Pennypack Trust Upgrades Focus on Student Education

Renovations to the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust began on Dec. 27, and it didn’t take long for the Lower Moreland-based Bickel and Scena Construction to completely demolish its interior.

“It's just a general overhaul of the building. It's a little tired at this point," Art Scena, working foreman for Bickel and Scena Construction and Trust member, said. "The finished product should look nice, according to the plans."

According to the Trust’s executive director, David Robertson, plans for renovating the visitors center is long overdue.

It wasn’t until after successfully matching the $120,000 grants from the Beneficio Foundation, which has supported the Turst since the 1970s, that the Trust went forward with the renovations. With the matching funds, obtained through the Trust's membership and outward donations, the Trust was able to start the project with $240,000.

"Our board reconized that wasn't enough to build a new visitors center," Robertson said. "We decided that we would renovate the exsiting visitors center."

Robertson said that the new space would be more welcoming to visitors and will include amenities, such as an outdoor canopy, air-conditioning and handicap bathrooms.

Robertson also highlighted that the classroom in the center's basement will also be renovated, allowing more student-friendly programming to take place at the Trust.