The Lancaster Group of the Sierra Club has awarded Green Project grants to 15 Lancaster County organizations, each of which has shown a need for support of a venture that promotes sustainability, expands environmental awareness, and improves green infrastructure. With this latest round of awards, ranging up to $500 and announced on April 22, a total of 44 Lancaster County organizations have received Green Project grants over the past four years.
Organizations receiving the grants, along with their projects, include Brecht Elementary School, purchasing a rain barrel to enhance the school's hands-on garden education program; Burrowes Elementary School, maintaining and improving the school's community garden with the addition of a compost bin and the purchase of garden-related tools and supplies; and Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, supporting the replacement of lawn with mixed hedges on the southern and east sides of the church 's property to reduce rainwater runoff.
Also, HACC, Central Pennylvania's Community College, staking and protecting with tree tubes approximately 80 saplings planted in a riparian buffer on the Lancaster campus; Hempfield Family Child Development Center, purchasing a child-friendly tumbling composter and a rain barrel with spigot for use in the outdoor play space close to beds of herbs and vegetables; and Historic Poole Forge, expanding its environmental education efforts for children and adults by adding a garden dedicated to pollinators/hummingbirds along the park's nature trail.
Also, Homefields Incorporated, a community-supported agriculture and care farm, resolving drainage issues by installing a rain garden and introducing native trees, shrubs, and forbs in the tree lines around the Homefields property; Hope United Methodist Church, transforming the 1.5 acres of fields behind its property into a biodiverse pollinator habitat; and James Hamilton Elementary School, funding ongoing development of its garden program, the goal of which is to help educate students about gardening and nutrition and provide hands-on science activities.
Also, Lancaster Recreation Commission, developing a shared, mobile Outdoor Explorers Toolkit that will contain urban environment-related activity plans and other materials to be used with its after-school child care programs for school-age children; Lancaster Tree Tenders (Lancaster Conservancy), supporting its efforts to increase and enhance Lancaster city's urban forest by developing a pilot tree watering project that will help ensure the success of newly planted trees; and Library System of Lancaster County, supporting the purchase of materials for Nature Explorer Bags, which will be used by 5- to 9-year-olds who enroll in the library's 10-week outdoor Summer Fitness Quest Explorer Program.
Also, Martic Township Rail Trail Advisory Committee, implementing a green space-enhancing plan that includes park benches, mile markers, a bike rack, trail maps, and landscaping on a portion of the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail that runs through the township; Pequea Township Silver Mine Park, supporting its ongoing project to transition the park's north 67 acres from forest to meadows; and the Catholic Worker House of Lancaster, updating its organic garden beds, which are used to grow produce for homemade soup that is served in its soup kitchen to those who are homeless and in need.
The proposals were evaluated on criteria such as environmental objective, unique aspect of the project, quality of submission, and how the Sierra Club - Lancaster Group could be involved. Awarded once per year, the grants are funded primarily with money generated through the group's annual Polar Bear 5K Trail Run/Hike.
For complete details about the Green Project grant program, readers may visit http://lancastersierraclub.org/grant-program/ or contact 717-475-0586 or jimsmeenan@gmail.com.
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