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A September to Remember:
Conservation Easement Finalized, Trail Complete, Welcome Sofia and Sierra!
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ClearWater continues to put your support to work in many ways. Thanks for making a big difference in our small community!
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Finalized! Conservation Easement on 300 Acres Permanently Protects Source Water and Slab Cabin Run
On September 26, ClearWater Conservancy, along with the Meyer and Everhart Families of State College, finalized the agreement to place a permanent conservation easement on 300 acres of agricultural land located in College and Harris Townships. This effort was made possible thanks to the families and support from over 600 individual donors, the Hamer Foundation, State College Borough Water Authority, State College Borough, and Ferguson, College, Patton, and Harris Townships. With this support, ClearWater Conservancy purchased a conservation easement on both the Everhart and Meyer farms, permanently removing the development rights from these 300 acres. The Meyer family then purchased the Everhart property at its conserved value. The Meyer family will continue to farm the property, while ClearWater Conservancy will hold the conservation easement, giving the nationally-accredited land trust organization the fortunate opportunity to monitor and maintain the conservation value of this land forever, working side by side with the landowners to ensure the property meets the rigorous requirements of a conservation easement.
Read more here...
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Pictured above are the Meyer families (left), ClearWater board and staff members, (middle), and the Everhart Families following the finalization of the conservation easement.
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Slab Cabin Run Celebration & Annual Meeting: Update and Request for Volunteers
The Slab Cabin Celebration and ClearWater's Annual Meeting will be held this Saturday, October 7 from 5:30-9 pm at the UU Fellowship, located just
off University Drive
in State College. Here are a few notes about the event:
- If you plan to attend but have not yet RSVP's, please register here no later than October 3.
- Guests will enjoy live music be Eric Ian Farmer and others, drinks from Otto's and University Wine Company, appetizers, ice cream, and a view of the Meyer property from the UU Fellowship.
- This is a kid-friendly event! At 6 pm, Millbrook Marsh will host an activity for ages 7-11. A G-rated movie will be shown from 7:30-9 pm. Please Contact Andrea with any questions
- We're still seeking a few volunteers to help with the event. If you can donate 1-2 hours of time on October 7, please click here to sign up. Thank you for lending a helping hand!
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Completed: Phase I of Spring Creek Canyon Trail
As of this month, there is a newly accessible, non-motorized hiking/biking trail and trailhead parking area in Benner Township, and ClearWater Conservancy is pleased to have been a supporting partner in its planning and construction. The trailhead parking area for the 1.1 mile trail can be
accessed from Rock Road
, 1/4 mile up from Spring Creek or ½ mile down from the University Park Airport. The mobility accessible trail leads along Spring Creek to Spring Creek Canyon at its intersection with Shiloh Road, making for a scenic 2.2 mile loop on its own. This project was made possible by many dedicated individuals and organizations, including Lindsay Schoch who conceived the idea of and secured DCNR funding for the project, Don Franson, Benner Township engineer who designed the trail and supervised its construction, and Benner Township Board of Supervisors, Sharon Royer and Maintenance Staff. Stay tuned for more information about a ClearWater-led hike along the new trail!
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A view of the area prior to trail construction
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A view of the trail after completion
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Welcome Aboard Sofia, AmeriCorps Service Member
Sofia Luckenbill joined Clearwater in August 2017 as an AmeriCorps Service Member and Spring Creek Watershed Outreach Coordinator. Her responsibilities include day to day operations, management, and maintenance of the Spring Creek Watershed Association, Spring Creek Watershed Commission, and the Spring Creek Atlas Project, and other education, conservation, and outreach initiatives. She has a B.S. in Geography with an environmental science concentration from Mansfield University and an M.S. in Biology from East Stroudsburg University. You can welcome Sophia via email or phone:
sofia@cleawaterconservancy.org
or 814-237-0400.
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Welcome Aboard Sierra, Office Administrator
Sierra joined Clearwater in September 2017 as an Office Administrator. Her responsibilities are primarily to greet visitors to our office, assist in planning our fundraising events, and provide staff support for administrative tasks . In 2014, Sierra earned her B.A. in Communications from The Pennsylvania State University. As a Pennsylvania native, she is happy to be settled into life here in Happy Valley. You can welcome Sierra via email or phone:
sierra@clearwaterconservancy.org
or 814-237-0400
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TWO Upcoming Film Screenings:
Hometown Habitat:
Stories of Bringing Nature Home
Monday, October 16 at 7 pm
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,
806 13
th
St. Altoona, PA 16602
Enjoy learning how to transform your own yard, your local park, or your church property into a haven for wildlife using native plant species while watching
Hometown Habitat
, a film about bringing nature back into these places. There will be a short discussion period after.
This is event is hosted by Interfaith Power & Light and other partnering organizations.
To RSVP
contact Greg Williams,
wacmbook@aol.com
Sustainable
Wednesday, October 4 at 7 pm
Foxdale Village Retirement Community,
500 E Marylyn Ave, State College, PA 16801
The Foxdale Green Committee and the UUFCC Green Sanctuary Comittee invite you to a free showing of the film
Sustainable
.
Sustainable
is an investigation of the economic and environmental instability of America's food system, from the agricultural issues we face to the community of leaders who are determined to fix it. The film will be shown in the Foxdale Village Auditorium (Floor 1 of the Community Center) at 7 p.m. and will be followed by an open discussion. This free event is open to the general public. Closed captioning will be provided.
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$160k Grant Awarded to Spring Creek Trout Unlimited
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announces grant of $160,700 to Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The project includes habitat improvement along two sections of Spring Creek and riparian planting in the G. D. Kissinger Meadow on Slab Cabin Run. The grant awarded to the Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited (SCCTU) includes $160,700 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and matching contributions of $100,640 for a total of $261,340.
SCCTU President Robert Vierck said, “The purpose of these restoration projects is to improve water quality by reducing erosion, sedimentation and nutrient inputs while creating habitat for a self-sustaining trout population. We are deeply appreciative of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant which will be a continuation of 15 highly successful stream restoration projects implemented in the Spring Creek watershed since 1990.”
Read the entire article here...
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THANK YOU! Record amount raised during Otto's Golf Fest & Night BeFORE
On August 27 & 28, golfers, sponsors, and volunteers gathered at Mountain View Country Club in State College, PA to support the mission of ClearWater Conservancy and enjoy time with friends on the green. This year, a record-breaking $112,173 was raised from generous sponsors and supporters. This fundraising event truly makes our continued land conservation and water resources stewardship efforts possible. From the ClearWater Conservancy staff and Board,
THANK YOU
to all the volunteers, sponsors, and golfers who made it possible.
See a list of event sponsors here
and
photos from this year's Golf Fest!
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Save the date!
Rhoneymeade Fundrasier & Pig Roast
October 14, 2017
12:30-5:30 PM
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Your support
makes our year-round work possible. Thank you for considering a donation to ClearWater Conservancy.
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