Westmoreland Conservancy helps nature 'reclaim' Morosini Reserve in Murrysville
Westmoreland Conservancy officials' goal for the Morosini Reserve — 183 acres bequeathed by the late Doris Morosini in 2015 — was to let nature reclaim the property, which is largely rolling farmland hills.
In recent years, they have taken some action to help that process along. A new Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape mini-grant will allow them to develop the property further.
"We were pleasantly surprised to find out we're one of the recipients," said conservancy President Shelly Tichy.
The $5,770 grant — one of 11 awarded — will allow the conservancy to offset the cost of opening up the former farm road on the property, which runs from the trailhead to a pond that straddles the border of Murrysville and Salem Township.
"We spent several work days and had a Scout do his Eagle project opening up the first 1,800 feet of the old farm road," Tichy said. "It looked great on Earth Day last year."
A Boy Scout from Monroeville, Harsh Selokar, helped open up the second section of the road last fall and is preparing it for a contractor to come and do some finishing work.
Work also is being done to make the reserve more welcoming for native wildlife. Murrysville Scout Noah Rhea's Eagle project in 2017 was to use Audubon Society funding to create a tower for housing chimney swifts, medium-sized gray birds native to the eastern United States; another Scout, Nolan Scholze, created a kiosk at the trailhead, which will eventually be outfitted with a history of the property that was farmed for nearly two centuries.
Penn-Trafford High School student Kevin Reisch, 17, recently created the first in what will be a series of "insect hotels," using plywood to create a multisection framework with small habitation holes.
The Sportsmen and Landowners' Alliance of Murrysville placed bluebird boxes throughout the reserve, and Tichy said a new series of owl boxes will be installed.
Tichy said she was happy about the grant.
"It just blows my mind," she said. "I'm thrilled because it will help us get things done that much more quickly."
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.
