Sometimes you visit a place for the first time and you just have a good feeling. My first visit to the Mallory family’s property in August of 2023 alongside Bennett, Guy, and Troy, was one of those times.
That walk in the woods was the culmination of nearly four years of emails, video, and phone conversations with the California-based family consisting of Sue Mallory and her daughters, Stacy and Holly.
Stacy began the conversation with the Foundation for Sustainable Forests at the suggestion of her cousin who lives nearby.
She was seeking options to care for and conserve their nearly 80 acres in Concord Township, Erie County.
From afar, the Mallorys took impressively proactive steps during those years to explore their options and understand the forests’ needs, including having a DCNR Service Forester visit the site and draft a forest evaluation with stewardship recommendations.
During that summer day when the FSF team first explored the property, there were plenty of “moments of wonder” that furthered our resolve to see this property conserved – we spotted a barred owl gazing down at us, Bennett and I climbed an upturned hemlock tree root system that was one of many hemlock “dominos” that had fallen in a recent windstorm, we found cardinal flowers in full bloom along a wooded wetland, and followed Lilley Run, a tributary to the South Branch of French Creek, as it wove its way through the forest.
This property, now known as “Mallory Family Woodland”, became one of FSF’s newest acquisitions in July of this year by way of a charitable bargain purchase from a family that is deeply rooted in Pennsylvania’s heritage, even though they live a few time zones away.
For Sue, Stacy, and Holly, the decision to protect the property is not only in line with their own conservation ethic, but also honors the legacy of their late husband and father, Jack Mallory.
Jack Mallory was born and raised in Erie and a graduate of Penn State University, where he met his wife Sue, a fellow PSU alum who grew up in Bellefonte.
Jack was a descendent of Nathaniel Mallory, a Revolutionary War patriot who was an early settler in northwestern Pennsylvania, arriving circa 1798.
Jack’s career took him and his family to California, where he lived for the majority of his life until his passing in 2023, and where his wife and daughters still reside.
Despite the distance, Jack remained “all things Pennsylvania,” recalls his family.
As proof, for 16 years, he convinced the local Penn State club to host an annual Groundhog Day Party, an event that was immensely popular and featured “imported” PA delicacies, such as soft pretzels, Dutch apple bars, and Rolling Rock beer.
Naturally, a life-sized Punxatawney Phil costume was part of the annual tradition!
Even though Jack and Sue no longer called the Commonwealth their home, they still wanted to remain connected in some way.
The opportunity to purchase the initial tract of the Mallory Family Woodland arose in 1972, and they later purchased additional acreage in 1982.
Over the years, Jack’s brother Tom, who lives in Erie, spent considerable time on the property, but Jack and his family could only visit occasionally.
During their time there, Sue recalls enjoying the stream and checking on the chestnut trees that Jack’s brother had planted.
The distance created some challenges for the family as landowners.
Their neighbors, with whom they visited when in town, were instrumental in protecting it during that time.
For example, their watchful eye helped to prevent an “aggressive” timber sale that had been marked on the property without their knowledge or permission.
Over the years, the Mallorys received several offers and inquiries regarding the property’s timber resource.
It was inquiries such as these that raised the family’s concern for the future of the property.
In California, Jack and Sue had cultivated their love for nature together while hiking among the redwoods with their children.
Stacy and Holly recall that they didn’t always “love” those hikes, but they still had a lasting impact.
As Holly described, “we are all conservationists and wanted the land to be sustainable for the future.”
With the conservation of the Mallory Family Woodland, the Foundation for Sustainable Forests is honored to have been entrusted with this piece of Jack’s legacy and the whole family’s proud Pennsylvania heritage.
It has truly been a pleasure engaging with them every step of the way, and we look forward to continuing the partnership and commemorating the site with Sue, Stacy, Holly, and their families the next time they are in town.
Under FSF’s ownership and stewardship, the property is open to the public for hunting and leave-no-trace recreational uses such as hiking and birdwatching.
In the near term, FSF will seek to conduct a biological inventory of the property’s diverse ecosystem types and habitats.
There are no plans for intensive management activities in the near future, but the site will be monitored closely for opportunities to enhance understory regeneration and with the anticipated arrival of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in mind, so that we may attempt to mitigate the impact of HWA on stand integrity.
To learn more about how you can access and enjoy these woodlands, visit the Foundation for Sustainable Forests Conserved Lands webpage.
Upcoming Events
-- January 17: Woods & Water Film Series - Virtual
-- February 21: Woods & Water Film Series - In-Person
Visit the Foundation for Sustainable Forests website to learn more about land conservation. Sign up for email updates (top of page). Support their work.
(Photo: Jack Mallory with Stacy (left), Holly (right) and two grandchildren at Indian Head Cemetery in Waterford where their ancestor Nathaniel Mallory is memorialized.)
(Prepared by Annie Maloney in collaboration with Holly, Stacy, and Sue.)
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[Posted: December 14, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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