ROR

Back to Our Roots: John Hershey and His Trees

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Along the far eastern border of the borough of Downingtown exists an ever-dwindling grove of nut trees. Nestled in and around Woodbine Road, the historically significant “Hershey trees” were planted circa 1921, by John W Hershey, a botanist enthused by concepts of sustainable agriculture. Hershey owned a nursery in Downingtown and it was in Downingtown where he synthesized what many call … Read more

The Legacy of John Hershey

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The name John Hershey is commonly referenced by Restore Our Roots (ROR) when presenting the type of projects we would like to pursue in Downingtown and when speaking to interested collaborators. Understandably, this may be the first time you have heard his name; I have only learned about him in the past two years from more knowledgeable Hershey enthusiasts including … Read more

Signs of Heat Stress

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It has been an unusually dry spring. In the past 60 days we’ve only had 8 days of rain, hardly invoking thoughts of “April showers.” The lack of rain has not only prematurely ended the spring 2023 growing season but has also left many trees, shrubs, and crops in danger. Heat stress occurs when plants … Read more

Foraging Etiquette

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Before farms, factories, and civilization foraging, or the gathering of food from the wild, was the main way to sustain our basic needs. About 12,000 years ago we entered the Neolithic Revolution, or the Agricultural Revolution. Hunter-gatherers went from roaming around to settling in one area. The circumstance behind the transition is hypothesized a few … Read more

Meet the Team: Matt Gisondi

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Matt is one of the founding members of Restore Our Roots (ROR) and is an active core member involved in project planning and overseeing the recently growing finances of the organization. Although both his professional and private life currently revolve around the environment and being outside, his love and interest for nature was very limited … Read more

Rick Webb’s Native Landscape

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If you are a resident of Downingtown or regularly visit its local parks, specifically Kerr and Kardon, you may have witnessed a man in a gardening hat and sunglasses diligently cutting away “pesky invasive plants” during his spare time. Meet Rick Webb, a man who loves gardening so much that he has gained a cult … Read more

Plant Highlight: Eastern Redbud

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For this month’s plant highlight, I would like to introduce you to one of the tree species Restore Our Roots (ROR) added to Kerr Park during this Spring’s planting along the waterway, the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. canadensis). This is a dominant small tree that covers most of the Eastern seaboard and has two … Read more

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