Written by Karen Melton
For a number of years Pennsylvania Sierra Club has had the opportunity to award grants for projects around the state related to protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat. Funding comes from the Huplits Foundation, and strong preference is given to projects initiated or supported by a local Sierra Club group. The Allegheny Group administers the grant review and award process.
This year, and for the first time, the SE PA group was part of two different grant proposals, and both received awards, one to The Camp at Elk Tannery and the second to Wildlife Rehabilitation Support of Pennsylvania.
The Camp at Elk Tannery is a 110 acre camp with surrounding forests and game lands, located in Northeast PA just south of Ricketts Glenn State Park. Although it is in the northern part of the state, it has close ties to Philadelphia. Many vets from our area have spent weekends at the camp -- hiking, learning archery and telling stories around a campfire. The camp is owned by Lamont Kapec, a retired Army Officer currently working as a civilian at the Office of the Army Surgeon General in Falls Church, VA. He regularly shares the use of the camp for outings by veterans. [photo credit - Bryan Crenshaw]
Philadelphia Sierra Club members Brian Crenshaw and George Edwards both regularly attend and support camp operations. Brian serves as the Outings Coordinator and uses his photography and web skills to document activities at the camp.
The Camp Tannery Huplits grant will be used to formulate and execute a system of conservation practices to improve the health of the forest ecosystem and preserve important wildlife habitat. In addition, a public outreach program will be implemented to enhance public awareness of sustainable forestry and provide first-hand education to veterans.
The second grant in our region was awarded to Wildlife Rehabilitation Support of Pennsylvania (WRSPA) to conduct public education programs in the SE region over the next two years. Jackie Williams Kent of WRSPA and Education Director for the Philadelphia Metro Wildlife Center plans education programs about the many species that share our urban and suburban neighborhoods -- their behaviors, habitats, threats they face, and steps their human neighbors can take to help keep them safe. Jackie is a member of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators and the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.
Programs will be given to both adult and school-aged audiences, with a goal of 40 presentations over the next two years, including ones for Sierra Club members around the region. The grant will also support program development, acquisition of hands on materials such as feathers and skulls, and take-away activity packets for kids.
SE PA Education Co-chair Karen Melton is a partner in the project and will be writing local newsletter and Sylvanian articles about the various Huplits grant recipients and the work they are doing to support wildlife in Pennsylvania. Karen hopes to engage more area Sierra Club members in wildlife activities.
This blog was included as part of the 2019 Winter Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!