Greenway News
December 2022
Brandywine Creek Greenway Annual Partners Dinner 
Two-dozen Partner representatives from Pennsylvania and Delaware municipalities and organizations gathered at the Brandywine Museum of Art’s Millstone Café in late October to share updates on a variety of exciting projects that have been recently completed throughout the Brandywine Creek Greenway (BCG). 
Following a reception highlighting several Conservancy and Partner projects, guests enjoyed a delicious and hearty, fall-themed dinner from the Brandywine's Chef Rumsey. After dinner, attendees heard additional updates from our partners, a presentation on the Brandywine Creek Water Trail, and introductory remarks on new projects the Conservancy will be undertaking in the Greenway with support from the William Penn Foundation.

A special feature of the evening was the presentation of the inaugural Brandywine Creek Greenway Annual Award, which was presented in honor of our recently retired friend and colleague, Sheila Fleming. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes Sheila’s outstanding work in creating, nurturing, and expanding the Brandywine Creek Greenway over the past 10 years. 
The strong partnerships and multiple successes of the Brandywine Creek Greenway are the result of Sheila’s love of both the area and its cherished natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources. We hope to continue to see Sheila on a regular basis at Greenway events in the future as she enjoys her retirement. Please join us in congratulating Sheila on this well-earned recognition!
A New Canoe and Kayak Launch in East Bradford Township
One exciting new project introduced at the BCG Annual Dinner was the completion of a new canoe and kayak launch facility at Shaw’s Bridge Park in East Bradford Township. This site has long been a popular entry and exit point for boaters along the Brandywine and sits just downstream of the confluence of the East and West Branches. The new purposely built facility will greatly enhance the user experience for recreational paddlers using this area.
The launch facility consists of a moderately graded textured concrete ramp that leads to concrete “sleepers” tethered to each other just below the water surface. In addition to the ramp itself, the project included the planting of several trees to help stabilize the site and a sturdy, canoe-themed bulletin board constructed by a local Eagle Scout. The project was supported with funds from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the William Penn Foundation through the Brandywine Creek Greenway, the PECO Green Region Open Space Program and East Bradford Township.
We look forward to seeing this new facility in use over the coming years.
If you have a recently completed Greenway related project you would like to share with your municipal partners in a future Greenway Newsletter, please send a brief paragraph describing the project and a few photos to [email protected]. We’d be delighted to share your accomplishments with our Greenway partners!
Brandywine Creek Water Trail Signage Guide
The Brandywine Conservancy recently worked with Merje Design and a small committee to develop and publish a Brandywine Creek Water Trail Wayfinding Signage Guidelines Manual.

Developed with funding assistance from William Penn Foundation, the guide provides a comprehensive suite of signage types, sign specifications, and sign placement scenarios to ensure uniform and coordinated messaging along the Brandywine Creek Water Trail. Municipal partners who are considering providing new or improving existing access locations along the Brandywine, or who would like to improve safety messaging or provide mile-markers along the Creek, should consult the guide and consider utilizing the designs and specifications presented.
The purchase and installation of signage along the Brandywine Creek is an eligible project for future Brandywine Creek Greenway Mini-grants (see below) and Conservancy staff are here to help you in implementing design guidelines from the Manual. The wayfinding and signage guide can be found on our website here.
Brandywine Creek Greenway Mini-Grants 
The Brandywine Conservancy is excited to be able to once again offer Mini-grants to municipal and non-profit Greenway Partners in Pennsylvania for implementing Greenway related projects in 2023. 

Details of the new grant round are being finalized and we expect to provide further information and application materials in a future Greenway Newsletter, so be on the lookout for that announcement early next year.
If you intend to apply to Chester County’s Preservation Partnership Grant Program for a Greenway-related project (applications are due February 28, 2023), our mini-grants may offer an eligible match for your application.
Happy Holidays!
Finally, the Brandywine Conservancy’s Community Services and Municipal Assistance Program staff would like to extend our best wishes to all our Brandywine Creek Greenway Partners for a wonderful Holiday Season and fruitful 2023. 
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HEADER IMAGE: Photo by Eric Loken