(9/25) In June 2018 Strawberry Hill, along with The Conservation Fund, officially announced the transfer of 560 acres to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry.

What started as just a possibility two years ago has now finally come to fruition as Strawberry Hill has donated 80 acres and sold an additional 480 acres to ensure habitat protection, recreational access, and permanent stewardship of the Swamp Creek watershed. The Conservation Fund provided transactional support and Strawberry Hill will use the proceeds from the sale to support environmental education programming at its now 30-acre campus.

Strawberry Hill was founded in the 1960’s by Hans and Frances Froelicher, who initially began efforts to clean up and protect the Swamp Creek Watershed. In 1986, The Strawberry Hill Foundation, Inc. was created as a charitable non-profit with the primary mission to provide environmental education to the surrounding area and protect the Swamp Creek Watershed. The Nature Preserve and Environmental Education Center lie at the heart of this mission, as the mission has always been to provide environmental education for the community, as originally wished by co-founder Frances.

In 2008, Strawberry Hill’s ability to subsidize its educational programs and maintain the Preserve was reduced with the onset of the "Great Recession." Significant losses to the Foundation’s assets occurred and the Foundation’s assets have never been recovered. Increased operational and facility management costs, coupled with financial pressures, have put a strain on the resources the Foundation possesses to provide affordable quality education and protect the watershed. The land transfer will not only provide Strawberry Hill with the financial resources it needs to continue to survive, it will provide an avenue for them to thrive and focus on educating the public.

This land transfer will now be part of and managed by the Michaux State Forest and could provide Strawberry Hill with the financial resources it needs to increase its assets and provide the funds necessary for the continuation of the educational programs and corresponding facilities that have been enriching the lives of people all over the area. Additionally, it will provide a connection between the forest’s northern and southern sections and will provide a southern gateway to visitors.

The conservation effort was made possible with an $837,000 grant from DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program and funding from NRG Energy and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds. The Conservation Fund, which is a national non-profit organization that aims to pursue environmental preservation and economic development. The organization focuses on creating as many pathways possible for people and organizations to protect their natural resources and save properties with ecological, historic, and/or cultural significance.

A ribbon cutting celebration was held on August 27 at Strawberry Hill to officially commemorate the land transfer. Among the approximately 50 people in attendance was Cindy Dunn, PA State Secretary of DCNR; Kara Ferraro, Executive Director of Strawberry Hill; Kyle Shenk, PA State Director of the Conservation Fund; Mike Starck, Vice President and General Manager of NRG Retail East division; and R. John Dawes, Executive Director of The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds. "This addition will enhance the Michaux State Forest’s contiguous wildlife corridor that encompasses nearly 86,000 acres in south central Pennsylvania, and provides continued protection for the headwaters of the recently designated Exceptional Value stream, Swamp Creek," said Dunn. "The department intends to carry on the legacy of forest stewardship, watershed protection and environmental education on this land."