2025 HPS/MAG Grant Recipients

The HPS/MAG Grant Committee is pleased to announce the 2024 grant recipients. Congratulations to all awardees and thank you for engaging in sustainable horticultural projects which enhance our environment.

The Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph’s University received  $430 to continue the redesign and regrade of their medicinal garden by removing invasives and diversifying the plantings.  This project will provide a living example of some of the region’s medicinal plants.

Branch Brook Park Alliance received $719 to renovate the Children’s Pollinator Garden. This project will foster biodiversity by reintroducing native plants, while providing hand-on learning, workshops and social media posts, all of which will broaden this community’s appreciation of horticulture.

Broreavement Foundation, Inc. received $959 to provide a therapeutic gardening experience for men and boys of color who are navigating the challenges posed by grief. This project will support an underserved community, while also broadening their appreciation of horticulture.

The Chester County Food Bank (CCFB) received $972 to provide hardy fruit plants to members of the Chester County Food Bank (CCFB) Garden Partner program. This project will expand access to fresh nutritional food, while broadening this community’s horticultural knowledge and appreciation.

Conestoga High School received $1000 to create a pollinator garden. This project will increase biodiversity, while managing stormwater runoff. It will also provide the foundation to educate the community across multiple disciplines about sound horticulture practices.

Dynamic Roots, Inc. received $900 to protect fruit and vegetable crops as their pollinator garden develops. Not only will their garden provide resources to an underserved community in a food desert, but it will introduce their community to the benefits of supporting the environment. 

The Franklin County Master Gardener Association (FCMGA) received $1000 to rejuvenate a demonstration buffer garden with native plants. This project will evidence the importance of developing a buffer garden to contain erosion and improve water quality, while increasing biodiversity. 

The Friends of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park received $1000 to expand the food forest and medicinal herb garden at FDR Park. This project will expand food accessibility for a diverse community, while also broadening their appreciation of horticulture.

The Friends of Laurel Hill received $1000 to plant native canopy trees to ultimately replace those trees threatened by Beech Leaf Disease. This project will increase biodiversity, while also addressing stormwater runoff, ultimately improving our environment. 

Greensboro Elementary School received $575 to plant native species in their swales and pollinator gardens. This project will increase biodiversity, while also improving water filtration and erosion control. An underserved community will be educated about the benefits and responsibilities of environmental stewardship.

Horn Farm Center received $1000 to remove invasives and install a native plant and pollinator garden that will serve as a teaching and demonstration space. This project will increase biodiversity, while also adding educational opportunities for aspiring land stewards. 

Hortus Arboretum and Botanical Garden received $841 to expand their plant collection to include genera not currently represented. This project will educate the community about unique and widely unknown plants. By preserving unique plant species, this project will also broaden the biodiversity of the region.

Jenkins Arboretum received $975 to replace turf grass with low maintenance pollinator friendly plants. This project will increase biodiversity, while also providing critical habitat for local wildlife.

John J. Tyler Arboretum received $895 to replant their stormwater basin. This project will increase biodiversity, while also adding educational opportunities for the community. 

Mount Olive United Methodist Church received $554 to grow vegetables for their food pantry.  This project will provide food assistance to an underserved community and encourage visitors to develop home gardens with flowers and herbs. 

The Nicholas Newlin Foundation received $499 to expand and connect existing pollinator plantings around the perimeter of their meadow classroom. This project will increase biodiversity and enhance the environment, is sustainable, and will educate many.

The North American Land Trust received $986 for the Heritage Garden at Brinton Run Preserve, to showcase plants used for food and medicine by the Lenape, colonial and African American settlers. These non-invasive native plants will increase birds and pollinators and provide valuable horticulture history to visitors.

Perry Hilltop Citizens Council (Ballfield Farm) received $1000  to remove invasive plants and plant a sustainable food forest. This project will expand access to a sustainable food source for those in a food insecure community. 

Preservation Delaware Inc. received $900 to replace invasive English ivy with native plants in partnership with the Delaware Center for Horticulture’s Branches to Chances program. This project will increase biodiversity, while building the horticultural skills of the BTC trainees in an underserved community.

Riverbend Environmental Education Center received $705 to remove invasive species, stabilize their slope and replace invasives with local flora.  This project will increase local flora and fauna, while also addressing the challenges of slope erosion. 

Rock Hollow Woods Environmental Learning Center received $1000 to establish a mix of groundcovers.    This  project will reduce soil erosion and increase biodiversity. Workshops and seminars will encourage the community to adopt similar strategies to increase biodiversity.

South Side Community Council received $1000 to plant native pollinator plants that will enhance fruit productivity and increase wildlife diversity in their area. This project will have a substantial impact on the local habitat, improve food accessibility in a food desert, and serve as the basis for workshops to educate the community.