br />

“We have friends ...<br />

in o<strong>the</strong>r townships,<br />

and <strong>the</strong>y don’t have <strong>the</strong><br />

same sense of one-ness<br />

with <strong>the</strong> land.”<br />

Since <strong>the</strong>n, neighbors on<br />

ei<strong>the</strong>r side of David and<br />

Lisa have also said yes.<br />

Their section of Hollow<br />

Horn Road serves as one<br />

of <strong>the</strong> primary routes into<br />

<strong>the</strong> township, David points<br />

out. It gives visitors an<br />

important first impression.<br />

“Now,” he says, “people drive in and see a 70-<br />

acre farm field that’s mostly protected.”<br />

As actors, Lisa and David often travel to <strong>New</strong><br />

York—and run into city folk who know exactly<br />

where <strong>Tinicum</strong> Township is. “People know this<br />

place,” Lisa says. “We have friends who live in<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r townships, and <strong>the</strong>y don’t have <strong>the</strong> same<br />

sense of one-ness with <strong>the</strong> land.”


[ 2 ]


Little steps make big footprints<br />

Stu and Sally Horn support a handful of local<br />

environmental causes, but it’s <strong>the</strong> <strong>Tinicum</strong><br />

<strong>Conservancy</strong> and its work that give <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong><br />

greatest satisfaction.<br />

“The <strong>Conservancy</strong> is doing things that we feel<br />

are meaningful,” Stu says. “They are tuned<br />

into what needs to be done—<strong>the</strong>y spend <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

money well.”<br />

The Horns’ generosity started with putting<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir seven acres along <strong>the</strong> Tohickon Creek<br />

under conservation easement—and donating<br />

a portion of <strong>the</strong> money <strong>the</strong>y received for that<br />

back to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>. “It was <strong>the</strong> right<br />

thing to do,” Stu says. They followed<br />

that up with o<strong>the</strong>r monetary donations,<br />

including a generous grant that funded<br />

this brochure.<br />

“Stu and Sally are an example of what makes<br />

supporters so critical to our organization,”<br />

says TC Executive Director Jim Engel. “Their<br />

contributions and <strong>the</strong> donations of o<strong>the</strong>r likeminded<br />

people in our community make it<br />

possible for us to achieve our goal—to protect<br />

our rural character and natural resources.”<br />

The Horns have been long-time residents of<br />

<strong>the</strong> township, although in <strong>the</strong> beginning, that<br />

residency was part time. They owned a weekend<br />

house on Bridge 5 along <strong>the</strong> Delaware<br />

River and commuted <strong>the</strong>re from Stu’s job with<br />

“The <strong>Conservancy</strong> is tuned into<br />

what needs to be done—<strong>the</strong>y spend<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir money well.”<br />

sTu and saLLy Horn<br />

Mobil Oil in Princeton, N.J. When he retired in<br />

<strong>the</strong> early 1990s, <strong>the</strong>y looked for a more<br />

permanent place and found it adjacent to Ralph<br />

Stover Park in <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn part of <strong>the</strong> township.<br />

The Lenape camped <strong>the</strong>re long ago, and artist<br />

Wolfgang Roth, a previous owner who also<br />

loved <strong>the</strong> creek, had his ashes scattered <strong>the</strong>re.<br />

Stu and Sally delight in standing on <strong>the</strong> creek<br />

bank, savoring <strong>the</strong> sound of <strong>the</strong> ever-rushing<br />

water. The fact that <strong>the</strong>ir land is protected from<br />

development is critical to <strong>the</strong> Horns.<br />

[ 5 ]


andy Apgar and aLan BLack<br />

Supporting conservation in <strong>the</strong>ir own way<br />

A pooling of local resources. That’s <strong>the</strong><br />

intrinsic value of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>,<br />

according to Alan Black and Randy Apgar,<br />

longtime donors.<br />

Because <strong>the</strong>ir single acre of property along<br />

River Road in Point Pleasant is too small for<br />

a conservation easement, Alan and Randy<br />

chose to support <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> through<br />

generous yearly donations.<br />

“Maybe you would like <strong>the</strong> farm across<br />

<strong>the</strong> road from you to stay a farm,”<br />

says Alan. The way to do that,<br />

he says, is to come toge<strong>the</strong>r as<br />

a community to ensure that <strong>the</strong><br />

land remains open space.<br />

That’s why <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>’s work<br />

is so vital, he says. It allows residents<br />

to have a stake in <strong>the</strong> future of <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

neighborhood. “We are fortunate to<br />

have <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>Tinicum</strong>,” Alan says.<br />

Alan, a Center City lawyer, and<br />

Randy, a consultant in <strong>the</strong> field of health care<br />

administration, first heard about <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong><br />

from Mitch and Sue Bunkin, both active in <strong>the</strong><br />

community, and jumped on board. “We could<br />

see what was happening down <strong>the</strong> road in<br />

Plumstead and Buckingham,” Alan says.<br />

Avid cyclists, <strong>the</strong>y witnessed <strong>the</strong> changing<br />

landscape, as rural roads turned into<br />

congested byways—except in <strong>Tinicum</strong>.<br />

“We love <strong>the</strong> beauty of it,” Alan says, <strong>the</strong>n<br />

chuckles. “We like to help out of a selfish interest.”<br />

“The <strong>Conservancy</strong> does a good job of keeping<br />

<strong>the</strong> issue of preservation in <strong>the</strong> public eye.”<br />

“It’s like it was 100 years ago,” Randy says of<br />

<strong>the</strong> township’s picturesque vistas. “That says<br />

a lot about <strong>the</strong> area. It’s important historically<br />

and artistically—artists come here to paint<br />

what we enjoy seeing.”<br />

“The <strong>Conservancy</strong> does a good job of keeping<br />

<strong>the</strong> issue of preservation in <strong>the</strong> public eye,”<br />

Randy says. “We certainly promote what <strong>the</strong>y<br />

are doing.”<br />

[ 6 ]


Giving back to <strong>the</strong> community<br />

Ask around <strong>Tinicum</strong> Township to find out what<br />

Kris Becker does and <strong>the</strong> list keeps growing:<br />

• She designs and lays out <strong>the</strong> biannual<br />

<strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> newsletter.<br />

• She designs and helps with various<br />

mailings for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> effort.<br />

• She monitors more than 400 acres for<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>, usually on horseback.<br />

And that’s just for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>.<br />

Kris and her husband, Jerome, also clean up a<br />

two-mile section of local roadway, a volunteer<br />

effort through <strong>the</strong> state’s Adopt-a-Highway<br />

program. Kris serves on one of <strong>the</strong> township’s<br />

committees and is “placemat queen” for <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Tinicum</strong> Civic Association’s annual Art Festival,<br />

while Jerry, after serving two years on <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Conservancy</strong> Board, now volunteers with <strong>the</strong> area<br />

Fire Police, responding to local emergencies.<br />

Their reason for such involvement is simple,<br />

Kris says: “Until I moved here, I didn’t realize<br />

how much a small community depends on<br />

volunteers.”<br />

Once upon a time, <strong>the</strong> Beckers were highoctane<br />

<strong>New</strong> Yorkers, living on <strong>the</strong> 34th floor of<br />

a Manhattan apartment building, but, after<br />

“We felt embraced by <strong>the</strong> community<br />

and wanted to know what we could do<br />

to help protect it.”<br />

20 years, city life was wearing thin. “I reached<br />

<strong>the</strong> point where I was losing perspective,”<br />

Kris says. “It was literally, find a weekend<br />

place or move out of <strong>the</strong> city.”<br />

They moved to <strong>Tinicum</strong> in 1994 and put <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

5.5 acres under conservation easement five<br />

years later. The switch to rural life was like<br />

coming home, she says. She grew up in<br />

Indiana farm country and missed <strong>the</strong> open<br />

spaces and elbow room of her childhood.<br />

In <strong>Tinicum</strong>, <strong>the</strong> Beckers quickly found a circle<br />

of friends and a neighborhood vibrant with<br />

kris and Jerome Becker<br />

energy. “We felt embraced by <strong>the</strong> community<br />

and wanted to know what we could do to help<br />

protect it,” she says.<br />

One volunteer project led to ano<strong>the</strong>r—and<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r. But she and Jerry don’t resent <strong>the</strong><br />

time <strong>the</strong>y spend helping out. “This is our<br />

home. I’m doing this for me as much as for<br />

<strong>the</strong> community,” Kris says.<br />

[ 7 ]


ann Rhoads, ph.d.<br />

Our reciprocal relationship with nature<br />

<strong>Tinicum</strong> Township is full of hidden treasures, a<br />

quiet glen here, a moss-covered outcropping<br />

<strong>the</strong>re. But one treasure is hidden in plain<br />

sight—<strong>the</strong> 2,053-acre Roaring Rocks-Swamp<br />

Creek watershed.<br />

Although <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r major watersheds in <strong>the</strong><br />

township had long been studied and surveyed,<br />

RR-SC remained a<br />

“forgotten” area until<br />

2005, when a team of<br />

area scientists, led by<br />

<strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong><br />

Pretty scenery offers a bonus that<br />

goes beyond aes<strong>the</strong>tics: It helps<br />

keep <strong>the</strong> air and water clean.<br />

researcher and<br />

conservationist<br />

Marion Kyde, Ph.D.,<br />

took an in-depth look<br />

at it. The team, which included environmental<br />

experts from <strong>the</strong> Morris Arboretum, Churchville<br />

Nature Center, and Natural Lands Trust, spent<br />

nearly two years painstakingly taking an inventory<br />

of <strong>the</strong> watershed. They counted mammals<br />

and birds, amphibians and reptiles, trees and<br />

plants, and even fungi. They studied <strong>the</strong> varied<br />

habitats scattered across <strong>the</strong> watershed.<br />

What <strong>the</strong>y found in that sparsely populated area<br />

were unbroken forests, rich meadows and<br />

pristine water. The watershed is home to 327<br />

species of plants—two of <strong>the</strong>m rare, 17 species<br />

of mammals, 15<br />

species of amphibians,<br />

10 species of reptiles<br />

and 111 species<br />

of birds.<br />

The wealth of plant<br />

and animal life in <strong>the</strong><br />

watershed was no surprise to at least one of<br />

<strong>the</strong> team members—Morris Arboretum senior<br />

botanist Ann Rhoads, Ph.D. That’s because<br />

she’s been studying <strong>the</strong> township off and on<br />

for years.<br />

Although Dr. Rhoads has done research across<br />

Pennsylvania, she finds <strong>Tinicum</strong> especially<br />

fascinating. The diabase geology that’s<br />

prevalent throughout <strong>the</strong> area has helped<br />

preserve <strong>the</strong> land’s natural beauty. The rocky<br />

ground, she says, “prevented <strong>the</strong> clearing of<br />

forests for large-scale agricultural use.”<br />

When Dr. Rhoads begins an environmental<br />

study of an area, she looks at what she calls<br />

<strong>the</strong> “ecological services”—those processes <strong>the</strong><br />

habitat carries out that we depend on—<strong>the</strong><br />

sequestering of carbon dioxide in <strong>the</strong> trees,<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir release of oxygen and <strong>the</strong> filtering of water.<br />

The nature lover has birds to watch, plants to<br />

see and fish to catch, she says, but <strong>the</strong> pretty<br />

scenery offers a bonus that goes beyond<br />

aes<strong>the</strong>tics: It helps keep <strong>the</strong> air and water<br />

clean. “The <strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>’s work helps<br />

to preserve that ... in <strong>the</strong> lands around us.”<br />

[ 8 ]


Nature’s temporary caretakers<br />

norman MacarThur<br />

and biLL Novak<br />

When Norman MacArthur and Bill Novak first<br />

moved to <strong>Tinicum</strong>, <strong>the</strong> area seemed like “<strong>the</strong><br />

end of <strong>the</strong> world.” But <strong>the</strong>y soon understood<br />

that <strong>the</strong> pristine countryside was what <strong>the</strong><br />

township was all about.<br />

“We bought 50 acres in <strong>Tinicum</strong> Township<br />

and realized what a huge responsibility this<br />

represented,” Norm says. “We considered<br />

ourselves <strong>the</strong> temporary caretakers of this<br />

beautiful piece of land. We had to do something<br />

to make sure it would be<br />

permanently protected.”<br />

Soon after <strong>the</strong>y moved into<br />

Jugtown Hill Farm with its<br />

200-year-old house and barn,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y became aware of <strong>the</strong><br />

work being done by <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>. Here was a way to work<br />

toward <strong>the</strong>ir goal. The presence of a local<br />

land trust was an indication that people in<br />

<strong>Tinicum</strong> were committed and willing to work to<br />

conserve land. There was still time to really<br />

make a difference!<br />

Their love of preservation had its beginnings<br />

in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where <strong>the</strong>y lived<br />

for almost 30 years. Both had professional<br />

careers, but each also did volunteer work to<br />

“We had to do something<br />

to make sure it would be<br />

permanently protected.”<br />

improve Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Norm<br />

and Bill brought to <strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir spirit of<br />

volunteerism and community involvement.<br />

Bill helps to run <strong>the</strong> <strong>Tinicum</strong> Arts Festival,<br />

<strong>the</strong> Stover Mill Gallery and <strong>the</strong> juried exhibit<br />

at Phillips’ Mill. Norm<br />

chairs <strong>the</strong> <strong>Tinicum</strong><br />

Open Space Commission<br />

and is a former Trustee of<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>.<br />

The <strong>Conservancy</strong> helped<br />

Norm and Bill through <strong>the</strong><br />

process of donating a conservation easement<br />

on <strong>the</strong>ir property. “Even if everything else got<br />

developed, at least <strong>the</strong>se 50 acres would be<br />

saved,” Norm says. Norm and Bill were also<br />

able to take a charitable tax deduction for <strong>the</strong><br />

contribution of <strong>the</strong>ir development rights—a<br />

very nice bonus.<br />

“We drive down <strong>the</strong>se beautiful roads, and we<br />

can’t believe how lucky we are to live here,”<br />

Norm says. “It’s a privilege!”<br />

[ 9 ]


P.O. Box 206, Erwinna, PA 18920<br />

• • •<br />

Office Location: 965 River Road, Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972<br />

610-294-1077 • www.tinicumconservancy.org<br />

This brochure is made possible by generous support from Stu and Sally Horn • Written by Dianna Sinovic • Photos by Maureen Santina

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