Land trust to gather under stars

EAST BRADFORD » On a starry, starry night in June, the Natural Lands Trust will meet to gather supporters and members for its annual fundraising event, known as Stardust.

Those checking the sky overhead will be able to view the constellation Bootes (the “Celestial Farmer”), and the planets Saturn and Jupiter at the Stroud Preserve in East Bradford. Proceeds from the event advance Natural Lands Trust efforts to save land, steward natural resources, and connect people to nature throughout the region.

“There is something very special about this event, which we host each June at either a Natural Lands Trust preserve or a conservation easement-protected property,” said Molly Morrison, president of the trust, which is isolated in Media but has extensive land holdings in Chester County.

“The sweeping landscapes, summer solstice evening light, local farm-to-table edibles, and shared merriment combine re-

gardless of setting to magical effect,” said Morrison.

The 571-acre Stroud Preserve is located just outside West Chester. The event will include wine provided by Moore Brothers Delaware, local farm-inspired edibles from Jeffrey Miller Catering, and an enchanting view of Stroud’s rolling landscape.

The event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on June 12.

Natural Lands Trust established Stroud Preserve in 1990 after Dr. Morris Stroud bequeathed his estate, then known as Georgia Farm, to the regional land conservation organization. Prior to Dr. Stroud’s ownership, the land was part of a cattle farm that stretched from the city of West Chester to Wawaset Road in nearby Pocopson.

But the preserve’s history reaches as far back as the founding of the colony of Pennsylvania. The stone farmhouse, built by Thomas Worth in 1740, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The farmhouse lawn and circa-1890 barnyard are the setting for the Stardust celebration.

Tickets begin at $200 per person. Tickets and additional sponsorship opportunities are available online at natlands.org/summercelebration or by calling 610353-5587 ext. 224.

The land trust is the region’s largest land conservation organization and is dedicated to protecting the forests, fields, streams, and wetlands that are essential to the sustainability of life in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Since its founding in 1953, it has preserved more than 100,000 acres, including 42 nature preserves totaling nearly 22,000 acres.

For more information, visit www.natlands.org. To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.