Featured Project: Hollow Oak Land Trust Expands Montour Woods Greenway |
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Located in Allegheny County, along the southern bank of the Ohio River, lies Moon Township. This is where a local conservation group, Hollow Oak Land Trust, has spent more than a decade expanding protected, publicly accessible land.
In just the past four years, Hollow Oak Land Trust secured three Land Acquisition and Conservation grants to conserve a combined 150 acres in the township.
Funding for all three grants came from the Keystone Fund.
The projects have helped the land trust work toward one of their primary goals: creation of the Montour Woods Greenway.
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When complete, the greenway will create a ten-mile trail loop connecting Moon Township Park, the Montour Woods Conservation Area, and the 46-mile Montour Trail.
“Greenway projects simultaneously protect and connect wildlife habitats,” explains Sean Brady, Executive Director of Hollow Oak Land Trust. “Connective corridors among greenspaces often are as important as parks themselves, boosting both ecological integrity and public access to nature.”
Within the greenway, the land trust stewards the 372-acre Montour Woods Conservation Area. The conservation area itself includes ten miles of wooded trails.
Overall, Hollow Oak Land Trust holds more than 800 acres of conservation areas in nine municipalities. Their primary focus is the Pittsburgh Airport corridor.
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Funding Opportunity: Wild East Action Fund |
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A record $1 million is available in 2026 for conservation projects across the Appalachian Trail landscape from Georgia to Maine. More than 200 miles of the trail pass through Pennsylvania.
“As the backbone of conservation in the eastern United States, the Appalachian Trail and its protected corridor exist today because of many individuals and groups working together to safeguard this remarkable landscape,” says Katie Allen, Director of Landscape Conservation at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Grants are available for eligible organizations working on land protection, conservation planning, and community resilience projects.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) works closely with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The conservancy serves as external lead for two of Pennsylvania’s conservation landscapes: South Mountain and Kittatinny Ridge. The two landscapes together cover the full length of the Appalachian Trail in the Commonwealth.
DCNR has also supported the conservancy’s Ridgerunner Program. The program helps coordinate stewardship of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania.
Wild East Action Fund grant applications will be accepted through Friday, June 26.
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Funding Opportunity: Veterans and Nature Grants |
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Time spent outdoors — whether hiking, fishing, camping, or simply sitting among trees — has been shown by numerous studies to reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. These conditions affect veterans at disproportionately high rates.
Examples of project types the grants can support include outdoor activities, environmental education, and conservation volunteering.
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, June 10.
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Bureau of Recreation and Conservation Welcomes Erica Black |
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The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources welcomes Erica Black to the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
Erica joins the Community Parks and Recreation section as a Recreation and Park Advisor.
Erica previously worked at the Department of Community and Economic Development and has a background in recreation and outdoor work. She graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a bachelor's degree in Recreation Services Management.
In her free time, Erica loves traveling, camping, hiking, paddleboarding, and anything outside.
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Bureau of Recreation and Conservation Welcomes Cooper Naugle |
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Also joining the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation team is our summer communications intern, Cooper Naugle.
Cooper is a junior at York College of Pennsylvania, where he studies Mass Communications. He has recently worked on documentary projects with a focus on ecological conservation in Pennsylvania.
In his free time, he enjoys hiking, wildlife photography, and spending time with friends and family.
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