Land and water conservation organizations the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) and the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance (BRC) announced that they will merge. Upon completion of the merger, which is expected to occur before the end of April, TLC will be merged into BRC. BRC will assume all obligations and commitments that TLC has with landowners and municipalities pertaining to land protection, educational programming, and stewardship work.
Collectively, BRC and TLC have over 100 years of environmental protection experience, have preserved thousands of acres of open space and established miles of trails, cleaned up and maintained miles of streams, and educated thousands of young people to be stewards of the land. By combining resources, they hope to preserve more land, protect more waterways, and educate more individuals.
Founded as the Kennett Township Land Trust in 1995, TLC initially focused on preserving open space in Kennett Township. As TLC became more involved in preserving lands in other townships, TLC became a stand-alone nonprofit organization, working with landowners, municipalities, and other nonprofits throughout southern Chester County.
Headquartered at the 45-acre Chandler Mill Nature Preserve in Kennett Township, TLC operates five public preserves in Kennett and Elk townships totaling more than 500 acres. TLC currently holds 35 conservation easements on 1,000 acres across seven townships.
BRC, originally founded as Brandywine Valley Association, was formed in 1945 by a group of local citizens from the West Chester and Wilmington, Del., areas who were concerned about the water quality in their community. In 1952, the Red Clay Valley Association followed in its footsteps, and in 2015, Brandywine Valley Association and Red Clay Valley Association merged to form BRC.
The BRC headquarters at the 318-acre Myrick Conservation Center in Pocopson is home to equestrian trails, nine miles of hiking trails, and the 19th-century Browning Barn, which hosts more than 13,000 students a year as part of BRC's environmental education school programs and summer camp. BRC's goals are to make sure that the local waterways are drinkable, swimmable, and fishable; to introduce youths to and educate them about their natural environment; and to preserve and protect natural areas for the highest level of biodiversity while maintaining public access.
To learn more about Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, including upcoming summer camps and stream cleanups, visit http://www.brandywineredclay.org.
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