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Greenway News:
Summer 2026
| | You're Invited: Getting Out on the Greenway | | Join Brandywine Conservancy and other Greenway Members on Wednesday, August 26 from 3–6 p.m. for our summer event, which will bring us out to three unique sites in the Greenway before ending at East Branch Brewing Co. for a Happy Hour. You must provide your own transportation to each site, and carpooling is encouraged wherever possible. Parking locations and instructions are provided in the invite. | | |
We will meet at Bondsville Mill Park at 3 p.m. (please pay particular attention to parking at this location), before heading over to King’s Highway Park, followed by a trip to Lloyd Park. East Brandywine and Caln Township will provide us with history, upcoming projects, and an overview of their work at each location. Even if you can’t make the field trips, all are welcome to join us after at East Branch Brewing Co. in Downingtown at 5:15 p.m.
We look forward to seeing you there! Click here to RSVP.
| | SAVE THE DATE: Brandywine Conservancy will be hosting our Annual Holiday Greenway & Subscriber’s gathering on November 19 at the Brandywine Museum of Art. Keep an eye on your inboxes for more details and information on how to register. | | | The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art's campus is currently under construction for our first multi-use trail, the High Trail. This trail is part of the Octoraro Trail, which in turn is part of The Circuit Trails Network that will encompass more than 850 miles of interconnected multi-use trails in the Greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region. | | | Utilizing SEPTA’s inactive Octoraro Rail Line, the High Trail will give Brandywine visitors an opportunity to walk onto the old railroad bridge above the Brandywine, affording views up and down the creek. This project started in April, and is expected to wrap up in late August. | | |
Tell Us How You Use the Circuit Trails
Trust for Public Land and Rails to Trails Conservancy are conducting a survey on behalf of the Circuit Trails Coalition to understand how residents and visitors use the Circuit Trails Network—and the benefits it provides to users and nearby businesses. Click here to take the survey and be sure to share it widely with your community.
| | | New Municipal Toolkits Available | We are pleased to share that an additional round of Municipal Toolkits have been published to our library. This round includes toolkits and technical bulletins on Agricultural Security Areas, Trail and Sidewalk Requirements in SALDO, and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). Access our growing library of Municipal Toolkits by clicking here. | | Thank you to those who have submitted an application for the Greenway mini-grant. Currently, the applications are being reviewed by the selection committee and we will announce the grant winners shortly. Be on the lookout for notifications via email or check our website for upcoming announcements. | | Bike the Brandywine on Sept. 19 | | |
Bike the Brandywine is back–with a brand new location! Join us Saturday, September 19, 2026 for a ride through the beautiful Brandywine Creek Greenway and surrounding countryside.
Choose your adventure: 5 mile family-friendly ride, 25 miles, 45 miles, or a Metric Century (62 miles) of stunning scenery, rich history, and unforgettable views. Whether you’re a casual rider or a seasoned cyclist, there’s a route that will challenge and inspire you. Proceeds from the ride benefit the Conservancy’s land and water conservation work. Click here to learn more and register.
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Join us for a Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Workshop | | |
Join us on August 27 from 9:30–11:30 a.m. for a GSI workshop hosted by Brandywine Conservancy, the Christina Watersheds Municipal Partnership (CWMP), and East Marlborough Township (EMT).
The workshop will take place at the East Marlborough Township building where a rain garden was recently installed. Participants will learn about the full process of planning, installing, and maintaining the rain garden while exploring how GSI practices can improve water quality, reduce stormwater runoff, and help municipalities meet local stormwater management goals.
| | | This event is free to CWMP members, and $25 for all others. Register here. | | Funding Announcements & Opportunities | | Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) recently announced $4.55 Million of awards for 17 Regional Trails Program Grants in the greater Philadelphia region. Congratulations to Greenway Partner, East Caln Township, for being awarded $100,000 for the East Branch Brandywine Trail extension work. Funds will support conducting a study to determine the best alignment to extend the trail from the northern terminus of the East Branch Brandywine Trail at Brandywine Meadows to Robbins Road in East Caln. | | | |
Brandywine Conservancy is also excited to share that we have been awarded $200,000 from this same grant program, which will help to extend our existing High Trail project eastward. Funds will support the feasibility and design of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge across Creek Road, connecting the two embankments of the inactive Octoraro Rail Line and permitting the eastward expansion of the trail.
Funding Opportunities
Municipal Assistance Program (MAP)
The Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) is currently accepting application until September 1, 2026 for their MAP grant program. MAP provides funding to assist local governments to plan for and efficiently implement policies, programs, projects, or manage development with an emphasis on intergovernmental approaches. Interested municipalities are welcome to contact Brandywine's Sarah Sharp at ssharp@brandywine.org to discuss possible applications. Click here to read more about this program and apply.
Open Space Accelerator
Chester County Planning Commission is accepting applications for the Open Space Accelerator Program, which aims to support local municipalities in advancing their open space goals. Eligible applicants are Chester County municipalities that have endorsed or acknowledged Landscapes3, and the program is limited to single-municipality projects. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted. Click here to learn more about this program and apply.
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Located on Lloyd Avenue in Downingtown, Caln Township’s Lloyd Park offers 30 acres of recreational space for visitors of all ages. Park amenities include an ADA-accessible playground, picnic tables and a pavilion, sand volleyball courts, walking trails, and multiple access points to Beaver Creek. The park also features a large recreational area, not fully enclosed, where dogs can run and exercise at their owners' discretion.
Join us at the Getting out in the Greenway event on August 26, where we will stop out at Lloyd Park and learn more about the ongoing Beaver Creek Circuit Trail project in the park.
| | 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. | | Follow the Brandywine Creek Greenway: | | Follow the Brandywine Conservancy: | | 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. |
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