Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Volunteers plant buffer along Red Clay Creek
300 trees, 80 shrubs added as part of Boy Scout project
Recently, volunteers from many local organizations teamed up to plant over 300 trees and 80 shrubs along 1,600 feet of the upper east branch Red Clay Creek in East Marlborough Township. About 60 volunteers came from Boy Scout Troops 6 and 22, the Kennett High School Earth Club, the West Chester University Ecology Club, Victory Brewing Company, the Chester County Master Watershed Stewards, and Brandywine Red Clay Alliance.
The event was organized by Senthil Vel, an Eagle Scout with Troop 6 in West Chester as part of his work toward the Hornaday Award. Volunteers planted seven species of deciduous trees including oaks, maples, sycamore, black gum, and river birch. The shrubs included viburnum, winterberry, and ninebark. Smaller trees, including redbud and sweet bay magnolia, were also included.
The 35-foot-wide tree and shrub buffer will help to shade the small stream, which will lower water temperatures. The tree roots will take up nitrogen from the ground water which would otherwise flow to the stream and encourage algae and plant growth. The leaf litter from the trees will provide food and habitat for aquatic insects. In addition to the buffer, the stream was also fenced, the stream banks graded and seeded to prevent erosion, and animal crossings and water access points were installed. The work will reduce runoff to the stream and improve water quality. Combined with two previously completed projects downstream, nearly one mile of the upper east branch Red Clay is now restored and protected.
The stream restoration project was funded with a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the William Penn Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Initiative, with additional support from SUEZ Water, CSX Rail, the Arbor Day Foundation, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Stroud Water Research Center and the USDA.
The event was organized by Senthil Vel, an Eagle Scout with Troop 6 in West Chester as part of his work toward the Hornaday Award. Volunteers planted seven species of deciduous trees including oaks, maples, sycamore, black gum, and river birch. The shrubs included viburnum, winterberry, and ninebark. Smaller trees, including redbud and sweet bay magnolia, were also included.