Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape awards over $86K in grants to support conservation, recreation, and education in Lehigh Valley
(Easton, June 6) Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape has announced new awards totaling more than $86,000 in mini grants to advance the goals of land conservation and restoration, outdoor recreation, community revitalization through green infrastructure, and environmental education throughout the two-county region of Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program is a reimbursement grant program funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and administered by the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (DLNHC). The purpose of the Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program is to protect and promote natural resources through the implementation of ready-to-go, single-year projects.
The 2023 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant application period closed on March 16 and attracted a large group of applications requesting just shy of $120,000. Lehigh Valley Greenways has awarded $86,500 in support of 13 projects.
2023 Mini Grant Recipients
- Borough of Northampton, $3,000, to support the design and installation of Memorial Monarch Butterfly Gardens at Canal Park in Northampton Borough, in accordance with guidelines provided by Monarch Watch Monarch Waystation Program.
- Bushkill Township, $1,800, to support Bushkill Township Official Map update.
- Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, $4,300, to support the “Everybody Rides LV 2023!”, a guided bike-ride program with community partners.
- Community Bike Works, $10,000, to support Youth Bike Education through workshops with a focus on sustainability and healthy living.
- Hellertown Borough, $10,000, to support restoration of the tree canopy in the woodlands along the western edge of the Saucon Rail Trail bordering Saucon Creek.
- Lehigh Carbon Community College, $6,900, to support delivery of Field Biology classes to ten Promise Corps participants in collaboration with Promise Neighborhoods.
- Lehigh County Conservation District, $4,700, to support the improvement of a pocket park adjacent to Trout Creek Harrison St. Trailhead, installing a pollinator garden, nature journaling benches, wooden cave, magnifying station, boulders, tree stump seating, edible and aromatic native trees and shrubs, and signage.
- Lehigh County Conservation District, $10,000, to support stabilization and fish enhancement along 730’ of the Little Lehigh Creek in the Lehigh Parkway, upstream of the Lil Le Hi Fish Hatchery in Allentown.
- Lower Mount Bethel Township, $10,000, to support the installation of a vegetated swale at Centerfield School Park and Municipal Complex.
- Upper Macungie Township, $10,000, to support improvements at Grange Park, including planting of over 30 mature trees and installation of double-sided outdoor information board and publication racks.
- Valley Mountain Bikers, $7,600, to support the production and installation of maps and welcome kiosks at five major mountain bike trail systems across Lehigh and Northampton counties.
- Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, $3,200, to support the production of illustrated Lehigh Valley watershed maps in poster and brochure-sized formats.
- Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, $5,000 to support a Walnutport Buffer Walking Tour installation with demonstration plots on a D&L Trail spur.
To learn more about Lehigh Valley Greenways, visit: www.lvgreenways.org
The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that preserves the historic pathway that carried coal and iron from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol. Through key programs like the D&L Trail, National Canal Museum, and Get Your Tail on the Trail, DLNHC connects people to nature, culture, communities, recreation, and our industrial heritage. For more information, visit delawareandlehigh.org/.
2023 Mini Grant Award Ceremonies
(Pictured above – left to right beginning at top: Lehigh County Conservation District, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County Conservation District, Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley (Bertsch-Hokendauqua-Catasauqua Watershed Association), Bushkill Township, Hellertown Borough, Coalition for Appropriate Transporation, Lower Mount Bethel Township)
