Events

Beginning with Gerry Hertel's appointment as the first Stewardship Manager of the Gordon in 2007, there have been numerous events at the Gordon.  These include both 'celebratory' events and, more commonly, volunteer events (for tree planting, site maintenance etc.).  Photographs were typically taken of the events and descriptions of the events were frequently posted to social media.

We've now added this 'Events' section to the website with a goal of keeping a record of all events moving forward.  We've begun adding descriptions and photos of former events and will continuing adding these, as time permits.

2024 events

24-hour Stationary Bird Survey

Students at the 2024 Stationary Bird Survey

Student Alden Ritchey—a Sustainability Peer Educator who has worked closely with the GNA—undertook a 24-hour stationary bird survey on October 4th and 5th 2024. Students viewed birds from noon on Friday the 4th through Saturday the 5th, with some students camping in the Gordon to spot night birds!

Poet Ramya Ramana Visit

 On October 23rd, poet Ramya Ramana visited the Gordon Natural Area with Sustainability Peer Educators Renee Blacksmith and Katie Ulmer. Nur Ritter led them through the Gordon on a crisp autumn morning and pointed out interested trees, shrubs, and fungi. Renee read two Mary Oliver poems by the banks of Plum Run and all basked in the beauty of the GNA!

 
Poet Ramya Ramana and students in the GNA
Renee Blacksmith reciting poems for the group

2023 Events

Suzanne Simard Visit

Suzanne Simard

Professor Suzanne Simard -- University of British Columbia Forest Ecologist, researcher, and author of the bestselling book Finding the Mother Tree -- visited campus on September 28, 2023. Before giving a talk to an audience of over 300 university and community members, she toured the GNA with Stewardship Manager Nur Ritter, Professors Jessica Schedlbauer, Jen Chandler, and Megan Schraedley, and GNA intern Mary Teresa O’Hara. Dr. Simard’s visit to West Chester was co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, the University Affairs Division, and the West Chester Green Team.

GNA 50th Anniversary Celebration

September 23, 2023

This Fall, WCU celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the dedication of the Gordon as a protected area.  Many thanks to everyone involved for making the GNA's 50 Anniversary celebration a success!  Click here to view an assortment of photographs from the event.

The beginning of the Malàxkwsitkan (Bean Dance). Jeremy Johnson of the Delaware Tribe of Indians leads the dancers

The beginning of the Malàxkwsitkan (Bean Dance). Jeremy Johnson of the Delaware Tribe of Indians leads the dancers

Sustainability Peer Educators Trail Work

 

The SPE volunteers spreading wood chips on the trail

The SPE volunteers spreading wood chips on the trail

May 5, 2023

On this year's Cinco de Mayo, six students from WCU's Sustainability Peer Educators (SPEs) took time from the busiest part of their semester to come help hauling and spreading wood chips along the new 'Cattail Trail' in the portion of the Gordon that's west of S. New Street.

The GNA staff was already tired of this work, so it was a great relief to have the help!

Plum Run Clean-up

A group of the volunteers with just a portion of the trash they removed from the stream

A group of the volunteers with just a portion of the trash they removed from the stream

April 22, 2023

On this year's Earth Day, eleven students from WCU's Students for Sustainable Action dedicated their Saturday morning to picking up trash and discarded equipment from Plum Run where it passes through the Gordon.  This effort was part of the annual Brandywine Cleanup event that is coordinated by the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance.

The volunteers removed an impressive array of materials from Plum Run and hauled all of it up to the road (!).

Many thanks from the Gordon staff to Students for Sustainable Action and to Brandywine Red Clay Alliance!

2022 Events

Arbor Day Tree Planting — Rustin High School Environmental Club

April 30, 2022

In another tree planting event this year, the Rustin High  School Environmental Club raised money to purchase trees for the Gordon.  The club purchased 40 trees [Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), and Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)] .

Fourteen students from the club, along with two Rustin High faculty advisors and GNA staff, planted the forty trees in a recently formed gap alongside Stadium Road.

Members of the Rustin High Environmental Club and GNA Staff at the Arbor Day Tree Planting

Members of the Rustin High Environmental Club and GNA Staff at the Arbor Day Tree Planting

Earth Week 2022 Tree Planting — WCU Friar's Society

April 27, 2022

In what likely qualifies as the smallest event ever at the GNA, two members of WCU's Friar's Society spent a morning helping GNA staff plant the remainder of the 68 trees that had been purchased for the Earth Week.  Originally, a large group of Friars was expected to participate, but scheduling conflicts reduced their crew to two dedicated individuals.

Members of the Friar's Society who participated in the tree planting event

The members of the Friar's Society at the tree planting event: Ian Baldwin and Francis Kane.

Earth Week 2022 Tree Planting


April 23, 2022

A good-sized group of volunteers sacrificed their Saturday and came out to help plant trees in the Gordon.  Trees were planted in and around the large gap that formed three years ago when a triple-stemmed Red Oak came down and took out six other trees.  A good portion of this area contained abundant invasive species, principally Jet Bead ( Rhodotypos scandens) and Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius).  The majority of these plants were removed prior to tree planting.

Sixty-eight trees, in seven species, were purchased for revegetation in this area.  The species were: American Basswood (Tilia americana), American Black Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera).  Forty trees were planted during the event and, hopefully, there will soon be a vibrant, native understory in this area. 

The majority of the people who participated in the 2022 Earth Day tree planting event

The majority of the people who participated in the 2022 Earth Day tree planting event  (including GNA staff)

Eastern Meadow Clean-up — Friar's Society

Members of the Friar's Society who participated in the event

Volunteers from the Friar's Society.  From the left:  David Kramer, Parker Edge, Nate Barker, Francis Kane, Nick Gray, Andres Penaloza, Dalton Bassert, and Ryan McMonigle.

April 2nd, 2022

Eight members of WCU's Friar's Society sacrificed their Saturday morning to work on cleaning up the portion of the Gordon's 'Eastern Meadow' that borders the Route 202 Ramp.  This area is particularly prone to litter from the highway and as 'Gordon Run' has it's headwaters in this area, much of the trash gets carried downstream into the meadow.  In addition to their work in the meadow, the Friar's also helped with the initial extension of the Meadow Trail into the adjacent forest.

Members of the Friar's Society collecting refuse along the base of the Rte. 202 ramp

Members of the Friar's Society collecting refuse along the base of the Route 202 ramp

The trash and other discarded items that were collected by the Friars

Approximately half of the trash and other discarded items that were collected by the Friars.

2013 Events

Gordon Natural Area 40th Anniversary

photo from the Gordon's 40th anniversary celebration

plaque for 40th anniversary of the gordon

The Gordon Natural Area Celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013. There were festivities featuring WCU President Greg Weisenstein, Geology Professor Leann Srogi, GNA Stewardship Manager Gerry Hertel, and even Smokey the Bear made an appearance!