Wrightsville Borough, York County
Funding partners: PA DCNR, Susquehanna Heritage, Hellam Township, Farm and Natural Lands Trust of York, County Line Quarry
Though we acquired this Susquehanna Riverlands property several years ago – 2010 to be exact – we formally launched Wilton Meadows Nature Preserve last year. This Preserve’s history is steeped in deep-rooted partnerships between the Conservancy, the Farm and Natural Lands Trust of York (who holds a conservation easement on the property), Hellam Township (who donated the property to the Conservancy), PA DCNR (who funded the original acquisition of the land), County Line Quarry (who donated a portion of the land value) and the Mason-Dixon Trail Association.
Today, Wilton Meadows is managed as a multifunctional landscape. It hosts exquisite views of the surrounding hilltops and Susquehanna River and ties into the Mason-Dixon Trail for loop hikes, day hikes, or thru-hikes. It offers successional meadows for enhanced ground-nesting bird habitat as well as regenerative coppice groves of black locust trees for light timber production. Regenerative and naturally rot resistant, harvested locust poles can be used for many purposes across the Conservancy’s nature preserves, such as fence posts, sign posts, kiosk materials, retaining walls, and erosion control. Come visit this preserve to see how active management can benefit the native ecosystem and offer wonderful recreation opportunities!
