On Thursday, October 20th, leaders from PECO presented Heritage Conservancy with a check for $15,000 while standing outside of the Conservancy’s Aldie Mansion home. PECO’s generous grant donation will help to protect vital natural resources on two of the Conservancy’s properties: $10,000 will go toward the planting of a native pollinator meadow at Heritage Conservancy’s Jackson Pond Preserve in Buckingham, PA, and $5,000 of the grant will be used for streambank restoration on the organization’s Hart’s Woods Preserve in Doylestown, PA.
Pollinator species (such as bees and butterflies) support nearly 40% of the world’s food crop production, and many of our vital pollinators are threatened with extinction. PECO’s support will enable Heritage Conservancy to plant a 4-acre native pollinator meadow on its Jackson Pond Preserve. This meadow will provide habitat for all aspects of a pollinator’s life cycle, it will become a destination for community members to view and enjoy native wildlife, and it will serve to educate the general public about the importance of pollinators in relation to our food supply. It will take two years to fully release the wildflower meadow to grow.
The streambank restoration project on Heritage Conservancy’s Hart’s Woods Preserve will help to protect water quality and provide critical habitat for wildlife. The removal of invasive species, followed by the planting of native trees and shrubs along a tributary of the Neshaminy Creek, will strengthen the streambank in this area and help to filter pollutants in the water that could have otherwise ended up in our drinking water. Since native wildlife prefer native plantings for food and shelter, this planting will benefit local birds and animals and help them to thrive.
“Heritage Conservancy is excited about this partnership with PECO,” said Jeff Marshall, President of Heritage Conservancy. “The grant from PECO will allow our organization to not only preserve and protect our natural resources but also enhance two of our properties while strengthening our effort to protect our water and food supply.”
We will keep you updated on these projects as they progress!
