Newsletter-FALL 2009 FINAL FINAL TO PRINTER - Tinicum ...

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THE PEOPLE PAGE: Meet the Board Just who runs Tinicum Conservancy? An eight-member Board of Trustees governs the organization, with day-today management handled by Executive Director Jim Engel and his staff. The board meets once a month at the Conservancy offices. Trustees serve for three years, but are limited to no more than two consecutive terms. They can serve again in the future, but they must step down for at least a year. Here’s a who’s who: BETSI CAMPBELL Betsi’s focus on the board is Conservancy membership. She spent more than 30 years developing worker displacement programs with the New Jersey Department of Labor and as a consultant for Rutgers University. She lives in a log home on 10 acres in Erwinna. TOM CASOLA Tom handles marketing and strategic planning for the board. He recently retired after 25 years at Merck and Co. He lives on about seven conserved acres that are part of the former James Michener estate. JIM VASELECK President Jim, an 18-year resident of Bucks County, is an attorney for the Law School Admission Council, a nonprofit association of law schools. He lives in Uhlerstown, in Mike Uhler's former boat shop along the Delaware Canal. RICHARD ROSAMILIA Treasurer Rich, the financial expert on the board, is a civil engineer who oversees the operations of an ocean sand mining company in the greater New York region. He lives in Erwinna. NANCY BOUSUM Nancy has lived in Tinicum Township for more than 30 years. She’s a Realtor. As a board trustee, she manages the Conservancy’s easement monitoring program. In her free hours, she’s likely on her bike or in her garden. DIANE ALLISON Vice President Diane, an avid birder, develops the Conservancy’s Conservation Spotlight programs. She works in microbiological quality assurance for Johnson & Johnson. A passionate environmentalist, Diane has converted the heating/cooling system in her home to geothermal. NOT PICTURED JACK HALSTEAD Jack is a longtime Tinicum resident who is an avid fisherman and gardener. PEGGY ENOCH Secretary A longtime Ottsville resident, Peggy is involved in a number of community activities, from Conservancy board to the Palisades Community Chorus. She spent 30 years as an educator, and is a board member of the Bucks County Reading Council. Peggy enjoys bird watching and kayaking in the area. JIM ENGEL Executive Director Jim brings a life-time passion for the natural environment and more than a decade of land conservancy and small non-profit experience to the job. He lives in Morris County, N.J., on 2½ acres surrounded by several thousand acres of preserved farmland. Page 10 TINICUM CONSERVANCY Fall 2009
2009 CONSERVATION PROGRAMS Roaring Rocks Easement: A Walk on the Wild Side Conservation easements benefit all of us. They help protect water quality and diversity of wildlife and plants. They nurture both forests, which add oxygen, take in carbon dioxide and provide us with shade, and farms, which provide us with food and the rural character that we all cherish. Lands protected by conservation easements rarely allow for public access, however, because the landowner still lives on the site and the property is not under public ownership. On a rare occasion, and only under the guidance of the Conservancy, will a landowner allow a group to tour conserved land. In June, one of those rare opportunities took place: a Conservancy-guided walk of the 210-acre Roaring Rocks conservation easement. Stu Louden, the property’s owner, and Jim Engel, TC’s executive director, guided a group of 18 people on a 2½-hour exploration of this environmentally significant and scenic property. The area is crossed by numerous streams and blanketed by extensive forest. Mr. Louden shared stories about his childhood on the property and his parent’s love of the land. June was an ideal time to see the meadows sprinkled with wildflowers and experience the streams at full flow. - Article/photos by Jim Engel Bluebird boxes, vernal pools, and native plants were the focus of the Conservancy’s 2009 Conservation Spotlight programs. Spotlight Program Wrap Up In February, Conservancy Board Vice President and birder Diane Allison led a program on nesting birds; participants build bluebird boxes to take home. In April, Conservancy member and scientist Marion Kyde, Ph.D., discussed vernal pools and led a walk on the Cole property to see a pool. June’s program on pond life was set on Charles Shaeffer’s property, with Diane Smith, a Bucks County Audubon naturalist, and Conservancy volunteer June Rothkopf helping participants find and identify pond creatures. The series wrapped up with a September program on native plants, presented by naturalist Ann Rhoads, Ph.D. Participants visited the Allison property to identify native plants in the fields and the Kyde property to observe the impact of fencing out deer on native plants. Each participant took home a native plant and deer protection. During the next year, the Conservancy will offer a series of walks on conserved properties, where willing easement owners will share their treasured pieces of Tinicum. Please remember to respect property rights of conserved lands and appreciate the public benefits that we all receive from a healthy community. — Article/photos by Diane Allison Look for next year’s conservation programs on our website in 2010! www.TinicumConservancy.org Fall 2009 TINICUM CONSERVANCY Page 11
Page 1 and 2: FALL 2009 New Recognition, New Goal
Page 3 and 4: Your Conservancy could not function
Page 5 and 6: 2ND ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP CELEBRATION 1
Page 7 and 8: HE FUTURE - OUR LAND MEMBERS mmitme
Page 9: EARTH It had rained overnight - aga

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