Gordon Natural Area

Upcoming/Recent Events

Brandywine Red Clay Alliance 'Polar Plunge' 2019

On Saturday, Febraruy 9, the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance will be holding their annual Polar Plunge at Brandywine Picnic Park. Participants raise money for the Alliance through sponsorships (and through a willingness to enter the Brandywine in winter!). This is the 11th year for the Polar Plunge, and over the years, nearly 1,700 people have taken the plunge and raised over $125,000 for BRC’s watershed conservation work and environmental education programs.

For more information and to register go here.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike."

— John Muir

Welcome to the Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies website.

The Gordon Natural Area (also referred to as 'the Gordon' and ‘the GNA’) occupies approximately 135 acres along the southeastern corner of West Chester University’s campus and is administered in collaboration with the University’s Office of Sustainability. Established as a protected area in 1971, the GNA has since served as a refuge for local wildlife and native plants, and as a multi-use setting for researchers, nature lovers, runners, dog walkers, and people looking to reconnect with the natural world.

Yellowjacket Updates

10/29/2018

Yellow Jacket activity is very low at the Gordon. Based on what we've seen recently, the only risk would be if you overturned a log with a nest beneath it.

10/10/2018

Update: We haven't seen any active nests in the Gordon in a week, or so, and only a few individual yellowjackets have been noted during that time. In the next few days, we'll be removing any flagging from areas that we're formerly problematic.

9/27/18

This summer and early fall, there have been numerous yellowjacket nests on, or near, various trails in the Gordon. In order to make the GNA as safe as possible, we'll be posting updates as new nests are encountered (and removed).

Currently, the only nest known to be 'problematically' near to a trail is next to the unmaintained trail that parallels Plum Run. The nest is beneath a large downed log and the area around the nest has been partitioned off with flagging.

There have been two very active nests on the Self-guided Tree Trail (near to its junction with 'Woodpecker's Alley'). Both nests have been treated with insecticide and no yellowjacket activity has been noted in either nest.

But, please be advised: Yellowjackets are generally very active in the Fall, so please be aware of your surroundings and avoid any nests that you come across. Also, please report any nests that you encounter to gna@wcupa.edu.

Mission

The Gordon Natural Area’s mission has two primary objectives:

To preserve the land in an undeveloped state
To serve as a natural ‘classroom’ for environmental studies

Objective 1. Preservation of the Land

Initially, it was thought that management could essentially be done in a ‘hands-off’ manner (other than any small-scale maintenance that might be required by Stadium Road and the trail system). However, over time it has become increasingly evident that the land requires a very active level of directed management. This is because the integrity of the GNA is threatened by a variety of forces: e.g., invasive plants, overgrazing (by deer), invasive insects and insect-borne pathogens, non-native earthworms, fragmentation, etc. In order to begin addressing these issues, the GNA Staff, along with numerous student volunteers, have undertaken fairly extensive reforestation and afforestation efforts in the GNA.

Objective 2. Be a Natural Classroom for Environmental Studies

Since before its designation as a protected area, the lands comprising the GNA were the site for a limited number of Natural Science classes, as well as being the location for field research by a few faculty members. After receiving protection, the GNA has received extensive use as an outdoor classroom, with more than 30 courses having utilized the land. In addition to use by numerous classes in the Department of Biology, courses from a broad range of other departments (e.g., Art & Design, Business, Earth & Space Science, English, and Social Work, among others) have also taken advantage of this amazing resource.

History

In the early 1970’s, the University’s Administration was considering plans to develop the land that is now the Gordon Natural Area. However, two undergraduate students—David Fluri and Brad Gottfried—initiated a movement to preserve the area. Fluri and Gottfried were Biology majors and were both members of the Biology Club, and they recognized the land’s value for scientific study and its intrinsic value as a relatively mature forest in an increasingly developed landscape.

In 1971, the property was afforded protection. The protected land was named the Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies in commemoration of Prof. Gordon, a science faculty member at West Chester University for 25 years. For the past 45+ years, WCU students and staff, as well as local residents (and their dogs), have continued to benefit from this decision.

A Rough Timeline of the Establishment of the Gordon Natural Area:

1969/1970 — Two students, Bradley Gottfried and Dave Fluri, work to convince the WCU Board of Trustees to establish a natural area.
December 1971 — The WCU Board of Trustees decides to set aside some land to preserve the existing forest. This was WCU's contribution to the Earth Day movement.
November 1973 — Dr. William R. Overlease, long-time Professor of Biology at WCU, formally dedicates the property.

The GNA Property

The largest portion of the Gordon is situated between S. High Street and S. New Street (see image below). The land contains large blocks of mature forest, along with areas of secondary forest, seasonally-indundated floodplain, upland meadow, and maintained (i.e., mown) 'grassland.'

In the image below, the lands that are officially designated as the Gordon Natural Area are shown with pale green hatching. Additionally, the are in solid white in the lower right-hand corner of the image are 'unofficially' part of the GNA. However, despite it's not having been formerly dedicated as part of the GNA, this area is commonly used for reasearch and teaching, and a number of trails in the GNA trail system pass through this area.

Gordon Map

Visiting the GNA

As was noted above, the GNA is a multi-use preserve, and we encourage WCU students and staff, as well as local residents, to come enjoy this great resource.

The main entrance to the Gordon is at the southeastern corner of R Lot (behind the football stadium). If you don't have a University parking pass, four parking spaces are available specifically for the GNA (no parking pass needed). The University Shuttle Bus will take you to R Lot, if you let the driver know that you want to go there. Better yet, sign up for the University's Bike Share Program to get to and from the GNA, or leave the bike at the Sturzbecker Station on New Street.

To promote access to the GNA, the University maintains a network of trails throughout the preserve:

Trail Map of the Gordon Natural Area

A pdf version of the map is available here .

In order to help maintain the GNA in the best possible condition, to protect the GNA's wildlife and plant life, and to minimize disruption to ongoing research, visitors are asked to observe the following regulations:

The GNA is open only from dawn to dusk
Please stay on marked trails only
Pets must be on a leash (6 ft., or shorter, please)
Please clean up after your pet and put the waste in the trash receptacle
No fires (including smoking)
No camping
No fishing or hunting
No moving, damaging, or collecting plants, animals, or natural objects
No bikes or motorized vehicles
No littering
No alcoholic beverages

Thank you for respecting the Natural Area by following these regulations.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us.

Visitor Feedback

Beginning in the winter of 2015-16, long-time student intern and GNA Assistant Stewardship Manager, Kendra McMillin placed a 'Visitor's Log' at the kiosk at the main entrance. We love to read people's comments, and also maintain a photo archive of the entries.

Below, are some of our favorite comments with a transcription of the comment in the adjoining column. Note: You can click on the image to see a larger version.

4/2/2017 "One of my last hikes a student at WCU; graduating in two months! I LOVE this place! I hope the GNA statys protected and cared for for decades to come! I have used this place to hike, read, meditate, and learn about native plants and animals. I came here my first day as a first-year student and I plan on hiking here the day I graduate." — Zach Schwarz

	2/17/2016 “I walk here from the Boro. When I’m in the Natural Area, I walk briskly for exercise and slowly through the trails. I really enjoy listening, observing the birds and stream. I also like noticing the changes in the trees, bushes, and even the footprints. I just noticed the tree guide. I’m thinking of asking a friend to come back here and check out the Tree ID walk. Good place!”

5/8/2016 “Wow! I’ve lived in West Chester for 10 years and this is my first time on these beautiful trails! Amazing!” Janine

	10/10/2016 "I came to a turn south of the football stadium on New St. and it made all the difference … I went to WCU and graduated in 1981. Always loved these woods. Great place to absorb the beauty and tranquility of the woods, and enjoy the aloneness or the company of your dogs/ friends.”

	8/3/2016 “We need more places like this in West Chester. Such an awesome place to escape.” ~ undergrad astronaut

5/19/16 “I’ve been stuck here for days, someone help me! EX marks the spot.” — Scoobers 5/19/16 Found Scoobers, he’s seen better days. From now on, we are in this maze together. Here’s hoping we make it out alive. Beautiful place, though. Very green.” — Shaggs