Frank W. Preston (1896-1989) was an English-American engineer, ecologist, and conservationist. He helped found the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and worked to reclaim the land that is now Moraine State Park in Butler County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Preston was a leading expert in glass technology. He studied birds throughout his life and published papers on the shapes and pigmentation of birds eggs, the distribution of the heights of their nests and their migration patterns. Preston also wrote three major papers on the mathematical characteristics of ecological rarity and commonness.

Bob Shott of Penn Township heard a familiar story about a great Butler Township conservationist.

The storyteller, Polly Shaw, a local expert and author on the county's state parks, spoke about Frank Preston Tuesday, in a packed conference room at the State Parks Region 2 Office.

Shott, who knew the Prestons for more than 60 years, reflected on the history using pictures, maps and bullet points. Shott's father, Alex, was one of Frank Preston's first and longest-tenured employees.

“They saw me grow up because I was always there,” he said. “I worked for them when I was a teenager.”

After earning a law degree Shott served as an attorney and worked with Jane Preston on her will, which awarded the park — with special requirements — to Butler Township's care. He said the plantings, the landscaping and the energy invested into the property made it a great agreement for the township.

“Once she made the decision, she stuck to it,” he said. “Good faith on both sides resulted in a gem.”

Shott's mixture of personal and professional relationship with the Prestons allowed him to act as a fact-checker for Shaw's presentation.

“It was a very good. It was very accurate,” he said. “She's done her homework.”

Shaw, a former Seneca Valley elementary teacher, said Preston's birthplace had a lot to do with his discovery of the potential park in Butler County.

Anthony Stagno, a volunteer co-leader for the Monday Morning Maintenance Crew which cares for Preston Park, said the presentation represents the park's history well.

“She did a good job. There was a lot of information,” Stagno said. “She told me things I didn't know.”

Shott said Frank and Jane Preston's legacy will only flourish under the storytelling of Shaw and an informed new generation. He said the Prestons only ever wanted people to enjoy the nature that they cultivated.

“It's a gift to us, to this generation, and it's a gift that we need to evaluate it and continue with it,” Shott said.

Read more about Preston's history and legacy in Sunday's Butler Eagle.