The Sand County Foundation, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Heinz Endowments, will present the Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award and its $10,000 prize to a farmer or forester to recognize voluntary conservation practices on private working lands. The deadline for applications is August 15. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Rick Ebert said the read more
Conservation People
In Memoriam: Robert Jondreau
On May 2, Robert F. Jondreau, executive director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), passed away suddenly at 72. Jondreau served as executive director of PRC since February 1, 2010. Jondreau served on PRC's Board for 13 years prior, spending the three years before becoming executive director as board president. The board and staff at PRC issued the following read more
PPFF Recognizes 2018 Award Winners
Last week, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation recognized its 2018 Award winners at a special dinner and reception at the Susquehanna Club in New Cumberland, near Harrisburg. The winners included: Cliff Jones Keystone Legacy Award: DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Secretary Dunn’s passion for the environment is evident in her private life and her long career in read more
The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County Names Interim Executive Director
The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) has named Rachel Roberts as its interim executive director. She has a commitment to TLC's core values and mission as well as the capacity to strategically guide the organization forward. The board has great confidence that Roberts will maintain and develop the rich and meaningful community and individual relations with read more
Dulcie Flaharty Reflects on Lifetime of Land Protection
In early 2018, Dulcie Flaharty retired from a long career in land conservation. Most recently, she served as vice president of community partnerships for Natural Lands, and before that was executive director of Montgomery County Lands Trust. In April 2018, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at PennFuture's Fourth Annual Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards. In this read more
Andy Pitz Receives Lifetime Conservation Leadership Award
On Friday, the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) honored D. Andrew “Andy” Pitz with the Lifetime Conservation Leadership Award. Pitz received the award at the annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference, held this year at The Desmond in Chester County. A key leader and thinker within the conservation community, Pitz has spent his entire professional read more
PALTA Honors Franklin Kury
On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) honored Franklin Kury for his extraordinary contributions to conservation. Kury received the award at the annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference, held this year at The Desmond in Chester County. Elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for three terms (1966-1972), Kury was a leader in the read more
Heritage Conservancy Adds New Board Members; Lists Site on Historic Register
In April, Heritage Conservancy welcomed two new members to its board of directors: Doug Carr, a previous Merck employee who has been integral in multiple biotech startups, and Brian Clark, an environmental lawyer for Buchannan, Ingersoll, and Rooney, PC. "As someone who regularly bike rides past the breathtaking scenery and structures of Bucks County, I want to do my part in read more
Celebrating Women in Conservation
PennFuture has announced the winners of the Fourth annual Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards. The winners will be celebrated at an April 19 awards event at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. The winners are: Lifetime Achievement in Conservation This award celebrates the lifetime accomplishments of a remarkable woman who has made a difference by devoting read more
Natural Lands President Molly Morrison to Retire
Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands, has announced plans to retire after 14 years as leader of the region’s largest conservation organization. Morrison said that she expects to step down by the end of 2018. Morrison took the reins at Natural Lands in 2005 and her leadership has resulted in some of the region’s most significant conservation achievements. During her read more
Gwen Lacy Stepping Down
Gwen Lacy, the founding executive director of The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC), has announced her decision to step down, effective April 30, 2018. Lacy has been a dedicated and passionate advocate for land conservation, historic preservation, environmental education, and stewardship in the region for 14 years. She started in 2004 as director of the read more
Land Conservancy of Adams County Welcomes New Board Members
The Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC) honored landowners who preserved property over the previous year and welcomed three new members to its board of directors during its annual membership dinner on Thursday, March 8. The organization honored four landowners who preserved Adams County farmland, woodland, open spaces, and freshwater streams in 2017: Ken and Connie read more
Lancaster Farmland Trust Adds New Staff Member
Lancaster Farmland Trust has hired Laura Brenner as communications coordinator. In her role, Brenner will be responsible for internal and external communications; education and outreach; event and volunteer management; and other activities that further the mission of the organization. Brenner has extensive agricultural experience, having worked both in the public and private read more
Lancaster Farmland Trust Names Director of Development and Communications
Lancaster Farmland Trust is pleased to announce the promotion of Amanda Hickle to director of development and communications. In this position, Amanda is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing fundraising and communications strategies that further the mission of Lancaster Farmland Trust and ensure the long-term viability of the organization. Amanda had read more
GIS Specialist Joins PALTA Team
The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association welcomes its newest staff member, GIS specialist Josh VanBrakle. The first of Josh's many tasks is to establish a statewide GIS database of privately conserved lands and develop a system for keeping it current (while minimizing any administrative burdens for land trusts). Before joining PALTA, Josh worked as the research and evaluation read more