In honor of this year’s EarthWeek theme: Invest in Our Planet, PECO is proud to announce the 23 municipalities and nonprofits across the Greater Philadelphia region that will receive a combined $150,000 in funding courtesy of PECO’s Green Region Open Space program. The 23 funded projects include:
- In Bucks County, enhancing ADA accessibility of the Five Mile Woods Nature Preserve; new tree plantings in parks in Warwick Township; and restoration efforts in Warrington Township.
- In Chester County, restoration, rehabilitation and preservation efforts of the St. Anthony’s in the Hills Trail and the Valley Creek Nature Preserve; increased learning and recreational opportunities in East Fallowfield Township parks; and construction of the Independence Park in East Vincent Township.
- In Delaware County, extending ADA accessibility in Edgmont Township Community Park and the Newtown Township Meadow Preserve and Liseter Trail; and the restoration and rejuvenation of underused spaces at two locations in Brookhaven Township.
- In Montgomery County, enhancements at Crow Creek and Schuylkill River West Trail, Whites Road Park, Briarwyck Park, and, along with ADA accessibility, at Skymount Lake.
- And in Philadelphia County, tree planting and reforestation at The Woodlands and the Grays Ferry Crescent Trail and Greenway; and enhancements in Wissahickon Valley Park, Cook Wissahickon Pocket Park, and FDR Park’s Pattison Lagoon.
In partnership with Natural Lands, PECO’s Green Region Open Space program awards grants for efforts to preserve, protect and improve open space in Southeastern Pennsylvania; and since 2004, PECO has provided more than $2.4 million in Green Region Open Space grants. This continued investment in powering a cleaner and brighter future for PECO customers and communities is a key component of PECO’s Path to Clean, which includes a goal to reduce our operations-based emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
“This year’s Earth Week calls on us all to act boldly, innovate broadly, and implement equitably. At PECO, I am proud to say that we live by this directive every day,” said Mike Innocenzo, PECO president and CEO. “PECO works in partnership with community organizations and agencies across the Greater Philadelphia region to power a cleaner and brighter future and combat climate change for our customers and communities by investing in tree preservation, expanding our region’s urban tree canopy, enhancing environmental equity, and increasing access to open spaces. Our Green Region Open Space program is one of the primary vehicles by which we get this work done.”
Totaling $150,000, the full list of 2023 grantees include:
- Bucks County: Lower Makefield Township, Warrington Township, and Warwick Township
- Chester County: East Fallowfield Township, East Vincent Township, London Grove Township, New Garden Township, and Tredyffrin Township
- Delaware County: Brookhaven Township, Edgmont Township, the Borough of Narberth, and Newtown Township
- Montgomery County: The Borough of Lansdale, Lower Salford Township, Marlborough Township, the Borough of Pottstown, and Upper Merion Township
- Philadelphia: Awbury Arboretum, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Friends of the Wissahickon, Schuylkill River Development Corporation, Wissahickon Sustainability Council, and The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation
For more information about eligibility and the grant application process for the PECO Green Region Open Space program and partner Natural Lands, the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization having preserved more than 125,000 acres, including 42 nature preserves and one public garden, visit: https://natlands.org/greenregion.