Lancaster Conservancy Events

The Lancaster Conservancy is seeking volunteers, 18 years and older, to help with a massive cleanup effort along a 3-mile stretch of floodplain on our 279 acre Otter Creek Nature Preserve in York County. A myriad of trash and hazardous debris, including: old trailers, tires, furniture, and plastics litter both sides of the floodplain along Otter Creek, which flows directly into the Susquehanna River.

How To Get Involved With The Cleanup:

Volunteers MUST SIGN UP beforehand and ARRIVE ON TIME. We have firm arrival times, due to the location of the work site. Volunteering at Otter Creek will involve a 1 – 2 mile hike, led by Conservancy staff, to the work site.

Due to the travel distance we are unable to accommodate late arrivals. We will be departing the parking area at 9 am sharp. We appreciate your understanding.

Directions & Parking:

• Parking: We will be meeting at the intersection of Kline Road and Mill Road, and parking along Kline Road. https://goo.gl/maps/D6r4LWsiVXxQBMbi6https://www.google.com/maps/place/State+Game+Lands+Number+83/@39.8870211,-76.4056893,954m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c62b01ba73a87d:0x1f183bbc9958d792!8m2!3d39.8870211!4d-76.4034953
• You can plug your address into the google map above to get directions. We will also have Conservancy lawn signs posted on the roadway, directing you to our staging area.
• Due to safety considerations, we will be unable to accommodate late arrivals so please arrive on time.

24 hours prior to the workday, you will receive an email with a volunteer waiver form and additional instructions on what to expect day of.

The Conservancy is excited to partner with Millersville University and our many conservation partners to host this year’s BioBlitz event at Welsh Mountain. Join us to learn about the many species that call this beautiful, 940-acre preserve home!

12:30 – 1:00 pm | Event Registration & Food Truck Open

Grab some food and check in for your guided walk!

1:00 – 1:45 pm | Opening Ceremony & Land Acquisition Celebration

Help us kick off the 2019 BioBlitz by celebrating the opening of the newest addition to the Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve! Join us as we recognize the partners that made this 23 acre acquisition happen, and learn how an eight year effort to preserve the land came to fruition in May of 2019.

1:45-3:00 pm | Guided Walk with Tree Team

Lead by Chris Hardy, James C. Parks Herbarium, Millersville University

Explore the trees of Welsh Mountain by taking a guided walk along the trail. Learn about common trees and their historic and current uses.

The Conservancy is excited to partner with Millersville University and our many conservation partners to host this year’s BioBlitz event at Welsh Mountain. Join us to learn about the many species that call this beautiful, 940-acre preserve home!

12:30 – 1:00 pm | Event Registration & Food Truck Open

Grab some food and check in for your guided walk!

1:00 – 1:45 pm | Opening Ceremony & Land Acquisition Celebration

Help us kick off the 2019 BioBlitz by celebrating the opening of the newest addition to the Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve! Join us as we recognize the partners that made this 23 acre acquisition happen, and learn how an eight year effort to preserve the land came to fruition in May of 2019.

1:45-3:00 pm | Guided Terrestrial Invertebrate Walk

Lead by John Wallace, Millersville University

Animals without a backbone are everywhere from worms, butterflies, to crayfish! But did you know that over 96% of all animals in the world are invertebrates? Let’s take a walk with the Invertebrate Team to learn about the good and bad bugs and other cool critters that are part of the web of life in every ecosystem.

The Conservancy is excited to partner with Millersville University and our many conservation partners to host this year’s BioBlitz event at Welsh Mountain. Join us to learn about the many species that call this beautiful, 940-acre preserve home!

12:30 – 1:00 pm | Event Registration & Food Truck Open

Grab some food and check in for your guided walk!

1:00 – 1:45 pm | Opening Ceremony & Land Acquisition Celebration

Help us kick off the 2019 BioBlitz by celebrating the opening of the newest addition to the Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve! Join us as we recognize the partners that made this 23 acre acquisition happen, and learn how an eight year effort to preserve the land came to fruition in May of 2019.

1:45-3:00 pm | Guided Walk with Mammals Survey Team

Lead by Aaron Haines, Millersville University

Join the Mammals Team to explore the critters that call Welsh Mountain home. This walk will highlight common species and not-so common species that depend on a forested landscape to thrive and survive.

The Conservancy is excited to partner with Millersville University and our many conservation partners to host this year’s BioBlitz event at Welsh Mountain. Join us to learn about the many species that call this beautiful, 940-acre preserve home!

12:30 – 1:00 pm | Event Registration & Food Truck Open

Grab some food and check in for your guided walk!

1:00 – 1:45 pm | Opening Ceremony & Land Acquisition Celebration

Help us kick off the 2019 BioBlitz by celebrating the opening of the newest addition to the Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve! Join us as we recognize the partners that made this 23 acre acquisition happen, and learn how an eight year effort to preserve the land came to fruition in May of 2019.

1:45 – 5:00pm | Children’s Activities

(Drop in & take wildlife memories with you!)

Walnut T-Shirt Dyeing

Lead by Chris Hardy of James C. Parks Herbarium, Millersville University & BioBlitz Committee

Trees are valuable in many ways! Bring your own white t-shirt and tie-dye using black walnuts, collected from our native eastern American black walnut tree. Extra white t-shirts may be provided for $5 in case you forget.

Please note: Children should be accompanied by an adult. Family groups welcome. Rubber gloves provided or bring your own.

Wildlife Coloring, Drawing & More

Led by PA Master Naturalist

Take wildlife memories with you! Come color, draw, paint or write to remember a favorite wildlife experience. Materials provided.

Please note: Children should be accompanied by an adult. Family groups welcome.

The Conservancy is excited to partner with Millersville University and our many conservation partners to host this year’s BioBlitz event at Welsh Mountain. Join us to learn about the many species that call this beautiful, 940-acre preserve home!

2:00-4:00 pm | Elecrofishing at Mill Creek

Lead by Matt Kofroth, Lancaster Conservation District

Did you know that Welsh Mountain protects the headwaters of the Conestoga River, Mill Creek and Pequea Creek in eastern Lancaster County? Not only does this 940-acre preserve protect our watershed it also has a diversity of life in its’ waters. The Fish Team will lead a guided walk and demonstrate how scientist electroshock a stream to assess and count fish and other aquatic life dependent on clean streams and a healthy watershed.

Please note: If you want to participate, please bring waders and be prepared for a hike to the headwaters in the Welsh Mountain restoration area.

The Conservancy is excited to partner with Millersville University and our many conservation partners to host this year’s BioBlitz event at Welsh Mountain. Join us to learn about the many species that call this beautiful, 940-acre preserve home!

3:15-4:30 pm | Guided Forest Ecology Walk

Lead by Ryan Davis, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Join Ryan Davis, Forest Program Manager for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, for a forest ecology walk. Learn tree and shrub identification, and hear about how these species interact with each other and wildlife to create cherished forest ecosystems.

The Conservancy is excited to partner with Millersville University and our many conservation partners to host this year’s BioBlitz event at Welsh Mountain. Join us to learn about the many species that call this beautiful, 940-acre preserve home!

3:15-4:30 pm | Leaf Packs & Stream Science

Lead by Becky Whitson, PA Master Naturalist & Donegal Trout Unlimited

Leafpacks: A treasure chest of the stream. Investigate the hidden gems of the stream by examining a “leafpack”. A hands-on examination to discover aquatic creatures that live in Welsh Mountain.

Please note: Children should be accompanied by an adult. Family groups welcome. Be prepared for a short hike to the stream.