Dear Friends,
Happy springtime to you and your family! Spirits are high after a record-breaking opening weekend of our Native Plant Nursery, recently named as a Top 10 Nursery in the Country by USA Today! Energy is palpable as visitors seek out the Preserve’s native plants from both our Nursery and along our trails, like the iconic sea of Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) along the Parry Trail, now in peak bloom.
Five years ago, the Preserve embarked on a strategic plan that was built on the foundation of becoming a true community resource for all. I write to you today incredibly proud that the Preserve represents a welcoming and safe space to enjoy and observe nature, to learn about the significance of native plants and to celebrate conservation and sustainability.
What I hope reaches you most deeply is that the Preserve stewards a landscape and a mission that supports both plants and people. The Preserve is a resource for you. What is your favorite piece of the Preserve, and where do you find your peace while visiting?
- Studies continue to show that spending time in nature supports both physical and mental wellbeing. That’s why we were one of the first resources for forest therapy (shinrin-yoku, also known as forest bathing) on the East Coast. Let’s make 2026 the year that we make more time to walk, stretch, breathe and observe. Let the Preserve be your place for mindfulness, relaxation and grounding.
- Our Native Plant Nursery Marketplace is the heartbeat of our mission. There you can chat with our Native Garden Guides and find highest quality, straight species perennials, shrubs and trees that you simply will not find elsewhere. And where else can you shop a premiere Nursery and support a nonprofit’s crucial operations? Let the Preserve be your place for learning about and growing native plants.
- Our exhibits and trails are more diverse, accessible and educational than ever! From our new interpretative signs coming soon along the Parry Trail and Log Cabin, to the Preserve’s first permanent children’s nature play area coming this fall within Penn’s Woods, the Preserve is a multi-generational space to share. Let the Preserve be your place to enjoy with friends, family and community.
- Our team is growing too! We are delighted to welcome the Preserve’s first full-time curator, furthering our deep focus on our accredited museum collection of native plants and land management of our 134 preserved acres. Let the Preserve be your place to stoke your curiosity, learn and grow as a steward of our shared Earth.
If the Preserve is a special place to you, and if you value our native plant and conservation mission, please make a gift to the Annual Fund today. Together, let’s focus on a brighter future for our shared ecosystem and our shared community. Wishing you nature’s peace and inspiration.
With deep gratitude,
Pete Couchman
Executive Director
