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The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania & Delaware Announces 7.5-acre Expansion of Ponders Tract at Pemberton Forest

June 06, 2023 | Milton, Delaware

Two white trail signs sit on a wooden post.
Delaware Ponders Tract Trail © Robert Merhaut

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The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Pennsylvania and Delaware announced today that it has closed on the purchase of 7.5 acres to expand Ponders Tract at its Pemberton Forest preserve in Sussex County, Delaware. TNC will retain ownership of the new parcel, and the acquisition marks its first new land purchase in Delaware since 2004.

Small white flowers grow on a branch with round green leaves.

Located within the Broadkill River headwaters, Ponders Tract serves as an important biodiversity refuge within the Delaware Bayshore landscape. The preserve acts as a critical stopover for neo-tropical migratory birds such as the black-and-white warbler and the ovenbird. The area also contains small wetlands and vernal ponds that harbor reptile and amphibian species, including Fowler’s toad, the southern leopard frog and the gray tree frog. Hessel’s hairstreak, a rare and threatened butterfly, has been observed in this portion of the preserve.

The new 7.5-acre addition consists of three forested parcels near the Route 16 access road entrance to Ponders Tract. The acquisition will protect the land from future development, allowing for continued ease of access for both the public and TNC conservation staff as they work to protect and restore the Ponders ecosystem using prescribed fire and other management strategies.

Thanks to the efforts of supporters, volunteers and staff, TNC has already transformed the tract’s former logging roads into more than nine miles of trails, first opening the Ponders system for public access in 2010.

“Ponders Tract is one of TNC’s flagship preserves in Delaware, and we’re delighted that this new addition will now be conserved in perpetuity,” said Lori Brennan, executive director of The Nature Conservancy’s Pennsylvania and Delaware chapter.

Several tall thin trees line a forest floor.
Regrowth at Ponders Tract A healthy forest grows at the site of a previous burn at Ponders Tract. © John Hinkson/TNC

We are committed to restoring and protecting as many acres of Delaware’s critical wetlands and maritime forests as possible in order to safeguard biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Lori Brennan

Executive Director, TNC PA/DE

The acquisition was made possible through the generosity of Bayard R. and Violet "Cis" Horn, the Welfare Foundation and the Red Wagon Calagione Family Foundation.

For more information, visit nature.org/Pennsylvania and nature.org/Delaware.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 70 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.