Notices
Friends Sponsor Migratory Bird Walk
– Saturday, May 16
Join Jeff Gordon, a professional bird trip leader, in a search for neo-tropical migratory birds in White Clay Creek State Park, one of the best observation areas in the region. This is a joint program of the park and the Friends, and it is suitable for birders of all experience levels. The program is free, but park entrance fees are in effect. Meet at 7:30 am at the Chambers House Nature Center on Creek Road off Hopkins Road.
Friends Receive Award for Excellence in Park Interpretation Support
On September 11, 2008, the White Clay Friends organization received the 2008 Award for Excellence in Interpretive Support from the Chesapeake Region of the National Association for Interpretation. The award recognizes the many ways in which the Friends support the interpretation work of the Nature Center staff, including staffing the Nature Center on weekends, working to upgrade the exhibits at the Nature Center, leading some public nature education programs, researching the history of the park area, and providing financial support for disadvantaged children to participate in school programs, after-school programs and summer camps.
Friends president Andy Urquhart accepted the award at a luncheon meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, on behalf of the Friends organization.
Another New Trail in Pennsylvania Is Open to Hikers
The Friends have recently completed work on a new section of the Boundary Line Trail in the Pennsylvania White Clay Creek Preserve. This new trail section starts from Yeatman Station Road and proceeds initially northward through open fields. It then loops around toward the west into woods and provides a magnificent view overlooking the creek. The trail then continues to a junction with the Charles Bailey Trail (also recently completed) next to the creek.
The new trail was designed and constructed by Friends volunteers with assistance from the Delaware Geocachers and the Trail Dawgs running group, under the leadership of Wendel Cassel and Fred Nelson. Forty-two volunteers worked 400 hours to complete the trail. We thank all the volunteers who made this possible.
From Delaware, the trail can be accessed by following Yeatman Station Road (aka Yeatmans Mill Road) from Doe Run Road into Pennsylvania. Where Quartz Mill Road goes off to the left, stay to the right (No Outlet) and continue on Yeatman Station Road to the point where it is blocked by a gate. Park in the small parking area on the right. From Good Hope Road in Pennsylvania, turn on Watson’s Mill Road, follow it to Yeatman Station Road, and turn right to reach the parking area.
From the parking lot, the new section of the Boundary Line Trail can be reached by walking about ¼ mile back up the road, watching for a trail marker on the left (north) side. Alternatively, the Charles Bailey Trail can be taken northward from the parking lot to its junction with the Boundary Line trail in about ½ mile. Together the two new trail sections (Boundary Line and Charles Bailey) provide a beautiful short loop hike of about 1½ miles in length.
White Clay Friends Win Special Recognition
On December 17, 2008, Ken Daws received a Volunteer-of-the-Year Award from the Division of Parks and Recreation. The award recognizes the many ways that Ken serves the Friends and the park as Treasurer and Executive Committee Member of the Friends and as an enthusiastic volunteer in our Nature Center Staffing and Water Ice Sales projects. Ken received the award at the Holiday Luncheon of the White Clay Creek State Park staff.
At the Awards Luncheon for the Division of Parks and Recreation on December 8, 2006, the Friends of White Clay Creek State Park were recognized by the Division as an Outstanding Volunteer Group for the second consecutive year. This award recognizes the many ways in which the Friends support the park. In addition, Friends President Andy Urquhart received an Outstanding Volunteer award for his work as a Friends leader and volunteer. In 2006, the Friends provided 3069 hours of volunteer work, equivalent to approximately 1 1/2 additional full-time employees.
Earlier, on March 1, 2006, the Friends were presented with an Outstanding Organization Award by the Delaware Recreation and Parks Society. The award is given annually to an organization which has proven exemplary in conducting programs in the field. Wendel Cassel accepted the award on behalf of the Friends. In 2005 the Friends provided 3952 hours of volunteer work, equivalent to approximately two additional full time employees. The volunteer work is spread over about two dozen different projects, some of which, like trail work and reforestation, involve a large number of volunteers and hours. Others are much smaller but are also highly valued. All of these activities contribute to preserving the park and making it a better place for visitors.
Check Out November Newsletter
Our November 2008 newsletter is full of news, events, updates, schedules, etc. Check it out by following this link. Our newsletters can also be accessed through the main menu item “News / Notices” at the top of each web page.
2008/2009 Hunting Dates in White Clay Creek State Park (Delaware) and White Clay Creek Preserve (Pennsylvania)
The 2008/2009 hunting seasons in the Delaware and Pennsylvania parks ended on January 24, 2009. There will be no more hunting until fall 2009.
Friends Activities Listed
Our most recent annual report provides a brief summary of our volunteer activities during 2008. Follow this link to see the report.
Special Newsletter Articles Chronicle History of Park Area
Articles describing various aspects of the history of the area in or near the park have appeared in several newsletters. These articles can be accessed through this link or by clicking on "Park Area History" under the main menu item "Park Info & Links". Brief summaries are given below.
In collecting oral histories of the park area, one person frequently mentioned is "Dutch Billy," a local character who lived as a squatter for many years in what has become the Possum Hill area of the park. Andrea Cassel has summarized these recollections in an interesting article included as a special supplement at the end of the November 2006 newsletter.
Remember those old newsreels of motorcycle hill climbs in the days before television? They showed “crazy people” riding their motorcycles up extremely steep slopes until they lost traction, fell, or flipped over backwards. It turns out that the White Clay Valley provided venues for these events in the 1930s, and they were very popular with spectators. This interesting aspect of local history is described in a special article in our April 2006 newsletter.
Did you know that the eastern terminus of the famous Mason Dixon line lies in White Clay Creek State Park? Read all about how that came to be and other events surrounding Mason and Dixon's survey in a special article in our April 2005 newsletter.
Our June 2004 newsletter contains an article describing the visit by famous temperance advocate Carrie Nation to the 1904 Harvest Home celebration of the Ebenezer Methodist Church. This was held in Whiteman’s Grove, which now lies in the Possum Hill part of White Clay Creek State Park. The article provides an intriguing view of life in this area nearly 100 years ago.
The fascinating story of the Pomeroy and Newark Railroad is continued in a special supplement to our May 2003 newsletter. This article describes some of the old stations along the line, most of which have vanished, leaving hardly a trace.
Also in the May 2003 newsletter is a short article describing "The Horn", an area along the curved boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania that was originally part of Delaware and later became part of Pennsylvania when the border was redrawn.
Another article on the Pomeroy and Newark Railroad appeared in the November 2002 newsletter.
The choice of "Chambers House" as the name for the nature center at White Clay Creek State Park honors both the structure's original builder and his ancestors, who were one of the first Quaker families to settle in the valley. The interesting history of the family and the house is described in an article in the May 2001 newsletter.