Brandywine Conservancy's Environmental Management Center
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News
Volunteers From Astrazeneca Plant 1,400 Trees
In The Laurels Preserve To Help Keep The Brandywine Watershed Healthy
Chadds Ford, PA-March 29, 2010 -- Thirty-two volunteers from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals generously donated their time and energy to plant 1,400 trees in the Brandywine Conservancy's 771-acre Laurels Preserve west of Unionville on March 26.
The trees were planted as part of an ambitious multi-year reforestation campaign undertaken by the Conservancy. Reforestation focuses on water resources, including enhancing water quality, restoring natural flows in the Brandywine, and improving plant and animal habitat. Trees provide food and shelter for life in and around streams, promote absorption of rain into the ground, replenish groundwater supplies, and reduce storm water runoff and downstream flooding. In addition, tree leaves, branches and roots reduce erosion and prevent excess sediment and nutrients from entering streams during storm water runoff. Trees also help slow global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing the carbon and then releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
The Buck and Doe Runs and many smaller streams, all draining to the West Branch of the Brandywine River, are located in the Laurels Preserve. This remarkable water source was and still is critical to maintaining the quality of the Brandywine River, the drinking water source for the City of Wilmington and other parts of New Castle County, Delaware. The preserve is also part of a designated Important Bird Area and hosts numerous rare and endangered species.
"Developing and making meaningful medicines that help improve people's lives is our main focus. But, we want to do more," said Tyrone Jones, Director of Corporate Community Alliances at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. "Fortunately, many employees share that giving spirit and take the initiative with the company's support to do volunteer service that helps make such a difference in the community and, as we see with the Brandywine Conservancy opportunity, to the environment."
The tree planting is funded through TreeVitalize, a public-private partnership funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection.
The Brandywine Conservancy (www.brandywineconservancy.org) was founded in 1967. It holds more than 400 conservation easements and has protected over 43,000 acres in Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, as well as New Castle County in Delaware. The Environmental Management Center provides conservation services to landowners, farmers, municipalities and developers. The staff of professional planners and natural resource managers offers technical assistance and expertise for conservation and comprehensive land use planning. Conservation easements, assistance to local governments and water protection efforts are the key elements of these programs. In 2008, the Conservancy was among the first land trusts in the country to be awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
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Media Contacts: Hillary Holland or Lora Englehart, 610-388-8337 or lenglehart@brandywine.org
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