Spring BCG Round Tables

Mark your calendars! Greenway partners are invited to attend the upcoming annual Spring Brandywine Creek Greenway Regional Roundtables. Please be prepared to verbally share priority projects in your municipality and hear BCG updates. Kindly RSVP for the date and location you plan to attend and forward this invitation to others who may be interested. Lunch will be provided. For further information about the Brandywine Creek Greenway, visit our site here.

Southern Roundtable

May 5, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

West Bradford Township Building, 1385 Campus Drive, Downingtown, PA 19335

Register here

Northern Roundtable

May 11, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

East Brandywine Township, 1214 Horseshoe Pike, Downingtown, PA 19335

Register here

Delaware Roundtable

May 12, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Brandywine Hundred Library, 1300 Foulk Road, Wilmington, DE 19803

Register here

Mini-Grant Program 2026–2028

The Brandywine Conservancy has launched the Brandywine Creek Greenway’s (BCG) Mini Grant Program for 2026–2028. This program is funded by a recent grant of $75,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) Community Conservation Partnership Program Environmental Stewardship Fund, which is administered by the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (BRC).

With these funds, the Brandywine Conservancy will be able to grant awards of $5,000 to $25,000 to projects that support and advance the goals and objectives of the Brandywine Creek Greenway Action Plan (2025).  

The grant funding opened on April 27, with applications due by June 1, 2026. For more information or questions about the BCG Mini Grant Program, please contact the Brandywine Conservancy’s Lisa Walsh at lwalsh@brandywine.org or visit our site. 

New Municipal Toolkits Available 

We’re happy to announce an additional round of Municipal Toolkits for our partners has been added to our library. The latest release includes the addition of toolkits focused on Agricultural Security Areas, Circuit Trails, ponds, and two toolkits focused on Stormwater. These add to our growing collection of toolkits focused on a variety of planning topics, including general planning, land preservation, natural resource protection, historic and cultural resource preservation, recreation and transportation infrastructure, and climate resilience.

Brandywine Conservancy has refreshed our Toolkit Library webpage – check it out here and be sure to update your bookmarks with the new link!

Upcoming Events

Wildflower, Native Plant, and Seed Sale

Public Sale: May 9–10, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Member Preview: May 8, 1–4:30 p.m.

Local Abundance: A Native Bouquet Building Workshop

May 17, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

Spring Community Waterside Gathering

May 31, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Bike the Brandywine

September 19

Lesser-Known Grant Opportunities

The American Trails – Trail Capacity Program funds projects across the nation that strategically improve the abilities and capacity of the trails community as a whole. The funding priorities are Stewardship Training, Trail Maintenance, and Research and Education. Grants range from $2,000 to a maximum of $15,000. The application deadline is May 15, 2026. Click here to learn more and apply. 

Meet Brandywine’s New Staff: Natalie Kahn & Lisa Walsh

Brandywine Conservancy welcomed Natalie Kahn (left) as an Assistant Planner at Brandywine Conservancy in February. Natalie joined the Brandywine from Lake County Forest Preserves in the greater Chicago area of Illinois, where she has held roles as a Land Preservation Assistant and Land Preservation Executive Assistant. While obtaining both a bachelor’s degree and Masters of Management Studies from Duke University, Natalie also dedicated her time to being a D1 Collegiate Athlete on their lacrosse team. Having grown up in Malvern, PA, she is excited to return home and contribute to conservation efforts here in southeastern Pennsylvania. Natalie is an avid Philly sports fan, and outside of work enjoys hiking, reading, playing board games, and spending time with friends and family.

In March, we also welcomed Lisa Walsh (right) as a Senior Planner at Brandywine Conservancy. Lisa joined us from a private consulting company in the King of Prussia area where she acted as an Engineer, assisting on a variety of Municipal and Water Resources related projects. Previously, Lisa served as the Agricultural Conservation Engineer at our local Chester County Conservation District. Lisa has an undergraduate degree in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is a licensed Professional Engineer (Civil, Water Resources) in Pennsylvania. Having grown up in Wisconsin, Lisa now calls Phoenixville her home, where she lives with her husband and cats. In her free time, Lisa enjoys reading, thrifting, playing board games, and outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, and paddleboarding. One of Lisa’s roles in her new position at Brandywine will be heading up our efforts in the Greenway as the new Brandywine Creek Greenway Coordinator.  

Both Natalie and Lisa are looking forward to meeting members of the Greenway, so be sure to introduce yourself at our next event! 

Does your non-profit or municipality have events, historic sites, a favorite park, trail or ongoing project that you’d like to share? Please forward details to lwalsh@brandywine.org for consideration in the next Greenway Newsletter.

On our website, you can find a library of social media videos focused on the benefits of clean water, healthy communities, local economies, and the quality of life that the Greenway supports in the region. Feel free to use these resources for promoting the Greenway, in addition to your own needs and enjoyment! You can utilize the Social Media Video Toolkits to better leverage visibility and access the full library.