ChesLen Preserve – Courtesy of Natural Lands Trust

The Natural Lands Trust is a very big deal in the realm of conservation, land preservation and stewardship and they do a lot of very cool stuff.  Don’t believe me?  Check out the list of preserves you can visit and a few are right here in Chester County!

Today I am focused on the ChesLen Preserve they manage – it is on 1199 Cannery Road in Coatesville. At over 1200 acres in this location is one of the largest private nature preserves in Southeastern PA.  Part of it has been designated a wild plant sanctuary too!

Through the generosity of the Lenfest family they have recently completed building  a beautiful center on site dedicated to the preserve and the community.   The Lenfest Center will provide offices and maintenance facilities for the preserve’s management staff, as well as gathering spaces for visitors, volunteers, and local community groups. It opens with an event and dedication on the evening of Saturday, June 15th (see below) and there is a community day on Sunday June 16th .

This to me is something truly exciting because land conservation is a tricky business – lots of people say they want to do it and few groups do it as well and as diligently and consistently at the Natural Lands Trust.

The Saturday evening event is also a fundraiser.  This will be festive evening of drinks, local farm-inspired edibles, and music will support their ChesLen Preserve-based efforts to save land, steward natural resources, and connect people to nature. Tickets start at $150.

The Sunday Community Day will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature  building tours, preserve walks, refreshments, and activities for the whole family! This event is free, but if you can I would suggest making a small donation that day if you attend.