David Ross is a member of the Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens who works tirelessly to preserve one of Pennsylvania’s rarest ecosystems [a 60-square-mile, 38,400 acre area located in parts of Lancaster, Chester and Delaware counties.]
After living and working in the Philadelphia area, David moved to the southwest corner of Chester County near the Goat Hill Serpentine Barrens Plant Sanctuary.
David has a wealth of knowledge of the ecosystem; and does a great job at coordinating and documenting volunteer activities at the sanctuary.
Serpentine barrens exist in only a relatively few spots along the east coast, including this parcel of William Penn State Forest.
The rock in serpentine barrens is laden with minerals that are poisonous to most Pennsylvania plant species, but which nicely meet the needs of a hearty few -- such as the fameflower and serpentine aster.
David, a soon to be retired professor of environmental economics at Bryn Mawr College, understands the importance of preserving this special place.
Serpentine barrens require disturbance to survive. It is believed that the grazing of mega-fauna during and after the last Ice Age allowed these grasslands to exist.
Both man-made and natural wildfires have helped these grasslands to thrive.
If fires are suppressed, competitors such as cedar, Virginia pine, and greenbriar can dominate the ecosystem, crowding out other rare species of plants.
“I’ve seen neither mastodon nor buffalo here in Chester County,” says David, “and relying on uncontrolled wildfires would not be a good way to win friends and influence people. So, we turn to felling, mowing, and poisoning invasives; scraping encroaching soils; and, under the right conditions, conducting controlled burns.”
He immensely enjoys the satisfaction of hacking down plants, such as greenbriar, which would displace the small number of serpentine ecosystems hanging on near the southeastern border with Maryland.
With the expertise and knowledge of ecologists, David plans out how to protect certain plants, and remove others. He takes notes at board and planning meetings; and ensures the goals of the Friends group are being acted upon.
When he can, he draws on his academic research on the effectiveness of local environmental programs to fit the activities of the Friends group into the overall effort to protect and restore this rare resource.
“My conservation and volunteer work give me a physical alternative to the desk work that fills many of my hours,” David says. “In the barrens, I get to know a very different group of people than I engage with at the college. I learn that we don’t have to agree about all things to enjoy one another and accomplish great things.”
Know of a good natured Pennsylvanian who is passionate about outdoor recreation and/or conservation that we should feature? Contact DCNR by sending an email to: ra-resource@pa.gov to nominate someone.
[For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.]
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(Reprinted from the August 5 DCNR Resource newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
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[Posted: August 6, 2020] PA Environment Digest
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