Foundational Ecosystem Support for Birds

<p>The Pennypack Trust has spent the last full growing season experimenting with the management of their grasslands and turf areas. Find out what we’re learning from a season packed full of soil, plant, and insect observations. We’ll also discuss what this suggests for small backyard land managers and larger natural open spaces.Chris Mendel is the Executive Director of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. The Trust manages 852 acres along 4 miles of the Pennypack Creek for ecological diversity, water quality and landscape preservation. Chris is leading the Trust through its new strategic plan that emphasizes job-training to build careers in conservation while also focusing on shaping new visitor experiences that underscore the importance of healthy ecosystems to our everyday lives.Chris is a Landscape Architect who has practiced for the last 15 years with firms that specialize in ecologically informed, place-based design. Chris was a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, serving as a natural resource management volunteer in a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand not far from the Mekong River in the late 1990’s. He holds a Masters of Landscape Architecture from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and a Bachelors in Environmental Studies from the University at Buffalo.</p>