PA Horticultural Society, Aqua Pennsylvania Award Over $210,000 In Tree Planting Grants To Local Environmental Groups

On June 10, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in collaboration with Aqua Pennsylvania, and local conservation districts, are joining forces to announce the 2024 grant recipients of their vital tree planting grant program, “Trees for Watersheds.” 

2024 Trees for Watersheds Grant Awardees

Bucks County

     -- Heritage Conservancy (two project grants)

     -- Warrington Township

Chester County

     -- Borough of Downingtown

     -- East Whiteland Township

     -- Natural Lands, ChesLen Preserve

Delaware County

     -- Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association (two project grants)

     -- Darby Creek Valley Association

     -- Haverford Township Parks & Recreation (three project grants)

Montgomery County

     -- Audubon Mid-Atlantic

     -- Variety - the Children's Charity of the Delaware Valley

     -- Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

     -- Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy (ten project grants)

     -- Riverbend Environmental Education Center

     -- Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership

Philadelphia

     -- Audubon Mid-Atlantic

     -- Fairmount Park Conservancy (two project grants)

Formally known as "TreeVitalize Watersheds," the “Trees for Watersheds” grant program provides crucial funding to help plant trees and shrubs along waterways and in other areas to help keep vital waterways in Southeastern Pennsylvania clean.

Since 2005, PHS has collaborated with these local partners to reforest stream corridors, termed “riparian buffers,” and other areas. Increased tree canopy helps improve water quality and provide additional environmental benefits such as improved air quality. 

These trees and shrubs help protect the quality of drinking water resources by stabilizing stream banks, cooling temperatures, soaking up contaminated stormwater runoff, and recharging groundwater supplies.

Through the support of PHS Tree Tenders, volunteers, grants from the DEP Growing Greener Funds, and Aqua, an Essential Utilities Company, the program’s grantees have been able to plant more than 213,000 native trees and shrubs in Southeastern Pennsylvania including within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Since the “Trees for Watersheds” grant program's inception, PHS has supported community and non-profit groups to plant these vital trees and shrubs. 

Aqua has been a key partner and funder of the program, investing more than $1.9 million to date for tree planting projects in the company’s customer service and source water protection areas. 

By leveraging the expertise of PHS and the local county conservation districts, the program can get funding and other resources in the hands of community partners doing on-the-ground work to restore tree canopy and improve water quality. 

Communities where the projects take place also benefit from reduced air pollution, enhanced open space, and improved wildlife habitat.

The grants allow partner organizations to leverage a wide array of resources where entire communities can come together to expand tree canopy. 

One program spearheaded by Upper Darby Township along Darby Creek brought together the efforts of the Township’s public works crew, hundreds of hours of planting support from residents, and members of the Upper Darby Tree Tenders group, and even a hired herd of goats to help clear invasive plants in advance of the planting. 

In 2023, the Trees for Watersheds grant helped this group plant 145 trees.

“At the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, we're thrilled to be a part of the ‘Trees for Watersheds’ program alongside Aqua and our other partners. By supporting local communities in planting trees in these crucial watershed areas, we're not only ensuring cleaner water for all, but also creating vital wildlife habitat and advancing health and well-being for all. This program is a testament to the power of PHS’s expertise in uniting people, government, and stakeholders under a shared vision for how horticulture advances communities. We're excited to see the lasting impact these trees will have on our environment” said Matt Rader, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

“The Trees for Watersheds grant program has been a tremendous asset towards helping the Montgomery County Conservation District work toward its mission to protect and improve the quality of life of the residents of Montgomery County and surrounding communities by providing (in cooperation with others) timely and efficient service, education, and technical guidance for the wise use of our soil, water, and related resources,” said Brian J. Vadino, Watershed Specialist / Envirothon Coordinator For the Montgomery County Conservation District.

Visit the PHS Trees for Watersheds webpage for more information on this program.  Media questions should be directed to: Sin Gogolak, SGogolak@pennhort.org or  215-988-1631 or Kathryn Ford, Printern1@pennhort.org. 

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PA Horticultural Society website, Like PHS on Facebook, Join PHS on Instagram and Follow on Twitter.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from PHS.  Click Here to become a member.

NewsClip:

-- Bucks County Herald: Heritage Conservancy, Warrenton Twp. Tree Planting Grants From Horticultural Society

[Posted: June 13, 2024]  PA Environment Digest