Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Schuylkill Highlands Mini-Grant Program, which provides funding of up to $15,000 for projects that advance conservation, outdoor recreation, community revitalization, and nature-based tourism across the Schuylkill Highlands region. The application deadline is 4:00 PM on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
The Mini-Grant Program supports municipal, county, and nonprofit partner projects located within the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape, which includes all of Berks County and portions of Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Montgomery Counties. Projects must align with the Schuylkill Highlands Partnership’s goals of connecting people to the outdoors, promoting nature-based tourism and sustainable economies, conserving land, water, and greenway resources, and inspiring residents and visitors to explore and care for the region.
Eligible applicants include local, regional, or county government agencies as well as incorporated nonprofit organizations registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. All projects must provide a non-DCNR match of at least 25 percent of the funding request. Total project budgets may not exceed $50,000, and funded projects must be completed within 12 to 15 months of fund disbursement.
“From trail planning and wayfinding signage to streamside habitat restoration, the Mini-Grant Program helps communities bring impactful, locally driven projects to life,” said Estelle Wynn Dolan, Schuylkill Highlands Program Manager. “We encourage municipalities and nonprofits with strong project ideas to reach out early and apply.”
Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
• Interpretive and wayfinding signage
• Trail feasibility and engineering studies
• Riparian buffer plantings and other habitat restoration projects using native species
As part of the application process, all applicants must contact the Schuylkill Highlands Program Manager in advance to discuss their project proposal before submitting a formal application.
Applicants will be notified by June 30, 2026, whether their project has been selected for funding.
The Schuylkill Highlands Mini-Grant Program is administered by Natural Lands, a nonprofit land conservation organization, and is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program.
For grant terms, application instructions, and a list of past funded projects, visit the Schuylkill Highlands website at www.schuylkillhighlands.org/mini-grants/.
The Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape, established in 2006 by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is administered by Natural Lands and is funded by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. This public-private partnership focuses on the region where the Schuylkill River watershed intersects with the Pennsylvania Highlands and includes all of Berks County and portions of Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Montgomery Counties. Within this landscape, partners work strategically to develop value-driven, place-based approaches to sustain and protect the landscape and to connect residents and visitors to the opportunities it provides. The Schuylkill Highlands partnership is open to and includes leaders from local, county, regional, state and federal government agencies, nonprofit organizations including land and water conservation organizations, friends groups, and watershed associations, and consultants and outdoor businesses.