History of the Mill Creek Preserve

2018 - $1,011,650 grant from the State Land and Water Conservation program matched with  $725,908 of Bond funding to purchase

2019  - $285,742 grant from the Bucks County Open Space program to purchase 

*2019 - WEAC install Bird Houses

2022 - Natural Lands completes an Open Space master plan for Emerson, Mill Creek and Wiesel Preserves. 

2023 - DCNR provided up to $130,000 in grant funding to install meadows in previous farmed corn fields. |The grant covers 50% of the project cost which is estimated to cost $260,000. Publicly accessible areas throughout the preserve will allow visitors to enjoy both the restored meadows and Mill Creek, with a new multiuse trail now available near the preserve’s entrance.

2023 - Volunteers from the Bucks County Master Watershed Stewards Program the Neshaminy Watershed Association and WEAC lead an effort to plant live stakes along Mill Creek in the Mill Creek Preserve. The live stakes are planted upstream of the main access road to the preserve. The Mill Creek stream begins near the Southwest Corner of the Township crosses Bristol Road into Doylestown Township near just above Lower State Road before it joins the Neshaminy River. The purpose of the live stake planting is to stabilize the stream banks which will reduce sediment from entering the stream. 

2024 - BCCD provides an additional $15,000 grant from their Water Quality Fund 

2024 - November 2024, members of the Neshaminy Watershed Association (NWA) assisted by the WEAC plant over 50 trees.. The trees and cages were provided by the NWA. Tree planting was identified in the Mill Creek Open Space Master Plan as a key action item. Over the next 25 years the trees will sequester over 1.3 million pounds of CO2 (carbon dioxide) which will help to protect our planet.

2024 - December 2024 Warrington supervisors awarded a $146,236.15-contract to ArcheWild, an ecological restoration company located in Milford Township, to take on the job of transforming 24 acres of open fields into wildflower meadows. Township officials ensured that the bid included the entire scope of the project, which covers not only the installation of the meadows but also an 18-month maintenance period. During this time, the meadow will be maintained through tasks like spot spraying, invasive species control, and mowing. 

2026 complete meadow planting and continue meadow maintenance.