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National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Final Programmatic Report

Project Name and Number:Haverford State Environmental Action Plan (PA), grant number 2006-01010-015.

Recipient Organization/Agency: DarbyCreekValley Association (PA)

Recipient Organization Web Address:

Date Submitted: March23, 2009

1)Summary of Accomplishments

In four to five sentences, provide a brief summary of the project’s key accomplishments and outcomes that were observed or measured.

After conducting a formalrequest for proposals (RFP), in August 2007we contracted Natural Lands Trust (NLT) to perform an ecological assessment of the 124-acre passive open space area at the former HaverfordStateHospital site in Haverford Township, PA ($34,025)from September 2007 through December 2008. NLT created maps for hydrology, topography, and soils, and surveyed terrestrial plant communities, wildlife, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and fish populations. They made specific stewardship recommendations in seven areas: invasive plants, deer overabundance, water quality, hazards, aesthetics, trail layout, and special meadow concerns, including several unusual plant species. We also purchased weather and water monitors and installed them at strategic locations ($9,604). This equipment, in conjunction with two workshops held with local teachers ($1,000), will help provide the basis for using the site for science educational activities in grades 3 through 12.

2)Project Activities Results

If your grant agreement included an approved logic framework, paste the logic framework table here.

Please refer on the following pages to Tables 1 and 2, which contain the original logic framework annotated with actual project activities and outcomes in bold font.

Activities

Describe and quantify the primary activities conducted during this grant (refer back to your approved logic framework, if applicable).

The primary scientific and educational activities conducted for this grant include: 1) hiring Natural Lands Trust to conduct an ecological assessment for sound stewardship of thepassive open space; 2) purchasing, testing, installing, and troubleshooting weather and water monitoring equipment; and 3)sponsoring a senior thesis on watershed educational modules and conducting teacher workshops on using the HSH site as an outdoor laboratory resources for grades 3-12.

Ecological Assessment (Activity group #1 on logic framework): Natural Lands Trust (NLT) subcontracted the bird, macroinvertebrate, and fish surveys to Princeton Hydro (PH), and representatives of the two companies visited the HSH site at least 15 times from September 2007 through September 2008.

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Table 1. First page of approved logic framework, annotated after completion of grant activities. New material in bold font.

Activities → / Project
Outputs → / Post-Project
Outcomes → / Indicator → / Baseline → / Predicted
Project Output → / Predicted Post-
Project Outcome
1. Hire environmental consultant: We hired National Lands Trust (NLT) to conduct an environmental assessment. / Produce
environmental assessment report for site (done).
Determine need forstructure to enhance passage of aquatic organisms(done). / Build appropriate
structure that
facilitates passage
between North
Brook and DarbyCreek: NLT determined that the large box culvert does limit fish migration. However, water depths in parts of North Brook are too low to support any but the smallest species. / # of reports / 0 / Predicted: 1
Actual: 2 from NLT:
Progress Report (May 2008)
Final Report (December 2008) / North Brook becomes contiguous branch of the DarbyCreek ecosystem: Low water depth in North Brook precludes this outcome.
Site development, use and stewardship
follow sound environmental principles
that protect and enhance the
watershed: NLT addressed seven areas of concern including trail layout (see text for explanation). Culling of 38 white-tailed deer has already taken place according to their recommendation.
2. Hire landscape
Consultant: HaverfordTownship paid $3,500 for engineering fees related to open space and trails. / Produce trail
network plan
(in progress). / Build the trail network
(in progress). / # of reports / 0 / Predicted: 1
Actual: 1, NLT
Final Report,
see
above. / Trail system built following
sound environmental principles that
protect the watershed: HaverfordTownship has contracted to clear and pave 1,700 linear feet of the SouthBrookTrail at a cost of $39,000. This work represents an amplification of the existing trail.
3. Install automated
rain gauge (done)
and water
monitoring
stations (inprogress).
Enter data into
online
database (weatheronly). / Generate
continuous
record of
water quality
data
(weather data are being recorded; water monitoring in progress). / Waterquality data from
before, during, andafter HSH construction can be
accessed by educators,
students, and other interested stakeholders: We weren’t able to install the water monitors before construction began; North Brook sensors subject to low water. / # of days
monitoring
takes place
at each site
# of days of
data
available
online from
each site / 0
0 / All stations
online by May
2007 andthen continuously
through ‘08: Weather online by mid March 2008.
365 days/site
monitored; 365 days/site online. / Monitoring continues at all sites
though the next 5 years: Weather station continuing to record data. Water monitors need to be relocated due to low water flows in initial locations.
Data records available online through
next 5 years: Weather station recording, but not currently broadcasting; we are working to resolve issue.

Table 2. Second page of approved logic framework, annotated after completion of grant activities. New material in bold font.

Activities → / Project
Outputs → / Post-Project
Outcomes → / Indicator → / Baseline → / Predicted
Project Output → / Predicted Post-
Project Outcome
4. Develop site-
related
educational
activities(done).
Conduct
workshops for
teachers(done).
Develop
interpretive
materials(in progress).
Identify resources
needed to support
educational
programs / New transferable
educational
materials
Teachers trained
in use of materials
Interpretive
materials
produced
Produce a report / Teachers learn how to use the local environment for experiential education(done via field trip and brainstorm session).
Students excited by
environmental science,
understand the importance
of watershed stewardship
Community members and
site visitors better informed
Environmental Ed Center,
trail network designed to
meet educational needs / # of modules
produced
# of teachers
participating
in workshops
# of students
served
# of
interpretive
materials
produced
# of reports
Produced / 0
0
0
0
0 / Predicted: 6
Actual: 6
Predicted: 10 teachers; 100 students served.
Actual: 7 teachers, 1 administrator; 100 students served.
Predicted: 1 brochure foron site use; 1 for a community mailing;1 set of trail sign labels
Actual: several community updates through the HaverfordTownshipHavaGood Times (see
egov/docs/1230644768_154296.pdf- pages 6 and 7 for most recent update.) / Modules continue to be
developed and refined.
10 teachers per year in
future years;
200 students per year
served
Annual site updates for
community distribution: Done through Haverford Township publications.
Functional Environ Ed
Center serving the
Community: In the planning stages.
5. Convene regular
meetings of grant oversight committee(done, at least 20 meetings). / Develop components of Stewardship Action Plan as data from above activities become available(done, via NLT report). / Deliver a comprehensive Stewardship Action Plan
to HaverfordTownship(done).
Present plan for public review and response(done).
Township adopts version of plan (in progress). / # of reports
# of public
presentations / 0
0 / Predicted: 1
Actual: 2 written reports from NLT in May and December 2008, followed by 3 public presentationson 6/25/08, 11/13/08, and 12/15/08. The December presentation was recorded for broadcast on the local cable TV public access channel. / Plan discussed, revised with public
input, adopted and implemented
by the Township: Parts of the plan (re: trails and deer culling) have already been implemented.

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NLT created maps for hydrology, soils, and topography using existing maps and new GIS information. They also surveyed terrestrial plant communities (NLT, 12 site visits), wildlife and birds (PH, six site visits during migration in September 2007 and May 2008), aquatic macroinvertebrates (PH, six sites along North and South Brook), and fish populations (PH, 14 transects along North and South Brook on June 5, 2008). Natural Lands Trust disseminated results of their findings at three public meetings in June, November, and December 2008. Princeton Hydro also participated in the December meeting. NLT produced a Progress Report in May 2008, and a final report in December 2008. The final report consists of 48 pages of text, 12 maps, and 9 appendices. At the December meeting, NLT also distributed a two-page executive summary that outlines 11 major recommendations forresponsibly using the open-space resources.

Monitoring equipment (Activity group #3 on logic framework): Dr. Don Barber and two undergraduate students purchased and set up a HOBO™ U30 (Onset Computer Corporation, Bourne, MA)weather station at the Meadow, a clearing in the northwestern portion of the site. This automated weather systemis designed to continuously measure and record the following parameters: 1) incoming solar radiation in watts/m2; 2) temperature at a nearby wooded location; 3) barometric pressure; 4) temperature on the station; and 5) relative humidity and 6) dew point on the station. The site has been operating since mid-March 2008. Data from the site are meant to be available online at a web site (see below) that is updated every 15 minutes by a GSM (cell phone) data uplink (currently off-line, see results section on discrepancies). The system is powered by a 6-watt solar panel on the station.

In June2008 Dr. Barber also installed a Troll(TM) 9500 automated water-quality data logging instrument (In-Situ Inc., Fort Collins, CO) in the upper reaches of North Brook, which drains the northwest part of the open space. The water quality monitor can continuously recordwater temperature, conductivity (a measure of dissolved ion load), and dissolved oxygen content. Unlike the weather station, the water monitor cannot automatically upload data online, so data must be manually downloaded at the site. This sensor was subsequently removed in July2008 due to technical difficulties (see discrepancies section below).

Education activities (Activity group #4 on logic framework): Kaitlin Friedman, a geology major at BrynMawrCollege, submitted her senior thesis, Lesson plans using data from the DarbyCreek Watershed in southeastern Pennsylvania, in spring 2007.

Drs. Victor Donnay, Don Barber, and Blythe Hoyle met with teachers and administrators from Haverford School District on three occasions in December 2007, and April and May 2008. During the December meeting groundwork was established for a group of college and K-12 educators to brainstorm ways that the former Haverford State Hospital (HSH) site might be incorporated into the K-12 science curriculum. On April 22, 2008, a group of educators met first at HaverfordHigh School for a quick overview of the HSH site by Tim Denny, Assistant Township Manager and Director of Haverford Township Parks and Recreation Department before going on a 3.5-hour walking tour of the site. The second meeting on May 9, 2008,featured an indoor 1.5-hour brain-storming session among the same educators.

Briefly explain discrepancies between the activitiesconducted during the grant and the activities agreed upon in your grant agreement.

Ecological assessment (Activity group #1 on logic framework): Discussion of fish ladder options to promote fish migration from DarbyCreek to the upper reaches of North Brook was rendered unnecessary because water flows in the upper reaches of North Brook are not high enough to support populations of larger fish.

Hire landscape consultant (Activity group #2 on logic framework): As previously discussed with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, no grant funds were expended for the trail system. HaverfordTownship and the private developer are funding trail planning and construction with matching moneys. Changes in trail planning are being done in accordance with the suggestions of Natural Lands Trust and DCNR.

Monitoring equipment (Activity group #3 on logic framework): The Troll water monitor was initially installed in June2008 in the upper reaches of North Brook a few yards upstream of the foot bridge where the trail crosses the creek. We had anticipated that North Brook would have the best water quality at the site, and would sustain the least impact from the development activities. However, in July 2008we had to remove the water monitor from that location because the water flow was too low and the sediment influx resulting from erosion due to unexpected construction and tree removal activities just east-northeast of the creek was too great. During the short time in which the water monitor was installed, reliable data were obtained for water temperature and conductivity, but not for dissolved oxygen. In light of the NLT findings that water quality was actually better in South Brook than North Brook, we intend to redeploy the Troll water monitor in the lower reaches of South Brook. This will also render the monitor more accessible to the volunteers who will be downloading the data for use in classroom activities.

Education activities (Activity group #4 on logic framework): We conducted two teacher workshops as proposed in step 2, though their format was changed from using the educational materials generated by Kaitlin Friedman in step 1 to investigating the HSH passive-space areas and mapping possible activities into the teachers’ curricula. Funding for the workshops was changed from paying the teachers (their time was sponsored as in-service days from the school district) to paying Dr. Blythe Hoyle to help lead the workshops and write the summary report (see Appendix). The third and fourth steps of the logic framework (developing interpretive materials, and identifying resources needed to support educational programs) are in progress. The NLT report can be used to make interpretive brochures for public use, and discussions are underway to design and build an EnvironmentalEducationCenter as part of developing the active-use area. Both of these activities will be funded through other sources.

Results

Describe and quantify progress towards achieving the project objectives or outcomes described in your grant agreement. (Quantify using indicators from your approved logic framework, if applicable, or by using new indicators not included in the application.)

Please note: This section describes major results of project activities conducted using NFWF funding. Other activities have been annotated on the logic framework in Tables 1 and 2.

Ecological assessment (Activity group #1 on logic framework): Highlights of the ecological assessment as documented by NLT in their final report (12/08)include findings on vegetation communities and stream health. NLT mapped seven vegetation communities in the 124-acre passive open space. Red oak-mixed hardwood/tuliptree-beech-maple forest (29.9 acres) and red maple terrestrial forest (63.3 acres) encompass 75 percent of the total passive open space area. The mixed hardwood area, located along North and SouthBrooks, represents the oldest forest and is the least impacted by invasive plants. The red maple terrestrial forest, which occurs in both creek watersheds, is moderately impacted by a variety of common invasive species. The “Meadow,” located in the northern portion of the site, contains old field/terrestrial meadow species representing an “uncommon native plant community” (p. 33, 12/08). With respect to stream health as characterized by fish populations, South Brook supports more and larger fish than NorthBrook,and South Brook supports a more spatially balanced distribution of fish than North Brook. This is due to the low stream flow and high sediment influx in the upper reaches of North Brook and the effects of a small steel culvert that impedes storm flow and fish migration.

NLT’s major stewardship recommendations (handout, 12/08; final report, p. 34-46):

Hazards and Aesthetics

Assess and correct hazardous trees near potential public use areas.

Remove trash and “attractive nuisances,” such as a ropes course.

Trails

Restrict/minimize trail use in sensitive areas (those with high slopes, sensitive habitats), and avoid establishing new trails in such areas.

Limit trail use to pedestrians.

Invasive plants

Control invasive plants starting in the oldest (and least impacted) forest areas; avoid creating any more forest gaps that would support invasives.

Deer

Monitor impacts of deer overabundanceand reduce deer population [Note: HaverfordTownship approved culling of the deer population by police sharpshooters, who subsequently removed 38 white-tailed deer in November/December 2008.]

Water Quality

Monitor areas vulnerable to storm water erosion.

Repair existing erosion channels; re-grade old access road along DarbyCreekwest of Route 476 to divert drainage runoff away from creek.

Meadow vegetation community

Conduct additional botanical surveys.

Restore original size of meadow by cutting encroaching trees back to forest edge; consider prescribed burns.

Limit frequent mowing to fire ring; restrict camping to northern and western edges.

Monitoring equipment (Activity group #3 on logic framework):

The HOBO weather station installed in the Meadow area has been recording data since March 2008. The greatest daily high air temperatures (greater than 100 degrees F) occurred in mid June and mid July 2008 (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Comparison of air temperature and dew points for May through December 2008 from HOBO weather station located in the Meadow area of the site. High air temperatures combined with high dew points represent heat waves.

Although the HOBO monitor is currently recording incoming solar radiation, relative humidity, dew point and air temperature on the station, due to sensor problems, it is currently not logging air pressure or air temperature at a second sensor located in a shady spot away from the station. Also, even though the weather station continues to record data every 15 minutes, it has stopped broadcasting the data in real time to the HOBO website, meaning that someone has to download the data manually. We are working to resolve these issues.

Prior to installing the Troll water monitor in North Brook, Dr. Don Barber tested it in the storm water retention pond at BrynMawrCollege. After he installed the monitor in North Brook, the temperature data showed that rain events were bringing warmer water into the creek, whereas the base flow was cooler (around 68 degrees F), indicating that the stream is fed by groundwater (Figure 2). We would expect this situation to be reversed in the winter, with the creek receiving cooler surface water runoff relative to the warmer base flow.