This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Accokeek Foundation.
Sustainable Communities Grant Program funds essential projects that help preserve and fortify communities
ACCOKEEK, MD. (October 16, 2020) – Pepco, together with its program administrator Rock Creek Conservancy, have chosen 10 local municipalities, recreational authorities, and nonprofits—including the Accokeek Foundation—to receive nearly $125,000 in funds to support open space and resiliency projects in the District of Columbia and Maryland. This funding is provided as part of Pepco’s Sustainable Communities Grant program, which was launched earlier this year to support open space preservation, improvements to parks and recreation resources, environmental conservation, and innovative community resiliency projects.
“We have a strong commitment to protecting and preserving the environment in the communities we serve. Through our new Sustainable Communities Grant Program, we are helping our communities conserve critical open space, support recreational opportunities and build resilience in the face of a changing climate,” said Melissa Lavinson, senior vice president of Governmental and External Affairs for Pepco Holdings. “I commend our community partners and our local leaders for their commitment to sustainability and for the innovative ideas and projects that we are so proud to support. Because, we know that healthy environments equal healthy communities”
Through the grant program, the Accokeek Foundation received $9,725 to fund enhancements to Piscataway Park’s network of recreational trails. Piscataway Park—created in the 1960s to protect the view from George Washington’s Mount Vernon—is the traditional homeland of the Piscataway people. The park is in Prince George’s County and is part of three national historic and heritage trail networks managed by the National Park Service: the Captain John Smith National Historic Trail, the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. In addition, the Foundation maintains seven nature trails, including a connector trail to a wetland boardwalk that hugs the shore of the Potomac River.
The project plans to improve conditions and increase accessibility to the park’s nature trails, which serve as outdoor classroom space for the Foundation’s environmental education programs. The project also will allow the installation of new trail signs which provide hikers with information about the diverse stories and historical perspectives reflected in the landscape they are traversing. New trail maps will be created to orient visitors and to help the public connect positively with the park’s ecosystems.
President Laura Ford noted, “It’s clear, now more than ever, that we need accessible public spaces where people can connect with one another and with nature. As visitors explore Piscataway Park’s free network of trails along the Potomac River shoreline in Prince George’s County, they’re invited to experience the powerful interconnectedness of all life on this Indigenous cultural landscape. We’re excited that Pepco’s Sustainable Communities Grant will allow the Accokeek Foundation to enhance the park’s recreational trails with interpretive signs that help people to see themselves as part of a larger story of community, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.”
For more information about Piscataway Park and the Accokeek Foundation, visit accokeekfoundation.org. The park is open year-round and is free to the public.
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About Accokeek Foundation:
Since 1957, the Accokeek Foundation has been a steward of the land. Through a partnership with the National Park Service, the Foundation interprets the past, present, and future of agriculture and environmental stewardship on 200 acres in Piscataway Park. The park is open daily to visitors of all ages who enjoy a quiet landscape for recreation and reflection. Annually, thousands of school children visit for farm-based education, learning about environmental stewardship through a historical lens. Thanks to support from donors and members, the Accokeek Foundation provides a natural space for all to enjoy, for generations to come.
About Pepco:
Pepco is a unit of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation’s leading energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers.
About Rock Creek Conservancy:
Rock Creek Conservancy is an awarding-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the restoration of Rock Creek and its 33-mile watershed as a natural oasis for the benefit and enjoyment of all people.