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Walter

Property Description:

This 28-acre reserve parallels Weistertown Road for about a quarter mile about halfway between Evans and Hilty Road. The land slopes gently north to south with two shallow ravines and is 90% wooded. When first acquired, the reserve was surrounded by wooded property on all sides. These surrounding buffer zones make the Walter Reserve one of the wildest places in Murrysville with some unique features. Two small white pine plantations provide nesting and roosting habitat for hawks and owls. A small intermittent stream is flanked by a community of pawpaw trees, one of only two places they are known to grow in Murrysville. A small meadow at the pinnacle of the property is rich in summer and fall wildflowers and home to two uncommonly seen species in this region - rose pink (Sabatia augularis) and clammy cuphea (Cuphea petiolata). Not far from the meadow is a vernal pond. A nice stand of rue anemone borders the stream and among them are the only trout lilies found anywhere on the conservancy properties.
This reserve features a circular parking lot along Weistertown Road with a complete loop trail in addition to serving as the easternmost trailhead along the Don Harrison Community Trail. The majority of the reserve is in a middle stage of secondary succession with lots of blooming dogwood in the spring. Murrysville Community Park is adjacent to this reserve. 

 

Property History:

One of the parcels of land referred to us by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy was a 29-acre parcel that had been a part of farm owned by Patricia Walter's grandparents. Ms. Walter gave it to the Westmoreland Conservancy as a beneficial gift.

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Wiestertown Road, north of Murrysville Community Park

​N 40° 27.427  W 079° 37.059

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