Nature preserve in Hellam Township named in honor of Robert A. Kinsley. How to visit it
A nearly 800-acre nature preserve in Hellam Township has been named in honor of the late Robert A. Kinsley, according to a news release from the Lancaster County Conservancy.
The Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve, which is part of the Hellam Hills Conservation Area, features streams, wetlands and forests, the release states. It includes Buzzards Roost, an overlook with views of the Susquehanna River, and Wildcat Bluff, a towering rock outcropping.
Kinsley, who founded Kinsley Construction, helped to save 103 acres of forested land to add to the 587-acre Hellam Hills Nature Preserve when the tract suddenly came up for auction in 2018, the release states. The conservancy did not have time to raise money to buy it with only two weeks notice.
Phil Wenger, former president and CEO of the conservancy, called Kinsley to ask if he could help to buy the property.
“Bob attended the auction incognito, staying out of sight, and he bought the property on behalf of the Conservancy, as we texted back and forth during the bidding," Wenger said in the release. "He then donated a large percentage of the purchase back to the Conservancy. He was delighted we were protecting one of the last truly wild areas of York County.”
Kinsley as a youth rode his horse into the area now preserved
Members of the Kinsley family shared that some of the business entrepreneur's happiest moments were being in nature. His wife, Anne Whalen Kinsley, recalled how he enjoyed riding a horse across the farm, hiking with his dogs, or walking along a trout stream, according to the release.
"He was completely committed to land preservation, and I believe he would be especially proud that by preserving this land, it will be available to anyone who, like him, treasures the opportunities to experience it,” she said in the release.
Kinsley lived in Wrightsville during his youth, and "he loved to tell the story of riding his horse along the Susquehanna up to Wildcat Falls, into the area that will now bear his name," the release states.
The conservancy says it named the nature preserve after Kinsley to recognize his enduring contribution to York County and the broader community.
“My grandpa faithfully sought to improve the quality of life for his employees and his community. He believed that people find inspiration and happiness while in nature, just as he did, so he always strived to preserve nature for the benefit of others. These attributes are what I have learned to respect most about my grandpa, and I hope to help continue his mission throughout my life,” said Robert (Bobby) M. Kinsley, a conservancy board member.
The Hellam Hills Conservation Area, which includes the nature preserve, stretches from north of Wrightsville to the Codorus Creek.
From the archives: Robert A. Kinsley started with a pickup and tractor. He built a business empire.
How to visit the Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve
Fritz Schroeder, president and CEO of the conservancy, said in the release that the location offers "several beautiful trails and two vistas of the Susquehanna River. This is a preserve you must visit!"
To visit the Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve, park along the shoulder at the intersection of Furnace and Chimney Rock roads.
To access the Mason-Dixon Trail, park along the shoulder at the intersection of Furnace Road and River Drive.
Visitors are reminded to not block the road and to respect the preserve's neighbors, the release states.
The conservancy plans to build additional parking and trails while also restoring the ecological health of the preserve over the next two years, the release states.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Nature preserve in York County PA named in honor of Robert A. Kinsley
