Grants

HPS/MAG Grants Program 

A Cornerstone of Our Giving to the Community

 2024 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.

 Ambler-Keystone Branch of Woman's Farm & Garden Association received $500 to restore American chestnut trees that were decimated by the tree blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, by planting the “Lee Strain” chestnut tree, which tolerates this fungus. Money will also be used to educate the community about habitat restoration during local Environmental Days.

Awbury Arboretum received $1000 for native edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms to replace non-native invasive plants.  Doing so will increase biodiversity, reduce required maintenance, and produce a greater variety of food and medicine for the community, school groups, volunteers and visitors.  Permaculture Ethics, Principles and Practices will be modeled to encourage the community to replicate them at home.

Bancroft received $1000 to purchase plants and soil to rejuvenate an in-ground garden which is used for their therapeutic Horticultural Program, designed to serve adults with autism.

Batram’s Garden received $1000 to replenish their historic tulip bulb garden which experienced a severe mealybug infestation.  The goal of Batram’s Garden is to document and interpret its historic botanic garden, originally cultivated from1728 to 1850, which focuses on native plants of the eastern part of North America.

Bondsville Mill Park received $900 to replace invasive plants with native plants. This project will  stabilize the bank,  control  Beaver Creek erosion, as well as draw more birds to the Bird Watch. Beaver Creek leads to the Brandywine River, which serves as a source of potable water for communities south of Delaware.  

Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County received $743 to build a native plant demonstration garden to be used by children in daycare, afterschool programs and summer youth employment programs.  The purpose of this garden is to raise awareness of the role of native plants and pollinators in healthy environments. Signs will reflect the role native plants play in the restoration of local habitats.

Families for Houston received $1000 to expand and complete a native pollinator garden at a K-8 public school.  As an outdoor classroom, the garden is used to teach plants and insects and exists along the public face of the school.

Friends of Hope Lodge received $500 to set up demonstration gardens, including straw bale gardening, container gardening, vertical gardens, hanging gardens, edible landscape gardens and window boxes.  The intent is to educate the community, from which almost 2,000 visited the mansion last year, about various gardening options.

Friends of Manton Street Park and Community Garden received $1000 to reinvigorate the community park with a diverse selection of native shade perennials.  This will increase biodiversity, attract pollinators, provide biological control of “pest” insects, and reduce heat in the surrounding areas - a major concern for inner city neighborhood. 

Green Spring Gardens received $650 for plants to replace a waterwise garden with a well-designed gravel garden.  The new garden will require less water, mulch and maintenance. Its sustainable characteristics will be highlighted in ongoing outreach at GSG, such as tours, lectures, workshops, school and master gardener educational programs.

Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens received $1000 to increase and safeguard rare and endangered plants.  This project will increase biodiversity by attracting birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.   By educating community members, this project may inspire the public to add rare native plants to their gardens

John J. Tyler Arboretum received $1013 to plant two stormwater basins with native plants.  Emerald Ash Borer’s devastation has prompted the removal of 1500 dead trees, forcing animals to relocate.  Enhancing the stormwater basins will increase biodiversity while the woodland recovers.

Journeywork received $798 to restore the Gwynedd Friends School woodland with native sedges, flowers, shrubs, and understory trees. This project will reduce stormwater runoff and erosion, while increasing biodiversity. Opportunities for children to observe native plants and wildlife will be expanded.

Nicholas Newlin Foundation received $500 to purchase plant material for a newly constructed wetland expansion.  This is the culmination of a multi-phased project, designed to expand, enhance, and protect the frog pond classroom, the centerpiece of their environmental education.  The plant material will strengthen biodiversity in the park and provide a site for community education, volunteer service and conservation.

Old Pine Farm received $1000 to expand their natural habitat by creating 3 butterfly/pollinator gardens.  This grant will help them conserve their land, providing plants and food for pollinators and additional butterflies, which enhance the natural growth on the property.  In addition, this will increase opportunities to teach about sustainable environmental practices.

Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy received $510 to purchase native edible and pollinator plants, herbs and vegetables that can be used to top a pizza.  A pollinator and pizza demonstration garden will be created with these plants and used to educate the community about the possible environmentally beneficial gardens they can replicate at home.

Riverbend Environmental Education Center received $500 to replace invasive stilt grass with native flowers.  This will restore the habitat, control erosion, and create spaces for children to learn and connect with nature. Riverbend’s programs reach about 7000 students annually, 50% of whom attend Title 1 schools.

Sanctuary Farm Phila received $1021 to increase the flowers and plants in a safe inclusive meditation garden, and ultimately encourage a healthier and safer community. Sanctuary Farm was created to increase access to healthy food, provide educational resources to encourage food sovereignty, and ensure safe meeting spaces for the neighborhood. 

Stenton, NSCDA/PA received $998 to remove invasive plants and replace them with native plants.  This project will expand plant biodiversity, improve habitat for wildlife, attract more birds and enable additional environmental education and outdoor wellness experiences for the communities surrounding Stenton.  Foraging walks, urban beekeeping demonstrations and native pollinator programs will increase environmental awareness.

The Miquon School received $1000 for native plants that will increase biodiversity and prevent further bank erosion of the creek that runs through the campus.  The campus will illustrate the consequences of climate change on campus and serve as an outdoor classroom for math, biology, and physics instruction.

The Sourland Conservancy received $400 to purchase edible native plants, hardscaping and information materials for their Native Tea Garden.  Not only will this project restore the habitat, but it will be used to educate the community about native plants and how they attract and support wildlife and pollinators. The Native Tea Garden will also provide culinary use and therapeutic support for the community.

Tredyffrin Township Environmental Advisory Council received $750 to continue the success of an earlier HPS/MAG grant. Initially, invasive Autumn Olive was removed, necessitating the need for replacement plantings. The goal of this grant is to create an attractive habitat with native plants along the swale and walking trail, while simultaneously reducing erosion and stormwater runoff. 

Tree Pittsburgh received $1000 to purchase plants for a new community orchard.  The orchard will provide a beautiful, biodiverse edible landscape that increases food security for participants and provides habitats and food for various pollinators and birds.  A portion of the produce will always be given to low-income families or donated to a local food bank.

Variety the Children's Charity of the Delaware Valley received $1000 to update their garden to make it more accessible to the vulnerable population they serve, so that they can continue to benefit from their vocational training.  The primary purpose of the project is to teach important environmental practices, such as composting, pest control, fertilization, and plant cycles to their 5 -24-year-old students with disabilities, so that they can obtain a career in the agricultural field.  

Click here for prior Grant Recipients.

Please e-mail any questions to [email protected].

 

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A Little History and the Latest News About Our Grant Program

 The HPS Grant Program was started in 2009 and has awarded grants annually to individuals, community groups, schools, and other organizations in the mid-Atlantic region who are working to promote horticulture and positive ecological impact.

One of our major goals has been expanding our grant program. The last several years have been very encouraging. The program has been growing each year and with that in mind, the budget has grown to support this initiative. Understanding the importance of ongoing support to local garden communities in these difficult days, the HPS Board decided to continue the increased budget for 2024.

Each year the number of grant applications has increased, challenging the Grant Committee to determine how best to distribute our budgeted funds. In 2020, we introduced a rigorous grading system to enable the Grant Committee to consistently evaluate each grant application and distribute grant funding for maximum benefit. We continue to fine tune our evaluation process to better support the evaluation and selection of our grant recipients as the HPS Grants Program grows.

How You Can Help: Please consider a contribution to HPS to ensure that our grant program can continue to support worthy groups who will need our help more than ever in these challenging times. To donate, visit our website.  HPS/MAG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to which donations may be deducted to the extent permitted by the law.