Chester County Community Foundation

  Let Your Legacy Make a Difference

Willistown's Okehocking Nature Center Fund

Mission...

The mission of Willistown’s Okehocking Nature Center Fund is to support the non-profit operating,
 program, and capital needs of the Willistown Okehocking Nature Center.

Willistown's Okehocking Nature Center's mission is to enhance people’s relationship
with nature, sense of community and knowledge of natural resource management
 and stewardship, thus improving their life experience and
creating life-long advocates and practitioners.

About Willistown’s Okehocking Nature Center…

 The Okehocking Preserve, owned by Willistown Township, was established in 2001 in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Chester County, using Open Space Funds. The 180-acre Preserve is a unique property that includes mature woods, meadowlands, uplands, wetlands and riparian areas along a tributary and the main stem of Ridley Creek. It is a naturalist’s ideal teaching environment and a place of great beauty that brings joy and serenity to those who visit. The Preserve includes 5 miles of mown and wooded walking trails. Located between Ridley Creek State Park and thousands of acres of privately conserved land, it is a critical component of a larger ecological network and opens space plan.

In August, 2011, after many years of careful planning, an all-volunteer board of directors established the headquarters of the Okehocking Nature Center, in cooperation with Willistown Township, at the Preserve’s historic Garrett Farmhouse off West Chester Pike in Newtown Square. The group is in the process of outfitting the farmhouse to provide as an interpretive center and programming headquarters, and will create informational signage to help visitors fully enjoy and appreciate the Preserve.

The Okehocking Nature Center headquarters provides a sheltered location, running water and a restroom to support environmental education and outdoor recreational opportunities for local schools, Willistown Township Parks and Recreation, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, the Upper Mail Line YMCA, Paoli Hospital’s Wellness Center and other community organizations and visitors.

Activities and events will promote environmental stewardship, recreation, health and wellness and building a stronger sense of community through the use of this unique local treasure. Core elements of the Okehocking Nature Center’s programming will include demonstration gardens where visitors can take away “green” ideas for their own homes. Planned programs include bird walks, tours and talks for all ages and land and water management projects and plantings.

Another focus of the Okehocking Nature Center will be historical information about the Okehocking Tribe – a branch of the Lenni Lenape Tribe – that used the Preserve’s land as their summer camping grounds. The turtle of the Nature Center’s logo is derived from their primary token.

The Center will emphasize the need for the protection of the many habitats represented at the Preserve, including native plant and animal species, vernal pools, mature woods, meadows and uplands. These strategies are a vital response to many local issues, including suburban sprawl, fragmentation of natural lands and growing demand for outdoor recreational activities.

Past Events...

Thanksgiving Celebration and Nature Walk
Friday, November 25, 2011
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Learn about the Okehocking Tribe and learn how Native Americans influenced our Thanksgiving Day traditions. Storytelling, light refreshments and a healthy post-Thanksgiving feast walk!

Okehocking Preserve Fall Fest
presented by Willistown Township & Okehocking Nature Center
Saturday, September 17, 2011
4:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m.

Hay Rides! Live Animals! Games & Tours! Live Music!
Free Fun for Adults & Children! Bring your own picnic or buy food there.

Donate Now…

Donate now to the Willistown’s Okehocking Nature Center Fund
or mail a check, made payable to Willistown’s Okehocking Nature Center to
 Chester County Community Foundation
28 West Market Street
West Chester, PA 19382

For more information, please visit our webpage.

Upcoming Fund Activities and Events

See home