Stoneleigh: a Natural Garden Stepping Stone Towards Neighborhood Conservation
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Bio 5300-003: Conservation Biology, F18 Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden Stepping stone towards neighborhood conservation Authors: Takiyah Bethea, Christopher Chong, Ashley Knight, and Jeanarsy Peña Editor: Dr. Robert L. Curry Bio 5300 Conservation Biology Page 2 of 30 Table of Contents I. Purpose of this report ...................................................................................................................... 4 II. Context: “Save Stoneleigh!” ............................................................................................................. 5 A. The threat to Stoneleigh: history and status ................................................................................ 5 III. Objectives and scope of the project ............................................................................................ 5 A. Objective 1: Summarize information about biodiversity on the Stoneleigh property .................... 5 B. Objective 2: Address how the biodiversity of Stoneleigh is important to the surrounding area as part of a network of natural areas ........................................................................................................ 6 C. Objective 3: Describe and explain how Stoneleigh provides values to human residents ............... 6 D. Objective 4: Explain how Villanovans can contribute to preserving natural areas ........................ 6 E. Objective 5: Communicate findings with the “Villanova” community........................................... 6 IV. Conservation ecology conceptual background ............................................................................. 6 A. Reserve size matters ................................................................................................................... 6 B. Landscape context matters, too .................................................................................................. 7 C. Natural areas vary in other ways, too .......................................................................................... 7 V. Stoneleigh and its conservation value .............................................................................................. 8 A. The history of Stoneleigh in relation to the property’s biodiversity .............................................. 8 1. What was the property originally like? .................................................................................... 8 2. Recent changes ....................................................................................................................... 9 B. Biodiversity on the Stoneleigh property ...................................................................................... 9 1. Habitat diversity...................................................................................................................... 9 2. Plant biodiversity .................................................................................................................. 10 3. Bird diversity present on the Stoneleigh property and in the region ...................................... 12 4. Mammals .............................................................................................................................. 14 5. Amphibian and reptile diversity ............................................................................................ 15 C. Stoneleigh’s regional context relative to other natural areas .................................................... 15 1. Nearby natural areas ............................................................................................................. 15 VI. Survey Results ........................................................................................................................... 16 VII. Conclusions and recommendations ........................................................................................... 18 A. Conclusions: values of Stoneleigh in relation to Conservation Biology ....................................... 18 1. Conservation values of the property itself ............................................................................. 18 2. Values associated with Stoneleigh’s regional context. ........................................................... 18 B. Recommendations: ways Villanova community can benefit from Stoneleigh ............................. 18 Bio 5300 Conservation Biology Page 3 of 30 1. General benefits for the Villanova Community ...................................................................... 18 2. Benefits for community members affiliated with CLAS science programs. ............................. 18 3. Benefits for community members affiliated with CLAS arts & social science programs .......... 19 4. Benefits for community members affiliated with other Villanova colleges and schools .......... 20 C. Recommendations: ways Villanova community can benefit Stoneleigh ..................................... 21 VIII. Literature Cited ......................................................................................................................... 22 IX. Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 24 A. Plant diversity represented in the Stoneleigh collection, at the family level and above .............. 24 B. Vertebrate diversity on the Stoneleigh property ........................................................................ 26 1. Bird diversity: species seen on the property from eBird data ................................................. 26 2. Mammal diversity from what is known and could be seen at Stoneleigh. .............................. 28 C. Some natural areas in the vicinity of Stoneleigh ........................................................................ 29 D. Properties owned by Natural Lands Trust .................................................................................. 30 Bio 5300 Conservation Biology Page 4 of 30 I. Purpose of this report Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden (hereafter, Stoneleigh), located in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Fig. 1). This property is the focus of our capstone project because of its value to the community. The property is a protected public garden that provides a natural space in an urban area as a manipulated landscape. The purpose of this report is to inform you, the Villanova community, of what Stoneleigh is and why protecting and preserving an area like it is important to this region, aesthetically, recreationally, and environmentally. Our goal is to summarize information about the biodiversity of the property, with focus on plants, mammals, and birds. We aim to address how the biodiversity is important to the surrounding area as it relates to regional diversity as part of a network of natural areas. We address the Villanova community with the intention of spreading and raising awareness of the property, with the hope that more Villanovans can use the space and its resources for enjoyment and academic growth. We reach out to you, Villanova, to go and support natural areas that preserve green spaces and organismal diversity for the health of all constituents. We reach out to students, faculty, staff, alumni and Villanova’s neighbors to suggest ways in which the Stoneleigh property can benefit you directly, regardless of your major, occupation, or intentions. This report is for you learn about and take advantage of a property so close to campus that can aid in academic advancement and the overall ecological health of the area. We hope you all can read this report and support conservancies who aim to educate in the maintenance and care of organisms that are vital to our well-being and our futures. Fig. 1. Location of the Stoneleigh property. White arrows denote Villanova (left) and Stoneleigh (center). Red pins designate other natural areas nearby. Bio 5300 Conservation Biology Page 5 of 30 II. Context: “Save Stoneleigh!” A. The threat to Stoneleigh: history and status A recent threat to Stoneleigh began when the Lower Merion School District sent a letter to Natural Lands Trust stating the District’s intent to inspect the entire property with the expectation of condemning some of the property (Natural Lands Trust 2018a). Once Natural Lands received the letter, they began the campaign “Save Stoneleigh” to get residents and the surrounding community involved in the fight to save it. Since then, a petition created has over 40,000 signatures supporting the cause and 3,000 households displaying “Save Stoneleigh” signs on their lawns (Morrison 2018). At a school board meeting, the Lower Merion School District mentioned they were only interested in 0.03 square kilometers of the property for recreational fields. The fields would be used with the Islamic Foundation property the school district looks to also purchase for their new middle school. The problem for the Lower Merion School District is that their school is rapidly growing, and they have limited expansion options (McGeehan 2018). According to the President of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, Dr. Melissa Gilbert, and the superintendent, Robert Copeland, the Lower Merion school district has increased the number of students by approximately 20% and is one of the fastest-growing districts in the state (Gilbert & Copeland 2018). The school district originally intended to take over the property using eminent domain, but since then a bill has been passed to make it harder for them to do so. House Bill 2468 signed into law