Of all God's gifts, of all the natural resources we've been given, land is among the most precious. It's certainly worth protecting.

The Lancaster Conservancy exists for the sole purpose of preserving land and ensuring that its use is beneficial to all. It's the type of work that sometimes can go unnoticed or be taken for granted.

"We're trying to protect as much land as we can and make it available to the community forever," said Keith Williams, vice president of engagement and education for the Lancaster Conservancy. "We do that mostly by buying land and opening it to the public. We're not anti-development; we think it should be done in the right way and in the right place."

"We know that clean air and clean water come from protected land," Williams continued. "It's also for recreation. We're giving our communities a way to get outside so people can restore themselves physically, mentally and spiritually. And with every habitat we protect, we're slowing the loss of species in our area."

In Elizabeth Township, just west of Brickerville, the Lancaster Conservancy has acquired and protected nearly 300 acres of wooded land at four preserves - the 108-acre de Perrot Woods Nature Preserve, the 90-acre Speedwell Forge Nature Preserve, the 91-acre Rannels Kettle Run Nature Preserve and the 8-acre Upper Hopewell Forge Wildlife Sanctuary. Some of the preserves permit hiking, and all have been set aside to conserve natural resources and species native to those areas.

"Those preserves are very typical of what we do as an organization," said Williams. "Each piece of land we protect is special. They're in close proximity to other protected land. We have limited resources. We can't go out and buy everything."

The acquisition of the four preserves and wildlife sanctuaries occurred between 1998 and 2022 and involved either family donations or Lancaster Conservancy purchases.

"Speedwell Forge is one of our oldest holdings," said Williams. "De Perrot Woods is special. It's a beautiful nature reserve."

Over the 53 years of its existence, the Lancaster Conservancy, which operates in both York and Lancaster counties, has acquired and protected more than 10,000 acres of land through 50 nature preserves. Much of the Lancaster Conservancy's current holdings in Lancaster County are concentrated along or near the Susquehanna River.

"If the Lancaster Conservancy didn't exist, there would be a decrease in the quality of life," said Williams. "From (Lancaster), you can drive 30 minutes in any direction and be on a beautiful nature preserve, any day of the year. We're this little nonprofit working hard to help everyone in the community."

Headquartered at 117 S. West End Road, Lancaster, the Lancaster Conservancy, which was founded in 1969 by a group of hunters and fishermen, is operated by 25 staff members. The organization's work is funded through donations and government grants.

"(The Lancaster Conservancy) was a small little nonprofit for a long time, run by all volunteers," said Williams. "They just became extremely entrepreneurial and started to acquire land quickly. We're in a race to get as much land as we can. Land is a limited resource. When it's gone, it's gone."

For additional information about Lancaster Conservancy, go to http://www.lancasterconservancy.org.