Natural Lands - The Magazine of Natural Lands Fall/Winter 2018, Issue 153 | Page 14

N ATUR A L L A NDS
in 1979 when she took a position as a communications
specialist with Chester County where she would work
for the next 21 years. By the late 1980s she had risen to
be the County’s head of policy and planning and was
charged with an ambitious and groundbreaking project:
developing and executing a county-wide open space
program. Molly’s background as a teacher, communi-
cator, and leader—combined with the respect she had
built with stakeholders across the county—served her
well. A voter referendum to invest in conservation of
open space passed with overwhelming support. The
result is an award-winning open space program that has
benefitted every corner of the county and continues
today. Chester County now has 136,000 acres—more
than a quarter of its land—preserved as open space, and
is considered a model of conservation success across
the nation.
When Molly joined Natural Lands in 2000—first as
Director of Chester County Conservation, then as Senior
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and finally
President in 2005—she brought her passion for open
space and her experience at elevating its conservation as
a means for saving both the environment and the char-
acter of our communities. What’s more, Molly knew that
helping people of all ages discover the joy of being in na-
ChesLen Preserve
ture was good for minds and bodies. And that preserving
land made good business sense, a perspective that could
bridge political, economic, and demographic divides.
“Molly is a force of and for nature,” said Jack Terrill, past
chairman of Natural Lands’ Board of Trustees. “More
than 2.5 million of the region’s residents now live within
five miles of land under Natural Lands’ protection and
they will forever benefit from what Molly and her team
continue to achieve. Her skills as a strategist, spokes-
person, manager, and consensus-builder have made
Natural Lands a highly impactful organization and those
of us who have had the honor of serving on the Board
of Trustees during her time as president marvel at the
organization’s accomplishments.”
While it would be impossible to list all that Natural
Lands has accomplished with Molly at the helm, a few
efforts stand out as particularly noteworthy.
dreaming big.
H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest had a vision for his 568 acres in
Unionville, Chester County. He’d been eyeing the neigh-
boring parcel, a 500-acre tract owned by Chester County,
and had a proposition to make to Molly Morrison: if she
could convince Chester County to give their property to
Natural Lands, Lenfest would do the same.
“Large properties like these have become an endan-
gered species in our area,” Lenfest, who passed away in
2018, said at the time. “This seemed like a great oppor-
tunity to combine my land with that of the county to
create a nature preserve of exceptional size. And Natural
Lands was the obvious choice to own and care for the
entire property.”
The Chester County commissioners, with whom Molly
had strong relationships, were enthusiastic from the
outset. They saw the proposal as an opportunity to have
their land become a greater public resource with no cost
to taxpayers.
However, transferring ownership of the county
acreage was no simple task. Since Chester County had
originally acquired some of the land from the state, the
donation required the approval of the Pennsylvania
legislature. With the support of local legislators in the
state House and Senate, the deal was finalized in late
summer of 2007, creating the largest privately owned na-
ture preserve in southeastern PA. Natural Lands named
the preserve “ChesLen” to honor the generosity of both
Chester County and Gerry Lenfest.
Today, ChesLen Preserve has grown to 1,283 acres
through acquisition of neighboring properties, and is
home to one of the state’s most significant areas of
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Serpentine Barrens, a rare habitat that Natural Lands
has been working to restore over the past 10 years. With
miles of trails, a charming nature playground, and stun-
ning views, ChesLen attracts more than 60,000 visitors a
year. As Mr. Lenfest had envisioned, it has become both
a critical ecological asset and a popular destination for
people seeking the joys of nature.
opening the (flood)gates of support.
In the spring of last year, Stoneleigh: a natural garden
opened its gates to the public for the first time. The 42-
acre property—once the private home and estate of John
and Chara Haas—was donated to Natural Lands in 2016.
“Stoneleigh is unique among Natural Lands’ properties
in many ways,” Molly shared. “I viewed the grand opening
weekend as a new, exciting chapter for both this magnifi-
cent estate and for our organization.”
It should have been a time of celebration, of finishing
the final touches—installing a few more plants, putting
out the welcome mat—after years of navigating the
complexities of converting Stoneleigh from private es-
tate to public garden. Little did Molly and the rest of the
organization know what was to come.
Just three weeks before Stoneleigh’s opening, Lower
Merion School District announced its intention to
acquire some or all of the 42-acre property through em-
inent domain. Recognizing the profound threat, Natural
Lands quickly mobilized to raise community support to
“Save Stoneleigh!”
The response was overwhelming. Nearly 40,000 peti-
tion signatures, 3,000 yard signs and t-shirts emblazoned
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