Exploring Bucktoe Cemetery

Headstone of
Corporal William Jackson,
Civil War Veteran

What does archaeology have to do with TLC?  A lot! TLC has been working on a collaborative project with the New Garden Memorial UAME Church and Eugene Hough of Heritage Guild Works to restore and preserve the Bucktoe Cemetery. Starting with grounds cleanup five years ago, the Cemetery has been restored and opened to visitors to see the ruins of the former church building and the graves of over 120 individuals including several documented African-American Civil War veterans. To learn the history of Bucktoe, check out the full write up on the TLC history page.

Starting last year, New Garden Memorial UAME members, Eugene Hough, and TLC staff have worked with the Chester County Intermediate Unit to bring out students from the Migrant Education Program to learn about the Cemetery and area history while helping excavate the church foundation and document existing stones.  This year’s project has focused on exploring the center of the church and the front foundation wall.  On our first field day last week, students started two shovel test pits (STPs) that are smaller than standard excavation units to try and determine what remains currently exist.

 

Adrian and Candido excavating in the center of the former church

After only a day of excavations, students uncovered many fragments from the collapsed church including mortar, stone, window glass, and brick from the chimney.  The students working on the front stp along the potential foundation excavated several inches and did start uncovering larger stones that could be related to the foundation.  Further excavation next week will hopefully provide more answers.

Out in the cemetery, students took turns working to uncover assorted stones that could have been grave markers and footstones.  Many people would use a large natural stone to mark a grave if they could not afford a formal headstone. The students were most excited about a small stone that was found to have a rough J carved into it.  This most likely served as a simple gravestone.

Can you see the letter J in the center?
The small stones on top were around the base to help hold it in place.

In addition to the CCIU students, TLC brings out other groups who have an interest in the site for customized programs to suit the interests and needs of each group.  This past week we were thrilled to host Den 6 from Cub Scout Pack 136 of Avondale to complete their Duty to God Adventure.  We were able to show the boys the foundation and some artifacts, they completed rubbings of the original grave stones, and we hiked them to other ruins related to the church.  This helped the boys explore a site where people show reverence with Bucktoe Cemetery serving as a great example.

This program is made possible thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Endowment Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation. Founded in 1775, this organization gives grants to organizations and programs that seek to improve conditions of African Americans throughout Pennsylvania. We are honored to partner with them to share this unique and important site of local African American history with our community. 



The Bucktoe Cemetery is open from dawn to dusk to visitors and if you’re interested in a guided tour or program, please speak to Hannah, TLC’s Education Coordinator at 610-347-0347 ext. 104 or education@tlcforscc.org. 

TLC's Summer Programs Receive Grant Awards

TLC is excited to announce that we have been awarded several special grants in support of our upcoming summer programs. Throughout the year, TLC hosts over 75 unique programs, providing opportunities for people of all ages to learn more about our local natural resources and enjoy the natural lands TLC works to protect. We are extremely grateful to all of our grant funders, who help us to expand and improve these programs to better serve our community.

Bucktoe Cemetery Education Program--Grant Awarded by the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Endowment Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation

Students uncovering the original church foundation in 2014

The Pennsylvania Abolition Society was founded in 1775 in Philadelphia, and was the first abolition society ever established. The Pennsylvania Abolition Society Endowment Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation continues the legacy of their work by awarding grants to organizations and programs that improve the lives of African Americans in Pennsylvania. TLC is honored to be among these grantees this year, with a generous grant awarded for our 2015 Bucktoe Cemetery Education Program. 

TLC has been working since 2010 to restore the Bucktoe Cemetery, an African American Civil War cemetery that is part of an important historic African American community site. Thanks to the support of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, TLC will bring a group of students to the site for five weeks, and the Bucktoe Cemetery and surrounding area will become a Living History Classroom. Students will be immersed in our local African American history through hands-on exploration, led by Professional Restorationist Eugene Hough and TLC's staff. 

Students will conduct archaeological digs of the foundation of the original church, which is believed to have been burned down by the Ku Klux Klan in the early 1900s, and the area surrounding the cemetery. The program will also include classroom sessions and hikes of the surrounding natural and historic area. The program's goal is to connect and inform students about our local African American history, honor the soldiers buried in the Bucktoe Cemetery, and emphasize the ways in which land and history are interconnected. 

Outdoor Education Programs--Grant Awarded by the North Face Explore Fund

Funding from the North Face Explore Fund will help TLC to expand the reach of our educational programming and bring groups from underserved populations to experience the Bucktoe Creek Preserve at no cost. This funding will enable us to bring groups from organizations such as the Garage Youth Center, Tick Tock Early Learning Center, and La Comunidad Hispana, to the property to explore the preserve’s 300 acres of meadows, woodlands, streams, and ponds. The preserve is only open to the public through programming, and this funding will enable us to provide more opportunities for the public to experience this amazing natural area! 

Free Time Adventures in Nature--Grants Awarded by the Captain Planet Foundation and the DEP Environmental Education Grant Program

Heading out on the trails at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve

This year, TLC has received two grants for our popular Free Time Adventures in Nature Program! This year will mark the third year of the program, which will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays in August at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve. Each day, we will hike the preserve's trails, stopping along the way to explore ponds, splash and skip stones in the creek, play games, do nature crafts, and search for salamanders on the ground and kestrels in the sky.

The goal of Free Time Adventures in Nature is to immerse children in nature through hands-on, self-guided exploration and play, which will lead them to form powerful connections with the environment that they will carry with them through life. We are extremely grateful to the grant funders who support this program as it expands and improves each year. This year, grant funding will also enable us to expand our inventory of educational equipment for the program, such as binoculars, insect and aquatic nets, field guides, and magnifying glasses.

"We are thrilled to present this award to The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County," says Leesa Carter, Executive Director of the Captain Planet Foundation. "We receive hundreds of submissions each year and have to be very selective to whom we award funding. This is one of the few projects from across the country that we chose to fund. We wish TLC great success as they work to implement this important project. It is our hope that our combined efforts will educate, empower, involve, and invest today's youth to cultivate a better tomorrow."

Free Time Adventures in Nature is filling up quickly, but spots are still available. Click Here to register!

Open Hive Days--Grant Awarded by the DEP Environmental Education Grant Program

Examining our Top-Bar Hive during an Open Hive Day

This Earth Day, the DEP Environmental Education Grant Program announced their award of a grant to TLC in support of our July, August, September, and October Open Hive Days! This monthly program provides an inside look inside the hives at TLC's New Leaf Eco Center Apiary, guided by Beekeeper Dan Borkoski. The program is open to people of all ages, and each session is packed with information about honeybee life cycles, threats to honeybees such as varroa mites and Colony Collapse Disorder, the importance of pollinators to our environment, and honeybees' role in production of the food we eat. 

All Open Hive Day participants will have the opportunity to get an up-close look at the inner workings of a hives as Dan performs inspections and maintenance. Those who choose to attend multiple sessions will observe the evolution of a hive throughout the season. TLC offers protective veils to ensure safety, and our observation hive and outdoor classroom provide even more educational opportunities for attendees. The program is the perfect opportunity for prospective beekeepers to receive valuable advice about starting their own hives, and for current beekeepers to discuss their techniques and experiences.

Click Here to view dates and register for this year's Open Hive Days!

Thank you to all of our grant funders for your generosity! We are so excited to begin our summer programming with your support, which helps us to get more people of all ages outdoors to explore and learn from our vital lands and historic sites.

The Warmth is in the Walk

Tracks at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve

Snow, snow, snow! Winter is one of our favorite times of year here at TLC. Not only do we get to participate in seasonal activities such as skiing, ice skating, snow shoeing, tubing and more, but we get to create great programs. We kicked off this winter with our yearly Winter Solstice at the Stateline Woods Preserve. Bill Wood came out and shared stories by the fireside. It was a great night to see the stars and decorate our tree with some solar lights!

We have already hosted several programs at the private Bucktoe Creek Preserve (BCP): an Evergreen Tree ID, a Winter Tree ID and the first parts of our Wildlife in Winter series. Our Evergreen Tree ID program featured tree experts from Bartlett. Not only did we get to learn about Evergreens in our area, but we heard about the various factors that threaten our forests and what tree experts do to protect against them.

Stateline Woods Preserve

 

The Winter Tree ID took place a few weeks later on beautiful winter day following a crisp snowfall. Our boots crunched through the snow as we explored the arboretum at BCP. We focused on simple ways one might identify a deciduous tree in the winter. With a finer eye one might be able to distinguish trees based on their bud, but our most obvious approach was to see if the trees left any leaves behind.

 

However, the trees weren’t the only ones leaving things behind! With snow on the ground our Wildlife in Winter participants found tracks of deer, foxes and more around BCP. The first segment of this series concentrated on hibernation and other forms of adaptation used to survive the cold and bare winter months. Our guest educator Holly Merker discussed topics from insect galls to hibernacula and more. Our second segment focused on camouflage, one of the most important aspects of survival.

We can’t wait for the spring, but winter hasn’t been treating us too badly either (even if we’ve reached some pretty cold temperatures!). It’s only a matter of time now before everything thaws out, so make sure to catch some of our March programs to wrap winter up! The Chester County Astronomical Society will be coming out on March 21^st from 8-9:30pm to guide us through the skies as we explore the constellations visible to us. A week later on the 28^th, Holly Merker will be returning to Bucktoe for our final part of the Wildlife in Winter Series, focused on migration. With the change in weather we will be able to find species returning to their northern homes for the spring and summer. If you are looking for any more signs of spring, don’t forget that spring break is coming up! TLC will be hosting Spring Break in Nature on March 30^th, April 1^st and April 3^rd from 10am-2pm. Get the kids outside to shake off the winter cold, as we play, create and explore the habitats of creatures residing in the water, on the land and in the skies.

We will also be hosting our first Community Read event of the year on March 21^st! Inspired by this year’s read: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, TLC brings to you “Nature that Inspires: The Walk,” from 2-4pm at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve (it is not necessary to have read the book to participate, but contact us at TLC if you would like a copy). This program has a follow up on March 25^th from 6-7:30pm at the Bayard Taylor Library, “Nature that Inspires: The Workshop,” where you can try your own hand at nature writing with the guidance of the Writer’s Club in Kennett Square. On March 28^th TLC will be hosting stories by the fireside where you can share a short piece you have written, or simply enjoy listening to the stories from 6-8pm. Mark your calendars! Spring will be here before you know it!

Spring at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve

 

 

Envisioning TLC's Newest Nature Preserve

Looking out over the Chandler Mill Bridge to the future preserve

Although we love to get outside in all weather, this frosty winter day has TLC looking ahead to the warmer seasons and the changes they will bring. The biggest of these changes will be turning the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve from vision to reality.

After ten years of advocacy and perseverance by TLC, the Chandler Mill Bridge Consortium, and the community, and thanks to a visionary decision by the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors, the 105-year-old Chandler Mill Bridge is finally safe from demolition. The National Register site will become a pedestrian, bicycle, and emergency vehicle access only bridge, a key link in the Red Clay Greenway Trail System. The surrounding area will become the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve, open to the public and preserved in perpetuity. TLC will have a presence at the preserve, both in our daily stewardship of the land, and in the new Headquarters and Interpretive Nature Center. In a few months, the area will be buzzing with life in its woodlands, meadows, and creeks. Eastern bluebirds will begin to nest, wood thrushes will practice their singing, wildflowers will emerge, and TLC will begin the work of making the site safe and accessible, building trails, adding improvements such as bird boxes and signage, and making the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve the best it can be. 

Concept sketch of the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve

We envision people of all ages and experience levels hiking and biking the trails, meandering through the meadows and woodlands, pausing to view the Bucktoe Cemetery and historic mill race, and watching hawks ascending over the trees. The preserve will be a place to teach your children and grandchildren to skip stones, to unwind before the sun goes down after a stressful day at work, and to walk your dogs in the morning. It will serve as an outdoor classroom, with environmental education programs and guided hikes hosted by TLC year-round, as well as the self-guided learning that happens any time you explore the outdoors. This public nature preserve will benefit the community for generations to come, and its land and natural resources will be preserved in perpetuity. TLC's goal is to open the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve, Headquarters, and Interpretive Nature Center to the public within one year.

When the Chandler Mill Bridge was built in 1910, it provided a vital transit link for area farmers to bring their goods to Kennett Square's market center. Over time, our area and its needs have changed. Though we no longer rely on Chandler Mill Road to bring goods from farms to market, our community needs open space, places to enjoy nature, and the ensured protection of our vital natural resources, which cannot be replaced. Now, rather than being demolished and replaced with an oversized highway bridge, the Chandler Mill Bridge will remain standing as a beacon for land conservation, historic preservation, and walkable communities.

We can't wait to see you there!

DONATE NOW to support this project--a donation of any size will bring us closer to the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve's opening day.

A community asset worth celebrating