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20-648: The Cradle of Liberty Council, Natural Lands , Montgomery County Lands Trust, and Montgomery County signed a perpetual conservation easement permanently protecting over 1,200 acres (5 km) of the Musser Scout Reservation. Prior to 1996, the Philadelphia Council owned and operated Camp Hart, while the Valley Forge Council owned and operated Camp Delmont. Subsequent to the merger of these councils in 1996, these adjacent camps joined to create

40-621: A new reservation. Initially, this merged Scout camp was called "Delmont-Hart Scout Reservation". Later, the camps were renamed under "Musser Scout Reservation", to honor the late son of Pete Musser , a financial contributor who had a son that enjoyed camping there as a scout. Camp Delmont was named after the two counties that made up the original Delmont Council (DELaware and MONTgomery Counties Council, later known as The Valley Forge Council). For many years, Delmont consisted of two camps: Camp Cedar, which focused on one-week camping, and Camp Pioneer, which focused on two-week camping. As such, Delmont

60-518: A nonprofit organization that saves open space, cares for nature, and connects people to the outdoors in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. More than 2.5 million people live within five miles of lands under the organization's permanent protection. The organization's approach to conservation includes: Natural Lands was founded in 1953 as the Philadelphia Conservationists, Inc., by a group of birdwatchers who wanted to protect what

80-540: A property's use. To date, the organization holds easements on more than 22,000 acres. Natural Lands also provides a range of consulting services to Pennsylvania municipalities (152 municipalities in 26 counties, to date). These services include redrafting a township's zoning ordinances to incorporate open space, thereby using development to save land. Natural Lands has been accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of

100-430: Is a program that Natural Lands launched in 1997 to help Pennsylvanian municipalities and independent developers conserve open space, preserve property assets, promote interconnected greenway networks, and maximize the quality of residents’ living conditions during the development process. The communities that have adopted Growing Greener Conservation by Design ordinances are currently setting aside an average of 62 percent of

120-456: Is currently expected to be contributed as part of the total $ 6.8 million settlement. This does not include Camp Hart or Camp Garrison. So far this is non-binding, however the council's Executive Board unanimously approved the council's participation in the proposed settlement. (Email from Daniel Templar, Scout Executive of Cradle of Liberty Council, August 23, 2021) This is part of the greater Scouting BSA tentative settlement Hart Scout Reservation

140-668: Is now the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge , a tidal freshwater marsh in Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania . Led by Allston Jenkins, a local accountant who was new to birding when he founded the organization, The Philadelphia Conservationists achieved their goal of protecting the Tinicum Marsh from being filled with sediment dredged from nearby waterways by the following year. Allston Jenkins (1903-1994) became Natural Lands' first president and executive director, and

160-524: Is still owned and stewarded by the organization today. In 1961, the members of The Philadelphia Conservationists established themselves as Natural Lands Trust, Inc., as a means of being able to permanently own and preserve the land that came under their care. The same year, they received its first donation of land, now the Willisbrook Preserve in Willistown Township, Pennsylvania . In 2017,

180-462: The Land Trust Alliance , which endorses a land trust's ability to "operate in an ethical, legal, and technically sound manner and ensure the long-term protection of land in the public interest." To date, Natural Lands has saved more than 135,000 acres of land in its nearly 64-year history. This is equal to about half the total acreage of Pennsylvania's state park system . Natural Lands is

200-709: The United States . Originally formed as the Land Trust Exchange in Boston on February 22, 1982, Allan Spader was named its inaugural director. In 1990, the name of the organization was changed to the Land Trust Alliance and was moved to Washington, D.C. The Land Trust Alliance has sponsored "Rally," a yearly conference of conservation professionals, since 1985. In 2012, the Land Trust Alliance set up an insurance company to assist regional land trusts with

220-737: The Native American Village; however, the Native American Village was taken out of commission. Natural Lands Trust Natural Lands is a non-profit land conservation organization with headquarters in Media, Pennsylvania , dedicated to the management, protection, and conservation of eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey's native forests, fields, streams, and wetlands. The organization owns and manages 43 nature preserves —and one public garden totaling more than 23,000 acres—located in 13 counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Nineteen of

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240-513: The focal site of the council Cub Adventures summer resident camp for Cub Scouts and Webelos . Camp Garrison was named after Walter R. Garrison, a major contributor to the building of the camp. The camp opened in 2000 and operates the Cub World summer program entirely devoted to the Cub Scouting program. There were four themed encampments: Fort Akela, Safeguard Castle, U.S.S. Cradle of Liberty, and

260-501: The land in new developments as open space. Force of Nature is Natural Lands' volunteer program, launched in 2011. Those selected for the program participate in an in-depth training program that covers a variety of land management and restoration techniques. Following training, program graduates apply their knowledge as skilled volunteers with Natural Lands. Natural Lands relies on membership support to advance its mission of saving open space, caring for nature, and connecting people with

280-524: The nonprofit shortened its name to Natural Lands. Natural Lands has continued to acquire and steward open land in eastern Pennsylvania and in southern New Jersey in the interest of preserving open spaces and native habitats and ensuring that residents of Pennsylvania and New Jersey benefit from open spaces in perpetuity. In addition to acquiring land outright for preservation and stewardship, Natural Lands has also been responsible for conservation easements on 20,000 acres of land. The organization's first easement

300-467: The outdoors. Member benefits include: Of the 44 properties Natural Lands owns and manages, 19 are open to the public daily, free of charge, from sunrise to sunset. Stoneleigh is open free of charge, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Land Trust Alliance Land Trust Alliance is a nature conservation organization , based in Washington, D.C. The Alliance represents many land trusts across

320-417: The preserves are open to the public for recreational use; the others have limited visitation due to the presence of sensitive ecosystems or limited facilities. In addition to owning and managing preserves, Natural Lands preserves land by working with private land owners to establish and enforce conservation easements . A conservation easement is a voluntary but legally binding agreement that permanently limits

340-532: Was a "Scout Reservation," since it included more than one camp. In later years, as Valley Forge Council focused summer camp on Resica Falls Scout Reservation , Camp Cedar was used for residential Webelos summer camp and Camp Pioneer was allowed to return to nature. Summer Camp was first held there in 1916. As part of the Cradle of Liberty Council's contribution to the Scouting BSA victims support settlement, Camp Delmont

360-544: Was an active member within the organization until his death. As the Philadelphia Conservationists, the organization worked to preserve land up and down the East Coast and beyond – however, they would usually turn the land that they preserved over to government agencies and other non-profits. In 1959, the organization created its first nature preserve. Sharp's Woods Preserve in Chester County, Pennsylvania , had 28 acres, and

380-531: Was first opened in 1930, and has been in continuous operation since the first summer of operation. The property was provided in an endowment by Dr. Charles D. Hart  [ Wikidata ] , and he is honored in the titling of the Camp. There are two distinct areas of Camp Hart divided by the Unami Creek. The western portion of the camp currently hosts Cradle of Liberty Council Leader training programs, and acts of

400-520: Was the Upper Main Line YMCA in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1966, which was the first known conservation easement in Pennsylvania. Since its incorporation in 1961, Natural Lands has saved more than 125,000 acres of land from being developed. Natural Lands' headquarters are located at the 55-acre Hildacy Preserve in Media, Pennsylvania since 1981. Growing Greener: Conservation by Design

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