Originally posted in Linn Log Winter/Spring 2026 Newsletter
Written by Chris Stowe
The Merrill W. Linn Land & Waterways Conservancy is proud to announce the acquisition of its newest conservation easement. The protected property is the beautiful Rippon Manor – a landscape familiar to many as the setting for the Conservancy’s annual Spring Soirée, yet one whose significance extends far beyond its role as a gathering place.
Rippon Manor includes four acres old-growth forest, a rare remnant in Pennsylvania, where intensive logging has shaped much of the state’s landscape. The property also contains wetlands that provide essential habitat for six species of amphibians, underscoring its ecological importance. Biodiversity surveys to date have documented 164 plant species, 114 bird species, and 14 species of butterflies and moths, reflecting a healthy and thriving ecosystem.
In addition to its natural value, Rippon Manor preserves elements of historic land use, including traditional hedgerows and trees planted to commemorate America’s bicentenial fifty years ago – living markers of both cultural and environmental history.
Landowner Thom Rippon, who has stewarded the property for decades, describes his long-standing commitment to conservation and the philosophy behind protecting Rippon manor in perpetuity:
“Nature enhancement and preservation were important to me even before I purchased my 90-acre farm 50 years ago. I immediately removed some tillable acreage from agricultural production and over time, I created, or allowed Nature to create, various habitats, land and water. I have consulted spiritually with the flora and fauna on the farm and we agree that, given certain behaviors of the human species, preserving on an historic farm these natural habitats in perpetuity is our Ethic. My vision of 50 years ago, and my current viewscape into the future, are flowering with the help of the good folk of Linn Conservancy. Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution grants to the people of the Commonwealth the Right to ‘the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.’ My Conservation Easement legally and ethically perfects that Right.”
The Conservancy is honored to partner with Thom Rippon to ensure that Rippon Manor’s ecological, scenic, and historic values are protected for generations to come.
About Merrill W. Linn Conservancy
The mission of the Merrill Linn Conservancy is to preserve and protect significant ecological sites in Union, upper Northumberland, and neighboring counties and to engage the public on conservation issues critical to the health of our environment.
The Merrill Linn Conservancy will, through our Linking Landscapes Initiative, significantly enhance habitat and wildlife protection by measurably increasing the number and extent of protected natural spaces and ecosystem corridors in our service area; engage measurable numbers of residents in the Conservancy’s mission and work and encourage them to actively appreciate and nourish their connections with the natural environment we share; develop the long-term capacity, in terms of both financial and human resources, to accomplish our ongoing vision and mission.
