Five local organizations and institutions dedicated to sustainability

By Scott Bradley

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area encompasses nearly 70,000 acres along 40 miles of the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The river’s path through the mountains includes the S-curves of Walpack Bend, cutting a pass through the mountains and forming the Delaware Water Gap.

In 1965 Congress established the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to preserve this natural and historic area.

Though set aside as an area for outdoor recreation, the land of this park is rich in history, and includes the Appalachian Trail (AT), which runs more than 25 miles through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

The AT crosses the Delaware River and the Water Gap on a walkway on the Interstate-80 bridge.

Pocono Heritage Land Trust

Pocono Heritage Land Trust (PHLT) is a conservation group dedicated to protecting important lands and waters, open space, agricultural landscapes, and the natural heritage of the Pocono Mountains region.

PHLT was founded in 1984 and is an active participant in the 2020 open space program, which was approved by Monroe County voters in 1998.

The trust is a non-profit organization funded by grants, donations, and the contributions of its corporate and individual members.

It is guided by the Land Trust Alliance’s Standards and Practices.

Brodhead Watershed Association

Providing leadership throughout the community, Dr. Patricia Kennedy is both an associate professor in the communication studies department at East Stroudsburg University and the president of the Brodhead Watershed Association (BWA).

The BWA is a regional, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting and improving water resources and the environment in the Brodhead and Cherry Creek watershed areas in Monroe County.

The BWA assists municipalities, residents, businesses, and groups with protecting natural resources through education, workshops, seminars, public programs, stream monitoring, baseline data collection, and stream cleanups.

The mission of BWA is to protect the environment and water resources within the watershed.

Strategies to achieve the mission include education to enhance understanding of water issues, data collection, community activism, and legislative review.

Stroud Region Open Space and Recreation Commission

The Stroud Region Open Space and Recreation Commission provides essential public services of economic stimulation, environmental stewardship, and social stability through healthful recreational and cultural programming and responsible stewardship of parks and open space.

As one example of their efforts, the Stroud Region Open Space and Recreation Commission has highlighted key areas along the Interstate-80 corridor where walking and biking connections should be maintained and enhanced.

The commission finds that we are in a unique position to affect change as the Department of Transportation begins the process of modifying I-80 through the Interstate-80 Reconstruction Project, which offers us an opportunity to restore and enhance walking and biking connections through our region.

‘The Stroud Greenway’, in conjunction with SROSRC, needs support to make these important community connections happen.

Show your support by contacting local and state representatives to let them know you want improved pedestrian connections across the new I-80.

East Stroudsburg University

ESU is dedicated to maintaining the environment locally, regionally, and nationally.

We have established curriculums in environmental studies and associated sports and recreation, as well as a Presidential Sustainability Commission.

Our faculty and students actively participate in establishing and maintaining environmental and sustainability-related programs.

The Student Activity Association, Inc. of ESU owns and maintains Stony Acres, a 119-acre off-campus student recreation area near Marshalls Creek that includes a lodge and a small lake, as well as trails and streams.

The primary purpose of Stony Acres is to serve as a recreation site and field campus for the students, faculty, and staff of ESU.

Stony Acres strives to administer facilities, programs, and services that encourage the pursuit of outdoors recreational activity, promote co-curricular involvement, foster leadership development, and provide social opportunities.

Stony Acres provides similar opportunities on a lease basis, for community and business organizations.

Email Scott at:

skb209@embarqmail.com