The Nature Conservancy in Delaware

Ponders several hundred years ago

Dedicate a Part of Ponders

We’re seeking donations that will support efforts to establish trails, build an observation deck and clear a parking area at the Ponders Tract in the Pemberton Forest Preserve. For a $250 donation, you can also dedicate a bench in your own name, or in the name of a friend or loved one. For more information, contact Martha Dunn, Director of Philanthropy, (302) 654-4707 x125.

Learn More

Due to the fragile nature of this area, the preserve is not open to the public. However, we’re happy to share our restoration progress through our photo scrapbook:

• Chapter 1: Fall 2005
• Chapter 2: Winter 2005-06
• Chapter 3: Spring 2006
• Chapter 4: Spring 2007

During the fall of 2007, the Delaware chapter realized its $9.8 million fundraising goal for acquiring the Pemberton Forest Preserve’s Ponders Tract. However, there is still work to be done. With acquisition complete, the Conservancy has moved forward with restoring habitat and opening portions of Ponders to the public via a new system of hiking trails.

Restoring Ponders secures a little bit of Delaware’s past for the future. Not even a century ago, much of Delaware was swathed in forests characterizing the region’s piedmont and coastal plain ecosystems. With 80 percent of the original forests lost to timber operations and development in subsequent years, projects like those taking place at the Ponders tract represent exciting possibilities for The Nature Conservancy and other organizations.

Located in Sussex County — one of the fastest growing counties in the nation — the Ponders tract lies near the Redden State Forest, and expands on 450 acres already under protection at the Pemberton Forest Preserve. Its strategic location near existing protected lands and waters provides an excellent opportunity for expanding unbroken forest needed by migrating birds and wide-ranging species. The Ponders tract also contains headwaters for local waterways such as the Broadkill River — which flows into the Delaware Bay.

While collecting data and raising funds for acquiring Ponders, the Conservancy also began restoring portions of this property, thanks to a generous grant from the Delaware Landowner Incentive Program. This has included utilizing state-of-the art timber thinning practices to transform 240 acres of loblolly pine plantation into a native coastal forest of oak, hickory, tulip, sassafras, red maple, Virginia pine and other hardwoods.

The Conservancy has also embarked on exploring public access options that will enable surrounding communities to enjoy this natural treasure in ways that maintain its ecological values. This includes creating a parking area, building trails, erecting an observation deck and kiosk, providing signage and dedicating benches. To learn more about how you can help the Conservancy’s Delaware chapter restore and maintain the Ponders tract, contact Martha Dunn, Director of Philanthropy, at (302) 654-4707, extension 125, or mdunn@tnc.org.