The Heart of Summer

We’ve reached the heart of summer in Marshallton, with warm evenings, thriving gardens, and skies full of stars (and fireflies!). While these sunny days feel endless, we know they’ll pass in the blink of an eye.

This month’s newsletter invites you to share your voice in the West Bradford Township Survey, circle September’s Art in Marshallton event on your calendar, and learn more in our continuing series on light pollution and its impact on migrating birds and pollinators. As we savor these fleeting summer days together, we hope you'll read on, get involved, and stay connected to the care and beauty of our village.

Community Spotlight:

Township Survey

Have a few minutes to help shape the future of West Bradford Township? The Township is inviting residents to share their thoughts through a short community survey, open now through August 7. Your feedback will help guide future projects, improvements, and priorities—ensuring they reflect what matters most to the people who call West Bradford home.

Township Survey

Save the Date:

Art in Marshallton

The Village of Marshallton is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Art in Marshallton: En Plein Air Painting Event, happening Friday, September 26 through Sunday, September 28. This beloved tradition brings together artists, photographers, nature lovers, and neighbors to celebrate the beauty of our village in the open air. The weekend will feature outdoor painting sessions on Friday and Saturday, followed by an Art Show & Reception on Sunday afternoon. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!

Art in Marshallton

Conservation Corner:

Light Pollution

Photo: Natural Lands/Edward Harding

Each spring and fall, millions of birds travel the Atlantic Flyway—right over Marshallton—navigating at night by the stars and moon. Artificial lighting from homes, businesses, and streetlamps can confuse these nocturnal migrants, drawing them off course, causing exhausting detours, or leading to collisions with windows and buildings. But birds aren’t the only ones affected.

Monarch butterflies rely on natural light cues to guide their multi-generational migrations. Artificial light can throw off their internal compass, leading to mistimed or misdirected flights that put them at risk.

Fireflies use bioluminescent flashes to find mates on summer nights, but bright outdoor lighting can drown out their signals, leading to fewer successful pairings and contributing to population declines.

Bats, vital for controlling insect populations, often avoid brightly lit areas. This can cut them off from prime feeding grounds and expose them to predators, especially when lights are placed near their roosts.

The good news is that communities across the country are responding through Lights Out programs—simple efforts to reduce unnecessary outdoor lighting during migration seasons. By turning off decorative and nonessential lights from April 1–May 31 in the spring and August 15–November 15 in the fall, especially between midnight and 6 a.m., we can dramatically reduce harm to wildlife. Studies have shown these efforts can cut bird fatalities by up to 80% in some areas.

As fall migration begins in mid-August, we invite Marshallton residents to join us in a community-wide Lights Out effort—a simple step that saves energy, protects wildlife, and preserves the quiet beauty of our night skies.

Learn More