ABOVE PHOTO: Volunteers participating during previous planting projects. (Photos courtesy PHS/Aqua Pennsylvania)
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) 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.” 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 provides 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 PA 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,” said Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “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”
“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 and Envirothon coordinator for the Montgomery County Conservation District.
“Forests, especially those along waterways, are critical for protecting water quality,” said Chris Crockett, vice president, chief environmental, safety and sustainability officer for essential utilities. “Thanks to the many community partners working on this program, we have re-planted well over a thousand acres to enhance the protection of our drinking water sources for generations to come.”
To learn more about PHS’s Trees for Watersheds Grant Program, visit: https://phsonline.org/TreesforWatersheds.
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)
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