Willisbrook Preserve

Call Directions Website

Willisbrook Preserve Willisbrook Preserve is a 126-acre mix of woods and meadows, including more than 20 acres of a rare ecosystem known as the Sugartown Serpentine Barrens.

See our website for more information including our history, a trail map, and hours of operation. Willisbrook Preserve is a mix of woods and grassland meadows, including just over 20 acres of a rare ecosystem known as the Sugartown Serpentine Barrens. These barrens support a variety of plant species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Willisbrook Preserve was gifted to Natural Lands in 1963 by Jane Gordon Coxe Fletcher, whose family is best known for breeding champion Hackney and American Saddlebred horses. Additional acquisitions in 1968 and 2004 expanded the preserve to its present size. Willisbrook Preserve is owned and managed by non-profit conservation organization Natural Lands. Learn more at www.natlands.org.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 📸: Kate Rash, Tapro...
10/22/2026

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

📸: Kate Rash, Taproot Photography

It's that oh-so special time of year again...time to leave the leaves! Really, the entire food chain benefits from leaf ...
10/15/2026

It's that oh-so special time of year again...time to leave the leaves! Really, the entire food chain benefits from leaf litter come winter. Fallen leaves provide vital habitat to overwintering insects, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Leaf litter also makes for wonderful nesting material and insulation for our den-dwellers like groundhogs. Then, of course, our larger mammals such as foxes and coyotes still need to hunt, and where are many of their go-to meals hiding out? You guessed it, the leaves!

Help a firefly make it to summer. Feed a fox. Do it for the salamanders.

Even if you live in a small space, leaf litter can be fastened to containers, window boxes, and raised garden beds with chicken wire. It's just one of those things where every little bit helps.

Happy fall, all!

P.S. Don't feel too guilty if you still need to mow some...leaves become excellent dirt!

📸: Image designed by hand and in-house by Brittni Hribar, Senior Graphic Designer

Alert: Deer management season is underway. Controlled hunting of white-tailed deer protects the ecological balance of ou...
10/07/2026

Alert: Deer management season is underway. Controlled hunting of white-tailed deer protects the ecological balance of our nature preserves. Only Natural Lands permit-holders may hunt the preserves.

Natural Lands has operated our controlled hunting program safely for decades. Hunters must apply to participate in the program, complete regular training and proficiency testing, and comply with strict safety protocols.

Preserve visitation and hunting do overlap, though our hunters are generally more active at dawn and dusk and they avoid hunting near hiking trails (as hikers often scare away deer). Some visitors chose to wear blaze orange during their visits. As always, dogs must be kept on leash and stay on trails.

You can learn more about our controlled hunting practice here: natlands.org/hunting

American persimmons are absolutely beloved by our native wildlife! Skunks, foxes, black bears, turkeys, woodpeckers...al...
09/25/2026

American persimmons are absolutely beloved by our native wildlife! Skunks, foxes, black bears, turkeys, woodpeckers...all these critters (and many more) enjoy this fall fruit.

That’s why we kindly ask all our visitors not to forage. The wild fruits (and other foods) of our preserves belong to the wildlife who call our properties home.

State parks, however, do allow foraging for those who are interested.

📸: Rachel Rhodes

This salamander is still just a baby, and will rely on the shelter, protection, and moisture of leaf litter to survive t...
09/18/2026

This salamander is still just a baby, and will rely on the shelter, protection, and moisture of leaf litter to survive to see spring. Please keep this in mind as the leaves begin to fall, and make a plan to leave the leaves wherever and however you can this year.

Remember, one person can’t do everything...but everyone can do something 😊 Even just one extra square-foot of leaves in the yard is better than none.

📸: Preston Wilson

Meadows hold interest throughout the year, but they definitely have a moment in fall! Blooming goldenrod, ironweed, rudb...
09/11/2026

Meadows hold interest throughout the year, but they definitely have a moment in fall! Blooming goldenrod, ironweed, rudbeckia, and other perennials provide important late-season nectar for our pollinators, some of which are preparing to migrate, currently migrating, or otherwise prepping for the winter ahead.

But also...meadows in fall are just so gosh-darn pretty.

📸: Jim Moffett

Catch bugs! Climb trees! Flip rocks! No, these are not new family-friendly curses. They're simple things anyone and ever...
09/04/2026

Catch bugs! Climb trees! Flip rocks! No, these are not new family-friendly curses. They're simple things anyone and everyone can do with their kids to keep them engaged in the outdoors amidst the chaos of the back-to-school season. And let's be honest...you could probably benefit from a little extra time outdoors, too.

Other fun nature-play ideas include:

🗺️ Treasure hunting. Hide a natural treasure, then make a map showing where to find it.

🧚‍♀️ Crafting a magical residence. Fairy house, gnome home, or toad abode, make a tiny house for the other residents of your yard...real or fiction!

⛵️ Building a natural boat. Is it a pirate ship? Vikings? Make two (or more) and race them down a stream.

🪵 Constructing something together. A swing, a shelter, or a simple hammock, it doesn’t need to be grand.

🛶 Kayaking. A classic!

Bonus tip: Just be present. Whether it's the playground after school or the sidelines of a soccer field, nature can be found almost anywhere by those who go looking for it.

📸: Kate Rash, Taproot Photography

There are many times more white-tailed deer living in our region than the land can support. This unsustainable level mea...
08/24/2026

There are many times more white-tailed deer living in our region than the land can support. This unsustainable level means the forests as we know them will disappear as hungry deer eat all the native species, leaving only non-native plants to take over. As the forest structure changes, birds and other wildlife lose nesting space, food, and cover. Eventually, even the deer causing this destruction will not survive.

📸: Jennifer Mathes

Rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is native to our region even though it looks quite tropical! Each massive flower opens...
08/17/2026

Rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is native to our region even though it looks quite tropical! Each massive flower opens for exactly one day before dropping off.

📸: Ralph Hall

Invasive species spotlight: The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin)--native to Asia--was introduced to our region by famed...
08/10/2026

Invasive species spotlight: The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin)--native to Asia--was introduced to our region by famed botanist William Bartram. In fact, Thomas Jefferson obtained some seeds from Bartram and planted them at Monticello. The species outcompetes native vegetation, particularly in disturbed habitat like roadsides and stream banks. A single tree produces thousands of seeds that can remain viable in the soil for many years.

📸: Kate Rash, Taproot Photography

Address

137 Line Road
Malvern, PA
19355

Telephone

+16103535587

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Willisbrook Preserve posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share