Murrysville nature reserve gains 26 acres through land swap

The Westmoreland Conservancy’s King Reserve natural area has gained 26 acres through a land swap with the neighboring Crowfoot Rod and Gun Club in Murrysville.

Conservancy President Shelly Tichy said the club added 6 acres near its trap range in exchange for 32 acres, which expands the reserve to 122 acres.

According to Tichy, the new reserve acreage will provide enhanced protection for Sylvan Run, a high quality stream that is part of the Turtle Creek Watershed.

“It was a very good, rich conservation acquisition,” Tichy said. “We’re very excited.”

On a July 9 hike on the new acreage, conservancy officials spotted two varieties of salamanders.

“The water tables are low, so we were excited to see they were still thriving there,” she said. “We found maidenhair ferns, which means the land is rich and clean.”

Other vegetation in the newly acquired area includes milkweed, which attracts butterflies, the native herb mullein and the unusual stinky squid fungus.

“There are some magnificent older-growth trees,” including shingle oak and yellow poplar, Tichy said.

The King Reserve is open to the public for hiking, photography and wildlife studies, she said. The conservancy is working on improved markings and a new map for the reserve’s Yellow Trail, which has been rerouted because it included a segment on the acreage that was transferred to the club.

The reserve can be accessed from a parking lot off Crowfoot Road, which also serves the conservancy’s adjoining 3-acre Potter’s Corner reserve.

Visit westmorelandconservancy.org for more information.