More than 40 PECO employee volunteers joined Natural Lands Trust to help improve the wildlife habitat at Hildacy Farm Preserve in Media, Chester County, during the company’s National Volunteer Week activities on April 6-12.

Volunteers removed invasive vines such as English ivy and honeysuckle from the woodlands at the 55-acre property, which serves as the headquarters for Natural Lands Trust’s regional land conservation work.

“We use a variety of techniques to manage invasive plants on our preserves,” said Dan Barringer, invasives management coordinator for Natural Lands Trust. “With vines, good old fashioned mechanical removal — such as cutting and pulling them by hand — is the most effective.”

Invasive plant species — defined as those not native to a region that spread rapidly and aggressively — are a threat to the health of woodlands and meadows in southeastern Pennsylvania. Natural Lands Trust owns and manages 22,000 acres of land in the region, so volunteer help to remove invasive vines is critical to their land management efforts.

This volunteer project was the latest in a decade-long partnership between PECO and Natural Lands Trust. PECO employees will volunteer with Natural Lands Trust again on April 16 at the organization’s Stroud Preserve near West Chester, Pa.

PECO and Natural Lands Trust also collaborate on PECO Green Region, the company’s award-winning municipal open space and environmental grant program. Since its inception in 2004, PECO has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to local communities to help plan for, protect and improve open land.  

4/21/2014