February 2021

Public Input Meeting on Climate Change

The Chester County Planning Commission and the Chester County Environmental and Energy Advisory Board are in the process of preparing an updated Climate Action Plan for the county. Please join them for a virtual public meeting to discuss the plan, hear updates, and provide your feedback on Thursday, March 4, at 6:30pm. Register here.

Chester County COVID-19 Vaccine News

The Chester County Health Department recently announced case counts have dropped steadily for the last six weeks.

The County is currently scheduling vaccine appointments if you live or work in Chester County and are in Phase 1A. Please complete the COVID Vaccine Pre-Registration if you are interested in receiving the vaccine. The Health Department is sending links to schedule vaccine appointments to individuals in Phase 1A in the order their registration was received.

Willistown Sanitary Sewer Sale

The Willistown Board of Supervisors has concluded a year-long sanitary evaluation sewer process which has resulted in the sale of the sanitary sewer system to Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater, Inc. To review the public presentations and adopted ordinance, click here.

Parks & Rec News

Significant Decline In Bird Populations Reported
Willistown Township is a haven for birds located just 15 miles west of Philadelphia. Decades of conservation work by private landowners and Brandywine Conservancy, Willistown Conservation Trust, and Natural Lands have protected thousands of acres of wildlife habitat from development. Many Willistown residents have a deep connection to nature and have created backyard habitats to support wildlife. Additionally, there are over 406 acres of preserves and parkland in the Township that house birds. Willistown adds a critical puzzle piece to the critical bird habitat of the 2,600-acre Ridley Creek State Park and 600-acre Tyler Arboretum to the south. It is no wonder that these lands are located in the globally recognized, Audubon-designated Upper Ridley-Crum Important Bird Area (#72).

Since 1970, nearly 3 billion birds—that’s more than 1 in 4—have been lost in the continental US and Canada, according to researchers from seven institutions in the journal Science.

Willistown Parks and Recreation manages the meadows at Serpentine and Okehocking Preserves as habitat for grassland and migrating birds by planting native grasses and mowing around ground-nesting bird habits. The variety of water and woodland habitats provide for other bird species. A census by Valley Forge Audubon over more than a decade identified 140 different bird species at Okehocking. You can find more information about bird management and why it’s vital on our Stewardship page. Willistown Conservation Trust's Ruston Preserve serves as an important bird research and migration tracking site using nano-tag technology as part of the transcontinental MOTUS system.

You may be asking, “What can I do to help the birds?” You can take seven simple steps—see the checklist from Cornell Lab of Ornithology below. More details about these actions and more are on the Township website and can be found at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. One way to improve your backyard habitat is through the Willistown Conservation Trust Bird Box Program. You can also engage your children through the Trust’s Rushton Nature Keeper program.

Spotted Lanternfly Reminders

February has brought our area abundant snowfall, but Spring is a few short weeks away, and that means our least favorite regional pest will be back- spotted lanternflies.

While spotted lanternfly adults do not survive winter temperatures, the egg masses do. Egg masses can hold up to 30-50 eggs and can be found on tree trunks, branches, playsets, siding, and nearly any other flat surfaces. Now through May, is a great time to look for egg masses on your property and scrape them. For a video on how to scrape egg masses and more information on spotted lanternfly management, visit the Penn State Extension.

On Street Parking Reminders During Snowstorms

The Public Works Department would like to remind residents, parking on the roads maintained by the Township is prohibited during snow emergencies. This allows the public works crew to quickly and efficiently clear the roads during storms.

See Chapter 108 of the Willistown Township Code for more information.

Community News

Historic Sugartown
Have you visited Historic Sugartown's Carriage Museum?
Here's your chance! During the month of March, we're offering special guided tours of the Carriage Museum on Saturdays at 11AM & 12:30PM. $4/person
Due to COVID safety restrictions, tours are available by advance registration only so we can limit capacity. Face masks are required. Please visit the Historic Sugartown website for more information and to view the calendar of events.

Malvern Public Library
The Malvern Public Library is open for in-person browsing during the following hours:
Monday & Tuesday 4 to 8 pm
Wednesday & Thursday 4 to 6:30 pm
Saturday 9 to 4 pm
Curbside services are still available Monday through Thursday from 1 to 5:30 pm and Friday from 1 to 4:15 pm.

Paoli Public Library
The Paoli Public Library is offering contactless pick during the following hours:
Monday through Thursday 10 to 5 pm
Friday & Saturday 10 to 2 pm