Wissahickon Trails did have one piece of good fortune in 2020: We acquired a 31-acre property in Blue Bell, adjacent to our Briar Hill Preserve. This property, named the Hughes Preserve at Briar Hill, will be forever protected as open space and expands Briar Hill to more than 100 acres. 

Acquisition of this property was made possible through a partnership with Tim and Aurora Hughes, Saly Glassman and Ira Berman. This tract of land is especially important because it protects even more of the Prophecy Creek corridor. The Hughes Preserve at Briar Hill and its trails will open to the public later this year. 

I recently spoke with Tim Hughes about the project. “My wife, Aurora, and I are passionate about open space, particularly within the Wissahickon Valley watershed, and are very pleased to have been involved in the preservation of this beautiful meadow and surrounding woodlands,” he said. 

The Hughes, Glassman and Berman families have been active champions of open space along Prophecy Creek. Just two years ago, they were key partners in acquiring the nearby Cheston Family Preserve at Briar Hill. 

“This corner of the world is spectacular, but the land can’t protect itself,” Tim continued. “In order for it to stay this way, active community engagement — at any level — is critical. We look at this stunning expanse of untouched land and are pleased to do our part to preserve its inherent natural beauty for the next generations.” 

The Hughes Preserve at Briar Hill is a beautiful property comprised of forest and meadow habitats that are important for many species of insects and wildlife. In the near future, we will create new trails that will connect to the existing trail system at Briar Hill preserve. They will be more accessible now, thanks to the installation of a new, community-funded bridge at the preserve entrance. In addition, Glassman and Berman donated a trail easement on the property in front of the Hughes Preserve that will allow us to build a trail connection to nearby Camp Woods and Armentrout Preserve.

With the recent acquisition of the Hughes Preserve, there are now 220.92 acres of protected open space in the Prophecy Creek corridor. That number reflects the combined acreage of Briar Hill Preserve, Cheston Family Preserve, Whitpain Township’s Prophecy Creek Park and several easements. Nearby, you will also find our Camp Woods, Armentrout Preserve and Willow Lake Farm. 

We have been working with municipal, county and state partners and individual residents for more than a decade to expand protected lands along the Prophecy Creek — which flows into the Wissahickon Creek — through a combination of land acquisition and conservation easements. The protection of these open spaces is part of a strategic prioritization of the Prophecy Creek corridor, which is essentially the vegetative stream buffer along Prophecy Creek. Their effect was demonstrated in a recent analysis of more than a decade of water quality monitoring data from the Wissahickon and its tributaries. Through it, we found that the Prophecy Creek is the healthiest creek in the watershed.

This preservation reflects our long-term commitment to protecting key natural areas in the Wissahickon watershed. As Tim Hughes pointed out, our acquisitions of land wouldn’t have been possible without the operating support Wissahickon Trails receives from donors and supporters at every level to keep us staffed and acting on our mission.

Partners in the Hughes Preserve land purchase get together for a socially distanced celebration. (photo courtesy of Wissahickon Trails)

Part of the Hughes Preserve at Briar Hill in Blue Bell. (photo courtesy of Wissahickon Trails)