Nominations sought for award

The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is accepting nominations for the annual Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Award, given in recognition of conservation work in environmental justice communities in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection considers any census block group where 20% or more individuals live in poverty or 30% or more of the population identifies as a minority to be in an environmental justice area.

The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, welcomes nominations of anyone in Pennsylvania who has shown exemplary leadership in his or her community through environmental restoration, awareness, education or conservation work. This work includes community tree plantings, rain garden or native pollinator garden installation or plantings, regenerative agriculture or urban farming or permaculture, or community beautification in an environmental justice community.

Nominees are ranked on their community engagement, collaboration and environmental conservation work with environmental justice communities in support of planting 10 million trees in Pennsylvania. Nominees are given credit for using science, research, innovative and creative approaches to conservation. A volunteer committee of environmental leaders, past Dock Award winners, and others will determine the winners.

To submit a nomination, visit https://tenmilliontrees.org/ contact/mld/. Forms are also available by emailing keystone trees@cbf.org or calling 717200-4543. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Sept. 29.

The award winners will receive $5,000 worth of native trees and supplies from the partnership, to be used for a 2024 tree project.

Now in its fourth year, the award was created to honor the spirit of Mira Lloyd Dock, who pursued urban beautification and forest conservation at a time when women and people of color were not welcomed at the decisionmaking table.

Dock is recognized as the first Pennsylvania woman to lead the way in forest conser- vation. She was an advocate for Penn’s Woods and in 1901 was appointed to the State Forestry Reservation Commission by Pennsylvania Gov. William Stone.

The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership will present the award during the Pennsylvania Forestry Association’s annual symposium on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Toftrees Golf Resort in State College.

To learn more about the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, visit www. TenMillionTrees.org.

Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon posted

The Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9. The race expo and packet pickup for all events will be on Friday, Sept. 8, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the starting line tent, located at 338 N. Ronks Road, Bird-in-Hand. The festivities on Sept. 8 will include a pre-race pizza and pasta party from 4 to 8 p.m., the kids’ fun run at 6:10 p.m., the 5K at 6:30 p.m., and a bonfire and s’mores party from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

4-H Fair frompg 1

The half marathon will step off at 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 9 and will be followed by a community picnic from 10 a.m. to noon.

People who completed the Garden Spot Village Half Marathon in March and also finish the Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon will receive the Road Apple Award.

For more information and to register, visit www.bih halfmarathon.com. Preregistration will close on Thursday, Aug. 31.

Community meal slated

The community is invited to a free hot meal, to be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, at Leacock Presbyterian Church, 3183 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. The meal will be hosted by the church’s mission committee.

The mission committee will serve pulled pork sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, pickles, hot dogs, baked beans, fruit salad, and desserts. The meal will be served in the handicappedaccessible Smith Fellowship Hall.

Readers may call the church at 717-687-6619 for additional information.

Landscape Designing

science. “It’s so diverse. (Members) of cooking club … are also on our robotics team,” said Stuetz. “It’s fun to see the traditional things that support agriculture, which Chester County is so rich in, and other things the kids have found.” scan this code for more local news townlively.com

For the first time, the Chester County 4-H Teen Council held a Field Day event on Aug. 13. “Our Teen Council is trying to spread the word about 4-H and get the kids to come together to have a social day after all the hard work,” Stuetz noted.

During the event, attendees made more than 20 dog toys to donate to the Brandywine Valley SPCA in addition to playing field games.

4-H is the youth development program of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. 4-H membership is open to all boys and girls ages 5 to 18.

“We have 509 4-H club members in Chester County, and we reach another 2,000 (children and youths) through various outreach programs,” Stuetz added.

For more information about the clubs, visit www.extension.psu.edu/programs/ 4-h/counties/chester/clubs or call Penn State Extension at 610-696-3500. More information about 4-H and photos from the recent 4-H Fair are available at www.facebook.com /chestercounty4H and www.facebook.com/The Romano4HCenterofChester County.