Brandywine Conservancy's Environmental Management Center
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CONSERVANCY PRESERVES
Laurels Preserve
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Native Americans once fished the streams that are now called Buck and Doe Runs. Millworkers harnessed the water for gristmills and a steel rolling mill during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. For decades in the 20th century, King Ranch grazed cattle in lush pastures adjacent to the streams.
The preservation of this area reached a milestone in the mid-1980s when a limited partnership conceived by the Brandywine Conservancy and called Buck and Doe Associates purchased 5,380 acres.
In one of the largest conservation acts in the Brandywine River watershed, the partnership donated to the Conservancy conservation easements on the entire property, permanently protecting its natural, scenic and historic resources. In addition, the partnership donated a 771-acre portion to the Conservancy, a natural area called the Laurels Preserve that will be permanently preserved by the Conservancy.
Woodlands and Wildlife
The Laurels contains almost 500 acres of hardwood forest including mature red, black, white and chestnut oaks, tulip poplar, beech, white ash, and hickory species. The understory of the forest features the namesake mountain laurel, spicebush, witchhazel, alder and viburnum. A rich mix of herbaceous plants including black cohosh, jewelweed, Solomon's seal and several fern species can be also found.
Much of the Laurels is underlain by marbleized limestone, a geologic formation that is usually found in glaciated areas. Limestone topography typically yields large quantities of cool (55-60º) ground water. The unnamed feeder stream to Doe Run that runs along the main Laurels trail rises from springs underlain by limestone. A distinct difference in water temperature can be observed between this stream and Doe Run at their confluence.
LAURELS MAP
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Visitors to the Laurels may see migrating songbirds that nest in the expansive woodlands, as well as waterfowl that utilize the stream corridors and wetlands. Whitetail deer are frequently seen, and wild turkeys are gradually being reintroduced to the area.
Visitor Information
The Laurels Preserve is open to Brandywine Conservancy members Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors should carry their Conservancy membership cards. To become a member, click here.
The entrance to the Laurels is 100 yards off of PA Route 82 on Apple Grove Road, four miles west of Unionville, PA. Parking for ten cars is located just beyond the main gate. If the parking lot is full when you arrive, please return at another time. Horse trailers are not permitted. Please avoid parking on neighboring properties and blocking gates or roads.
To protect its wealth of natural and cultural resources, and to facilitate scientific research and environmental education, the Laurels is managed as a limited-use reserve. Visitors use the Laurels at their own risk and can help the Conservancy protect the Laurels by:
- staying on existing trails, roads and paths,
- refraining from cutting, removing or disturbing vegetation,
- keeping dogs on leashes,
- picking up litter,
- avoiding marked scientific research sites,
- not taking any motorized vehicles beyond the parking lot,
- hunting and fishing by permit only, and
- not consuming alcoholic beverages, smoking or building fires.
If you would like to visit the Laurels Preserve but are not currently a member, or to request a group visit, please contact the Conservancy at 610-388-2700 or emc@brandywine.org.
Photos by Ed Camelli and Jim Graham.
For more information send email to emc@brandywine.org, call 610-388-2700, or write to Environmental Management Center, Brandywine Conservancy, P.O. Box 141, Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Photos courtesy of Ed Camelli and Michael Kahn
Website designed and maintained by Unica Multimedia
© Brandywine Conservancy
This site is for personal, educational, non-commercial use only and may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the Brandywine Conservancy.
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