Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape 2020 Mini-Grant Awards
Perkiomen Creek Water Trail Signage & Wayfinding
SHCL Grant: $15,000
Match: $50,000
Project Total: $65,000
The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy is placing over 100 signs along the Perkiomen Creek to guide and orient visitors and water users along the Perkiomen water trail. These signs include creek markers and creekside signage, bridge signage, and portage trail signage.
Rodale Institute Bicycle Share Program
SHCL Grant: $2,500
Match: $2,505
Project Total: $5,010
The Rodale Institute added a bike share program to increase recreational and educational opportunities for visitors to their 333-acre organic farm. This will significantly increase exposure to their educational experience at the farm. Five bicycles, helmets, electronic locking systems, and two storage racks to establish a bicycle share program across their 333-acre organic farm are being purchased. This program will provide new opportunities for education and recreation across the campus.
Althouse Arboretum Educational Signage and Trail Repairs
SHCL Grant: $5,000
Match: $5,000
Project Total: $10,000
Green Allies is adding to Althouse Arboretum’s educational potential by installing three educational circles signage near the organic farm, along the entrance to the children’s forest trail, and by the existing outdoor classroom. Trail repairs to the trails leading to these areas will also be restored.
Andrew Maier School Green Infrastructure Project
SHCL Grant: $8,000
Match: $8,000
Project Total: $16,000
A collaboration between Fleetwood Area School District, Berks Nature, and Maidencreek Township, the “Learning by Nature” project will provide educational opportunities to the community and students through the installation of a pollinator garden, the addition of native trees, a water monitoring station, a native vegetation meadow, bird feeders, and the removal of invasive species. A stormwater basin retrofit will also be installed with native shrubs.
Hawk Mountain Science-Driven Trail Stewardship
SHCL Grant: $9,000
Match: $9,000
Project Total: $18,000
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, in partnership with Dr. Thomas LaDuke, will study the movements of timber rattlesnakes, capture and install implants, and study the movement the findings from which will guide the stewardship of the iconic trail system at the world-famous Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Major goals will be to reduce visitor-snake interactions, protect critical wildlife habitats, and educate the public on science-based stewardship and this species. This information has led to the rerouting of some of the trails to avoid habitat sites.
Brecknock Township Pathways Native Pollinator Garden
SHCL Grant: $1,000
Match: $1,000
Project Total: $2,000
Brecknock Township, in collaboration with Pathways, Community Homeschool are establishing a pollinator plot with native plant species on an abandoned half-acre lot by the 1790’s Brubaker Homestead. Students will be leading the research and design process including the weeding and clearing of the field, selecting plant species to plant, and creating educational materials. This school campus project is located within a public park.
Horse-Shoe Trail Improvements at Welkinwier
SHCL Grant: $7,000
Match: $7,500
Project Total: $15,000
Within Welkinwier, the Horse-Shoe Trail Conservancy has rerouted a trail section to create a new switch-back section that will reduce some of the steep elevation, as well as work to prevent future water erosion from occurring along the Horse-Shoe Trail.
Schuylkill River Legacy Station
SHCL Grant: $1,500
Match: $1,500
Project Total: $3,000
The Schuylkill River Heritage Center will update, and prepare to be used by visitors, three of their interactive digital displays at the Schuylkill Heritage Foundry building.
Watershed Strategic Plans for Angelica, Hay, Maiden, and Tulpehocken Creeks, Berks County
SHCL Grant: $14,000
Match: $14,000
Project Total: $28,000
To support local watershed associations, Berks Nature is facilitating the creation of four watershed strategic plans. This will result in focused strategies, improved water data, enhanced community outreach, volunteer orientation, and “state of the watershed” baseline reports. This will improve the conservation of the natural resources in the watershed and the Schuylkill Highlands.
Fuller/Purcell and Khindri Preserves Signage
SHCL Grant: $8,000
Match: $8,190
Project Total: $16,190
Heritage Conservancy is designing, fabricating, and installing educational trail signage on its Fuller/Pursell and Khindri Preserves to enhance outreach and conservation efforts in the Cooks Creek Watershed and Quakertown Swamp regions of the Schuylkill Highlands. The trail signage will enhance the visitors’ connection to enjoying outdoor activities and the natural world.