The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) and the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance (BRC) announce the merger of these two regional leaders in land and water conservation. Upon completion of the merger, expected to occur before the end of April 2022, TLC will be merged into BRC.
“This is truly an example of one plus one equaling three,” said Ed Camelli, chairman of The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County’s Board of Trustees. “Collectively, BRC and TLC have over 100 years of environmental protection experience, have preserved thousands of acres of open space and established miles of trails, cleaned and maintained miles of streams, and educated thousands of young people to be stewards of the land. By combining resources, more land will be preserved, more waterways protected, and more children educated.”
“TLC and BRC are natural collaborators with a shared vision for our region,” said Andrew Homsey, president of the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance Board of Directors. “We look forward to joining forces to create an even more robust organization with strong environmental education and stewardship programs.’
BRC will assume all obligations and commitments that TLC has with landowners and municipalities pertaining to land protection, educational programming, and stewardship work.
About The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County:
Founded as the Kennett Township Land Trust in 1995, TLC initially focused on preserving open space in Kennett Township. As TLC became more involved in preserving lands in other townships, TLC became a stand-alone non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2011, working with landowners, municipalities, and other non-profits throughout Southern Chester County.
Headquartered at the 45-acre Chandler Mill Nature Preserve in Kennett Township, TLC operates five public preserves in Kennett and Elk townships totaling more than 500 acres. TLC currently holds 35 conservation easements on 1000 acres across seven townships.
In 2011, TLC achieved accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a national organization that enforces the Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices in governance and land preservation. TLC conducts its operations as an accredited land trust, assuring landowners and municipalities that working with The C will result in conservation of land in perpetuity. As part of the merger, BRC is pursuing accreditation, ensuring that all projects will continue to managed as TLC has done for over 20 years.
Since its founding, TLC has focused on establishing conservation corridors, protecting historic sites, providing walkable communities through trail linkages, and offering ecological education and outreach programs for professionals, students, and underserved community members. These programs provide meaningful, hands-on interaction with the land that not only feeds our bodies but also nourishes our health, creativity, and spirits.
About Brandywine Red Clay Alliance:
Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, originally founded as Brandywine Valley Association, was formed in 1945 by a group of local citizens from the West Chester and Wilmington areas who were concerned about the water quality in their community. Seven years later, in 1952, the Red Clay Valley Association followed in its footsteps, and in 2015, Brandywine Valley Association and Red Clay Valley Association merged to form the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance.
The mission of BRC is to promote the restoration, conservation, and enjoyment of the natural resources of the Brandywine and Red Clay watersheds through education, scientific activities, environmental stewardship, and advocacy.
The BRC headquarters at the 318-acre Myrick Conservation Center in Pocopson is home to equestrian trails, nine miles of hiking trails, and the 19th century Browning Barn, which hosts more than 13,000 students a year as part of BRC’s environmental education school programs and the ever-popular summer camp.
BRC’s goal is a three-pronged mission: to make sure that the local waterways are drinkable, swimmable, and fishable; introduce and educate youth about their natural environment and preserve and protect natural areas for the highest level of biodiversity while maintaining public access.
Land preservation is an important strategy at BRC for protecting open space to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation. BRC has been a partner on many land preservation projects and owns 542 acres. BRC currently holds seven conservation easements on 210 acres in Pocopson Township.
BRC manages its lands to include active agriculture and natural areas for the greatest wildlife biodiversity. A conservation plan for the properties includes soil conservation practices, meadow plantings, riparian buffer tree plantings, and the management of invasive plants.
Watershed Conservation programs protect and improve water quality throughout the Brandywine and Red Clay Watersheds in Chester County and New Castle County, Delaware. Through the Red Streams Blue program, BRC focuses on sub-watersheds with an aggregated approach to address pollution from sediment and nutrients in the streams. In 2010, BRC initiated eight watershed restoration plans and completed 26 projects on over six miles of streams.
Learn more about Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, including upcoming summer camps and stream cleanups at brandywineredclay.org.
