Friends and colleagues in the Upper Delaware River region’s conservation community have something very special to celebrate this month—the 100th birthday of the woman many, like me, would …
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Friends and colleagues in the Upper Delaware River region’s conservation community have something very special to celebrate this month—the 100th birthday of the woman many, like me, would name as their personal heroine and the inspiration for their own efforts on behalf of the beautiful and vital natural resources that are Barbara Yeaman’s lifetime legacy.
Yeaman first experienced the Delaware River in the late ‘70s, and like many fateful encounters, the ensuing course of events would prove to be the stuff of which legends are made. Eventually, she would nest upon its Pennsylvania flank in an old Milanville farmhouse on property that would receive one of the earliest conservation easements for the Delaware Highlands Conservancy (DHC), the nonprofit she founded at the age of 70 in 1994.
It was there she realized that to protect the Delaware River would require protection of the lands on either side—an initiative that set the stage for the birth of the land trust whose legacy continues to evolve. The fledgling organization launched by Yeaman and a small group of dedicated volunteers took flight over time and today protects more than 19,000 acres of farms and forests, clean waters, and wildlife habitat.
“She’s the stealth bomber of conservation causes,” asserted former DHC board president Greg Belcamino when Yeaman was presented with the prestigious Pennsylvania Land Trust Association’s (PALTA) Lifetime Conservation Leadership Award. “That’s how Barbara gets things done: quietly, never drawing attention to herself. She flies beneath the radar and always accomplishes her mission, although she seldom takes credit for it. Once she speaks, you have to listen and it’s almost impossible to say no.”
On receiving the award, Yeaman shared a fitting quote from “When Women Were Birds,” by Terry Tempest Williams. “The world is already split open and it is in our destiny to heal it, each in our own way, each in our own time, with gifts that are ours.”
Yeaman was also recognized with an Environmental Partnership Award by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and received the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Ralph W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award.
Throughout her life, Yeaman has championed land, water and habitat conservation, as well as education. Born near Pittsburgh, PA, her career took her across the U.S. Yeaman served as a water conservation coordinator at the EPA in Washington, D.C., where she oversaw the production of films and educational materials. During World War II, she earned her pilot’s license to qualify for the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots.
She credits her partner, Ed Wesely, with introducing her to the river that would become the focus of her most important activist work ever. The pair established the Butterfly Barn at the property to teach families about the natural world through puppet shows and educational programming.
Over time, Yeaman saw the conservancy earn accreditation from the national Land Trust Alliance’s Accreditation Commission, merge successfully with the renowned Eagle Institute and establish the Green Lodging Partnership Program, which promotes sustainable tourism in the region. (Visit delawarehighlands.org to learn more about the DHC and the 144-acre Van Scott Nature Reserve in Beach Lake, PA. That serves as the headquarters of the DHC and is home to a wide variety of programs and activities).
Yeaman, who celebrated her milestone birthday on December 16, leaves an inspiring legacy. “I don’t think there’s been anyone more self-effacing and effective,” said Belcamino. “Those who know her work in land conservation have nothing but admiration for her commitment to the cause and nothing but astonishment for the time and energy that she’s put into it.”
For Yeaman, it’s a matter of action. “If you don’t take a crack at something, it may never get done,” she said. “This has taken off beyond my wildest dreams.”
In honor of Barbara’s 100th birthday and the decades she has dedicated to protecting regional lands and waters, the DHC is establishing the Barbara Yeaman Fund for Land Conservation. Visit www.delawarehighlands.org/conservancy-founder-celebrates-100th-birthday to contribute to the fund that will keep our inspiring heroine’s vision alive and thriving.
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