Natural Lands Trust Wednesday announced its 168-acre Green Hill Preserve in Robeson Township, Berks County, is now open to the public.

Once slated for development, the property—known as Green Hills Preserve—provides crucial habitat for wildlife; now, it is a place of refuge and exploration for visitors as well.

The property, originally approved for a high-density development, went into foreclosure in 2009. Prudential Fox & Roach’s Land Development Division took the unusual step of seeking a conservation solution.

After more than two years working to piece together critical funding, Natural Lands Trust was able to purchase the property from the lender in 2012.

Over the past two years, Natural Lands Trust has worked to secure funding for visitor amenities, such as parking and a trail network. With those elements now in place, Green Hills Preserve is open—free-of-charge—to visitors for hiking, bird watching, nature exploration, and dog walking (dogs must be leashed at all times). The preserve is open during daylight hours, seven days per week.

Green Hills Preserve features gently rolling agricultural fields, woodlands, and wetlands. A tributary to Allegheny Creek, a Department of Environmental Protection-designated “Cold Water Fishery” stream, bisects the preserve.

The Preserve is situated within the Schuylkill Highlands, a region at the nexus of two landscapes that have been prioritized for protection: the Highlands (as defined by the US Congress) and the Schuylkill River watershed, a focus of much planning work by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, DEP and the Philadelphia Water Department.

The area’s importance derives from the need to protect water quality, conserve habitat, and develop recreational opportunities in a region set for considerable growth over the next 20 years.  

For more information, visit the Natural Lands Trust’s Green Hills Preserve webpage.

9/1/2014