These grants—which range from $1,000 to $15,000—support innovative projects that enhance natural resource conservation, outdoor recreation, and community engagement across the six-county Schuylkill Highlands region.
This year, 11 projects were awarded a total of $98,300 in funding. The selected initiatives reflect the program’s commitment to:
-- Connecting residents and visitors to the outdoors;
-- Encouraging nature-based tourism and sustainable economies;
-- Promoting land, water, and greenway conservation; and
-- Supporting local partnerships and leveraging regional impact.
“We are thrilled to support these community-driven efforts that align with the Schuylkill Highlands’ vision of a connected, sustainable, and accessible landscape,” said Estelle Wynn Dolan, Schuylkill Highlands program manager. “These projects will have a lasting impact on the region’s ecological health and quality of life, as well as providing residents and visitors with access to our outdoor resources.”
2025 grant recipients include:
-- Borough of Denver, Lancaster County – $7,000 – Denver Skatepark Greenway Native Planting – installing two native species planting areas adjacent to Denver Skatepark
-- Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust – $14,825 – Frog Hollow Natural Meadow Accessibility – providing ADA access to the Frog Hollow Nature Area education site and historic farmstead along the Colebrookdale Railroad and Ironstone Creek
-- Historic Trappe – $15,000 – Enhancing the Perkiomen Trail: Creating the “Liberty Trail” to Historic Trappe – creating the “Liberty Trail,” a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly route connecting the Perkiomen Trail to four historic sites, to include signage, picnic tables, and bicycle racks
-- Borough of Wyomissing, Berks County – $8,000 – Wyomissing Parklands Improvements
-- East Coventry Township, Chester County – $10,000 – Towpath Park Signage
-- Heritage Conservancy – $15,000 – Deer Exclosure and Educational Resources at Heritage Conservancy’s Fuller-Pursell Preserve
-- Historic Yellow Springs – $2,500 – Discovering Yellow Springs: A Campus of Curiosity
-- Lower Salford Township – $12,720 – Drinking Water Access Stations for Trail & Park Connectivity
-- Rodale Institute – $6,060 – Soil and Water Quality Assessment for Vulnerable Zones Prior to Riparian Buffer Installation
-- Schuylkill River Heritage Center – $1,200 – Creating a Better Green Park
-- Washington Memorial Heritage – $5,995 – Washington Memorial Heritage Interpretive and Wayfinding Signage Project
The Schuylkill Highlands Mini-Grant Program is a reimbursement grant program funded by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and administered by Natural Lands.
Grants are open to municipalities, nonprofits, watershed associations, and friends groups with a tax-exempt status and registered with the Bureau of Charities.
The program is made possible through funding from DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) and is designed to empower local organizations, municipalities, and nonprofits to implement high-impact conservation and recreation projects.
The Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape was established in 2006 by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and is administered by Natural Lands.
This public-private partnership focuses on the region where the Schuylkill River watershed intersects with the Pennsylvania Highlands and includes all of Berks County and portions of Lebanon, Lancaster, Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks Counties.
Within this landscape, partners work strategically to develop value-driven, place-based approaches to sustain and protect the landscape and to connect residents and visitors to the opportunities it provides.
The Schuylkill Highlands partnership is open to and includes leaders from local, county, and state government, land and water conservation organizations, nonprofit organizations, and consultants.
[Posted: July 8, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments :
Post a Comment