Birds, blooms prosper at Unity nature preserve; master site plan in the wings

At least two bluebird chicks have fledged and a sea of black-eyed Susan blooms have peaked at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve along Route 30 in Unity.

They’re signs of the new life that has flourished on the 248 acres since the site of a former Catholic academy and convent — destroyed by fire in 1972 — has come under the stewardship of the Westmoreland Land Trust.

Assisted by landscape architect Richard Rauso, the nonprofit is considering its next steps as it works on a master plan for the property that is open to the public for walking. It is to the west of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.

“Our objective has been to retain the natural beauty and environmental quality of the site while incorporating a parking area and other amenities to make visits more enjoyable for the public,” said Betsy Aiken, executive director of the Land Trust.

She said the vision for the preserve includes retaining paved walkways through the “Grove” — trees that were planted decades ago with the help of academy students.

“There will be a network of farm roads and rustic trails throughout the property,” Aiken said.

Members of the public are invited to weigh in on a preliminary master plan for the preserve during input sessions set for 3 to 4:30 and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7. The sessions will be held at the preserve’s Bellbrook, a rehabilitated Civil War-era home that was used as a guest house by the Sisters of Mercy — the previous owners of the property who ran the academy.

The Sisters of Mercy retained a cemetery where many of its members are buried, and the Land Trust acquired the remaining bulk of the site in August 2022. The intent is to focus on perpetual conservation of the location’s natural resources, according to Aiken.

This summer, the property’s transformation into a preserve became apparent as perennial wildflowers planted the previous fall came into their own. The brilliance of yellow black-eyed Susan petals faded with the onset of August, making way for goldenrods’ textured hue to come.

The Land Trust planted 100 acres of native grasses and wildflowers, with emphasis on eye appeal for passing motorists.

“We made a point of including a higher proportion of the wildflower seed for those areas with high visibility from Route 30,” said Aiken.

The trust also created two small wildflower gardens in the Grove, along St. Xavier Road.

In the fall of 2022, the trust planted 2,380 trees and more than 600 shrubs in buffer areas extending 180 feet back from either side of the preserve’s waterways: Monastery Run and its tributaries. Students from Greater Latrobe Senior High helped to tend the young growth, and the trust engaged local farmers to maintain some meadows.

About 80 acres of the land is enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which helped with the cost of the plantings. The local Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation also provided funding.

For 15 years, the federal program will make an annual payment of more than $14,000 to help with mowing and other maintenance, Aiken said.

Fauna also have received a boost at the preserve. The trust partnered with staff and students at nearby Saint Vincent College and a local Girl Scout group to install several boxes as dwellings for bluebirds, owls and bats. The boxes and their winged denizens can be observed in real time thanks to wildlife cameras installed by PixCams of Export.

“One box was active with a bluebird family,” Aiken said.

The preserve has attracted outings by groups such as the Westmoreland Bird and Nature Club. Land Trust board member and conservation biologist Andy Mack is slated to lead birding programs and walks at the site.

Aging infrastructure on the property also is receiving attention through volunteer efforts.

Joined by a few others, Dr. Bernard Scherer of Blairsville, a retired physician and former St. Xavier student, is restoring the stone walls of a secluded grotto in a wooded area not far from the cemetery.

“The nuns used to have evening walks down there and the kids would take field trips there,” said Scherer. “There’s a natural spring that comes out of the field and comes sloping down into the grotto.

“The walls are starting to cave in and the forest partly reclaimed it. We’re trying to bring it back to where it’s at least structurally sound.”

Having pursued masonry projects at his home, Scherer said when the trust put out a call for volunteers, “It seemed like a natural fit. I had recently retired from medical practice after nearly 40 years, and I was looking for something to do.”

Contributing about 50 hours of labor, Scherer helped to rebuild a crumbling brick and stone wellhead near the grotto. “I was able to recover some stone that washed into a nearby stream,” he said.

When late-summer temperatures cool down a bit, the volunteers plan to work on the grotto itself, he said. The grotto supports the statue of a female saint.

“It’s not in bad shape because it’s facing away from exposure to the weather and it’s protected from ice and driving rain,” Scherer said of the statue.

A gazebo near Bellbrook that had decay is getting a new lease on life as part of a local Eagle Scout project.

“We’ll use it to host nature and children’s programs and for other events, and for people to come and enjoy a picnic in a beautiful setting,” said Aiken.

Additional volunteer help is welcomed at the property, and arrangements can be made to tour Bellbrook.

For more information, email westmorelandlandtrust@gmail.com or call 724-325-3031.