Central Pennsylvania Conservancy

06/22/2026

Summer is in full bloom at the Letort Spring Garden Preserve! ☀️

06/20/2026

⚾⚾⚾🧢⚾⚾⚾

We had a great time at yesterday's Senators game. Thank you to everyone who was able to come out, share a drink, and celebrate conservation!

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Missed the game? Fret not! Our next community event is around the corner. Visit our event page to learn more and register today:

https://centralpaconservancy.org/events/

06/19/2026

Stop by our booth and say hello!

06/16/2026

🌿☀️ June Community Volunteer Day Recap ☀️🌿

Despite the recent heat, our community came together for a rewarding day of stewardship at the Letort Spring Garden Preserve in Carlisle!

With the help of the finance department from GIANT and dedicated community volunteers, we accomplished a great deal:
🌱 Added another layer of wood chips to the rain gardens
🌱 Completed the hugelkultur mound below the south rain garden
🌱 Weeded and refreshed the shade-loving pollinator garden, leaving it looking fantastic

We were also excited to introduce our newest staff member, Erik Smith to everyone. If you live in the Carlisle area, there's a good chance you've seen Erik around before! We're thrilled to have him on the team and look forward to the knowledge and energy he'll bring to CPC.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who braved the heat and joined us. Your dedication helps keep these special places thriving for both people and wildlife.

We can't wait to see everyone again at next month's volunteer day!

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Join us nex month for our next Community Day. 👇🏼
https://centralpaconservancy.org/event/weekday-trail-care-series-3/

06/11/2026

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿: 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗸 𝗦𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵!

Erik grew up with a passion for community and sustainability. He attended Dickinson College where he pursued a degree in International Studies through which he developed a deeper appreciation of the power of local communities, both natural and humankind. He has resided in Carlisle since graduating in 2022 and works to build a more supportive and ecologically-informed community.

Before joining CPC, Erik served as Market Manager for Farmers on the Square, Carlisle’s weekly farmers market, and he hopes to build on this experience to bring diverse perspectives together in service of the land and ecosystems that make Central Pennsylvania beautiful, fascinating, and resilient.

Say hello to Erik in the comments below!👇🏼

06/08/2026

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿: 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗶 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱! 🌱

Jaci Braund is our new Conservation Specialist. She and Cameron, our Land Protection Director, will be working closely together to further our efforts to acquire, preserve, and protect natural lands in south-central Pennsylvania.

About Jaci:
Jaci is an ecologist by training and has called central Pennsylvania home for over a decade. She is an enthusiastic supporter of biodiversity and is eager to work towards protecting land in this bustling region because without habitat, our fascinating natural resources cannot survive. Outside of work, you can find Jaci adding more native plants to her garden in Mechanicsburg and walking her dog, Luna, on her favorite trails.

Say hello to Jaci in the comments! 👇🏼

06/07/2026

Twenty hikers joined CPC and Dr. David Foster, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Messiah University, for a 4-mile exploration of our Tuckahoe acquisition.

Along the way, we learned about the property's protection, conservation partners, wildlife, native plants and trees, geology, vernal pools, and historic charcoal hearths. With mountain laurel in full bloom, we observed blueberries, huckleberries, sweet fern, teaberry, sassafras, and sweet birch, while spotting or hearing a variety of birds including ovenbirds, brown thrashers, great crested flycatchers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, eastern towhees, and more.

While the pink lady's slipper orchids weren't blooming yet, their leaves offered a promise of rare beauty (we included a picture of one in bloom for you to enjoy).

Thank you to everyone who joined us to experience the remarkable conservation values of this special landscape!

Be sure to check out our website to view upcoming events!
→ https://centralpaconservancy.org/events/

06/06/2026

The community really made an impact in the month of May! 💪🏼

May 13th, we teamed up with Keystone Trails Association for our monthly Weekday Trail Care Series at the Diakon Wilderness Easement where we tended to hazardous trees and maintained trails.

May 14th, we held our monthly Community Volunteer Day. A group from Mid Penn Bank as well as Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. - HRG showed up for our May Community Volunteer Day at The Letort Spring Garden Preserve to w**d and prep the Rain Gardens for planting the following week. It takes a committed community to ensure these planting projects are successful.

May 19th, we hosted a Rain Garden Planting event with Pennsylvania American Water & Tuesday’s Chowder and Hiking Society. Participants planted native species that provide valuable habitat and food while functioning as an effective storm drainage solution adjacent to the Melester Barn.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠.

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Upcoming Volunteer Day Events:

→ Weekday Trail Care Series @ the Tuckahoe Conservation Area:
https://centralpaconservancy.org/event/weekday-trail-care-series-2/

→ June Community Volunteer Day @ The Letort Spring Garden Preserve:
https://centralpaconservancy.org/event/june-community-volunteer-day/

06/03/2026

⚾ Let's go to the ball game! ⚾

A portion of ticket sales go towards our mission to acquire, preserve, and protect land in south-central Pennsylvania.

6/19/26 @ 7:00 PM - Central Pennsylvania Conservancy