Park upgrades can be costly and feel overwhelming, especially for smaller municipalities. DCNR’s Small Communities Program caters to these municipalities. It offers lower-match grants for municipalities with populations of 5,000 or fewer. The Small Communities Program encourages breaking large projects into several phases. Spreading your project over several years helps keep costs below funding limits, and it […]
Read
After more than a year of construction, state and local leaders recently cut the ribbon on the new Chutes and Ladders Playground at Reservoir Park in Harrisburg. “Our parks are the cornerstone of our community,” said Harrisburg Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams. “Thirty years from now, the children here today will tell their children about the time their […]
ReadThis is a detailed list of projects (PDF) funded by this year’s round of Keystone Historic Preservation Grants. The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) has awarded $2.58 million in Keystone Historic Preservation grants to help historical and heritage organizations, museums, and local governments in 21 counties. The commission awarded 48 grants selected from 101 […]
Read
Officials in Upper Salford Township recently celebrated the opening of the Park to Perkiomen Trail Connector. They cut the ribbon on the 1.3-mile trail earlier this month. “It’s wonderful to go from imagination to vision to plans,” said Ted Poatsy, Upper Salford Township Supervisor, at the ribbon cutting. “We’re so happy that we have an asset, […]
Read
Clifford Township in Susquehanna County recently expanded its Township Community Park thanks in part to a DCNR grant. The East Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek flows through the park. The land acquisition adds 11 acres and another 1,000 feet of creek frontage to the facility. The township also installed a new pedestrian bridge to improve […]
Read
Hoffer Park, a popular recreation spot in Middletown, reopened April 1st, 2023. The years-long park renovation, funded in part through Keystone Fund dollars, involved the design of playground implements that evoke the visuals of numerous local landmarks. Middletown is home to Penn State Harrisburg, Harrisburg International Airport, and Three Mile Island (TMI), the now-closed nuclear […]
Read
Natural Lands announced the preservation of approximately 106 acres in New Garden Township, Chester County. The land, formerly the site of the Loch Nairn Golf Club, was purchased by the Township for use as a passive-recreation park, which is slated to open to the public in 2024. Conversion of the land from a golf course […]
Read
Malvern Borough in Chester County recently cut the ribbon on improvements at Horace J. Quann Park. The park, described by Chester County Commissioners as a treasured gem for the community, has an updated basketball court, baseball field, sidewalk, fencing, and trees. The Malvern Environmental Advisory Council also added a rain garden to the park to […]
Read
Wesleyville Borough in Erie County has a new playground thanks in part to a $79,100 DCNR grant. Funding came from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. The Borough also received a $79,100 Community Development Block Grant from Erie County to provide the matching funds toward the new play equipment at Memorial Park. This project rehabilitated […]
Read
As a runner and as an officer of the Indiana Road Runners Club, the parks and trails created and maintained by Indiana County are very important to me and to my fellow club members. Our parks and trails provide us with beautiful natural areas where we can run, walk, and bike safely. Facilities in the parks and along the trails provide water and restrooms for those of us doing long training runs.
Read
On my first day, I was taken aback when I realized that this oasis existed. To say that I was genuinely surprised would be an understatement. I could not believe that Philadelphia has this large space which so many residents were unaware of. I wanted to get the word out, to get people to come to Awbury and see the great things that the arboretum offers. In my first few months there, every day that I came to work I would see something different. Whether it was a homeschool class participating in an activity outside, a new artist gallery in the Cope House, or exploring a new part of Awbury, there was always something new.
Read
Back when my sons were younger and playing Connie Mack and American Legion Baseball, I spent nearly every evening – most of spring, all of summer, and a good way into fall – at the park, sitting in the snack stand of the baseball field. The park is my favorite place to be deep in the fall, when the leaves have changed and everything is all reds and golds and oranges.
Read
Riding my bicycle on the Hoodlebug Trail in Indiana County is beneficial in many ways. It provides me and many others equal opportunity recreational riding. I appreciate that anyone–regardless of physical condition, age, gender, or type of bike–can use the trail at their pace and feel they are in a safe place doing so. There is community value in being able to greet others on the trail doing activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional health.
Read
Having Vincentian allows us the opportunity to maintain the fields and grounds in terrific condition and is an overwhelming improvement to the quality of play. The fields are utilized every day throughout our spring and fall season and provide a tremendous sense of team-building and friendships for our youth and a true sense of community for our adults.
Read
In my time at High School Park, I have seen its wildlife diversity and habitat value markedly increase because of this work. Resident birders have reported almost four times the amount of migratory birds using the park now. Fox have been seen roaming the meadow trails and resident hawks are a near-constant presence. This past spring, I spotted a bald eagle in the creek while walking my dog. All this points to greater diversity and better stormwater management in our community.
Read
For a quarter-century, I have been censusing the birds that nest and breed in a 40-acre woods in the Pennypack Preserve. On eight mornings at the end of May and beginning of June, I have awoken at the crack of dawn, wolfed down a quick snack, power-walked 20 minutes to the tract, and then begun censusing. For the next three hours and ten minutes, I have scanned the trees with my binoculars and pricked up my ears to catch the slightest hint of birdsong.
Read
My friends and family frequently ride the trail into Martic and Conestoga townships. Eventually the trail will expand east toward Atglen and west toward Manor Township. My brother Jeff and I ride the trail together, and in the winter months we use the trail to cross-country ski and snowshoe. Every year we see an increase in summer and winter use of the trail. My wife and daughters use the trail on foot as well as wheels, and our family dogs enjoy the trail as much as we do!
Read
When Gettysburg High School was built in 1999, there was no safe way to walk or bicycle to the new high school. That changed with the NGT, a real community upgrade. The trail gets a lot of use from people enjoying a stroll out to the high school, as well as joggers and bicyclists. Personally, I enjoy the sight of young children and moms with strollers.
Read
I and many other Pittsburghers have been lucky enough to grow up with Frick Park in our backyards. As a child I spent nearly every day in the park walking and biking to school, exploring, and playing. I was astounded when I learned that Frick Park draws people in from all over the region and the world.
Read
When Ambrose and I met, it was such a joy to find out how much he liked being in nature. He started to join the hikes and together we found new areas of Fairmount Park to explore. Now, for meditation hikes, he leads the hike portion. It has been great to collaborate with him in that project and also in life (we recently got married at Valley Green Inn). For us, the parks continue to be a source of rejuvenation: a way for us to connect with nature, and with each other.
Read
