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Press Release
April 20, 2021
FirstEnergy Partners with Wildlife for Everyone Foundation to Plant 300 Trees in Soaring Eagle Wetland
State College, PA — As part of an initiative to celebrate Arbor and Earth Days this April, FirstEnergy‘s Green Team is partnering with non-profits to plant 10,000 trees on their properties on April 30th. One of FirstEnergy's core values is social responsibility, which focuses on a cleaner and more sustainable environment. The Green Team is an employee-driven group formed to develop ideas and implement projects in support of being a socially responsible company.
“The employees of West Penn Power and Penelec, two of FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania utilities, are excited to work with two local organizations in Centre County: Wildlife for Everyone Foundation and ClearWater Conservancy,” says Joleen Hindman, area manager, FirstEnergy. Both organizations have designated parcels of land on which Penelec and West Penn Power employees will plant about 300 trees each to expand the tree canopy and broaden plant diversity in appropriate habitats.
Wildlife for Everyone volunteer, Mark Nale will lead FirstEnergy volunteers at the Soaring Eagle Wetland site located in Julian, Pennsylvania. ClearWater Conservancy’s Colleen DeLong and Sidney Shultz will guide the planting crew along the stream at the head of Spring Creek in Potters Mills, Pennsylvania. FirstEnergy applauds both organizations for their commitment to the environment and for supporting FirstEnergy employees in this conservation activity.
Russ Schleiden, chairman of the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation Board is pleased that FirstEnergy made this opportunity possible for the organization. He states, “These trees will provide new habitat for wildlife and help to screen the road and railroad, cutting down on noise and making it a more enjoyable experience for visitors to the Soaring Eagle Wetland.”
Four species of native trees will be planted. They are red pine, Washington hawthorn, black locust and pin oak. Volunteers will get underway at the Soaring Eagle Wetland at 9 am on April 30. Soaring Eagle Wetland is located at 6543 South Eagle Valley Road, Julian, PA.
The Wildlife for Everyone Foundation was established in 2004 to provide all wildlife enthusiasts with a way to show their commitment through much-needed financial support for wildlife conservation efforts and education. Since its inception, the Foundation has supported projects including wildlife and wetland habitat improvements, creek and lake restorations, the Seedlings for Schools and Pollinator Garden programs and student educational opportunities. A fully accessible, ADA-compliant wetlands area that will provide residents of central Pennsylvania with an outdoor learning space and nature observatory is planned for 2021. The Foundation’s mission connects all wildlife and nature enthusiasts to the great outdoors, including birders, hunters, anglers, students and everyone with an appreciation for nature. For more information, visit www.wildlifeforeveryone.org.
FirstEnergy is a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.
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