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Lehigh Valley, Pa – To help build environmental stewardship by connecting families with community green spaces, the Penn State Extension Lehigh Valley Master Watershed Steward program received a $10,000 Healing the Planet Grant from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
The Giant Corporation support this grant funding for the installation of 30 demonstration downspout planters across the state, two stormwater basin naturalization projects and one live stake nursery installation.
The Lehigh Valley Master Watershed Steward Program included in this grant and was able to install four downspout demonstration planters across Lehigh and Northampton Counties.
Downspout planters are decorative landscaped planters specially designed to absorb and filter stormwater before it enters stormwater management or sewer systems. Downspout planters filled with a base layer of gravel allows for drainage, a stormwater-friendly soil mix, and native perennial vegetation that comes back every spring. During storm events, water captured from the roof flows into the planter. If the volume of water is greater than the capacity of the planter it exits the planter through an overflow outlet. The planters filled with native plants supply pollinator habitat and beautification for homeowners.
In June and July, Master Watershed Steward volunteers installed four of these demonstration watershed planters – one at the Lehigh County Extension Office in Allentown, Northampton County Extension Office in Nazareth, one at the Osprey House at Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington, and one in line with other stormwater infrastructure at the Nurture Nature Center in Easton. Both Master Watershed Stewards and Partner Organizations will use these planters as teaching tools.
For more information about the Master Watershed Steward Program, contact Brad Kunsman, Extension Educator at 610-813-6613 or bjk21@psu.edu.
The Master Watershed Steward Program educates and empower volunteers to protect environmental resources. After receiving 40 hours of training, Master Watershed Stewards give back to the community by offering educational opportunities, collecting citizen science data, organizing clean ups, working on wildlife habitat and stream restoration projects and more!
About Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has worked with hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the state to pick up nearly 148 million pounds of trash from Pennsylvania’s roadways, waterways, greenways, vacant lots, forestlands, and other community spaces. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s core programming focuses on litter and illegal dump prevention, cleanup, community greening, and proper waste handling and sustainable practices. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful works with many partnering organizations on the state and grassroots level to accomplish our goal of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. To learn more about Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, visit www.keeppabeautiful.org.
About The GIANT Company
The GIANT Company believes that no matter where or how, when meals happen, families connect, and when families connect meaningfully, good happens. Guided by its brand platform, For Today’s Table®, the omni-channel retailer proudly serves millions of neighbors across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. A Great Place to Work™ certified company with more than 35,000 talented team members supporting nearly 190 stores, 132 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations, and over 150 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service in hundreds of zip codes, The GIANT Company is changing the customer experience and connecting families for a better future. Founded in 1923 in Carlisle, Pa., The GIANT Company family of brands includes GIANT, MARTIN’S, GIANT Heirloom Market, GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct. The GIANT Company is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA. For more information, visit the GIANT or MARTIN’S websites.
Penn State Extension offers a variety of online non-credit courses for the public. Consumers can access educational articles, videos, online courses, and publications at their convenience, and register for regional in-person workshops and online webinars on a wide range of topics.
Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
Information provided to TVL by:
Kelly M Bond
Administrative Support Assistant
PennState Extension
https://extension.psu.edu/
