Lancaster Conservancy has begun renovations to Climbers Run Nature Center, its hub for conservation education and volunteerism, with the goals of improving access to the preserve and creating even more learning opportunities for visitors. The Conservancy marked the start of the project on May 7 with a ceremonial groundbreaking with key project funders, which included donors to the Conservancy's Protect and Restore Campaign.

The updates to the preserve will include a new universal access trail, named for Judith and Jay Gibble, that will wind from the trailhead through demonstration gardens featuring native plants and pollinator-friendly landscaping with benches where visitors may pause and observe. A deck extending from the Russo Family Foundation Barn and Education Center will invite visitors to experience the landscape from a new perspective. Other trails, like the Amos and Esta Funk Trail and Muller Woods Trail, will branch off and take visitors further into the preserve to explore and connect with nature.

Additional work will include a widened entrance drive with a school bus turnaround, an improved parking area, and renovations to the Russo Family Foundation Barn and Education Center to better support learning. These upgrades include a modern HVAC system, an improved interior layout, the installation of bird-safe glass, and the creation of a new community science lab.

The project will also seek to repair the spring-fed pond and wetlands that greet visitors upon arrival. Several best management practices, including rain gardens, will be installed to capture and filter stormwater runoff from nearby agricultural fields as well as the preserve's parking areas, roofs, and walkways. These improvements are intended to enhance the quality of water flowing into the pond and Climbers Run stream, which is important to the health of these freshwater aquatic ecosystems, particularly because the stream supports native reproducing brook trout.

Enhancements throughout the preserve will be made to transform Climbers Run into a catalyst for conservation education. Along the accessible trail, visitors will encounter native plant gardens, interpretive signage, and restored meadows and streamside habitats suitable for birdwatching, both in person and online. Outdoor learning spaces, like the Thomas and Pamela Hall Bird Viewing Area, are designed to inspire current and future generations of environmental stewards.

Improvements to the Russo Barn will further support Climbers Run's role as a hub for volunteers who conduct preserve stewardship, educational outreach, and community science projects across the Conservancy's preserves, amplifying the Conservancy's ability to care for nature and connect people with the outdoors.

Funding assistance for the site improvements to Climbers Run Nature Center has been provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Recreation and Conservation with a grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund. Funding assistance was also provided by the Lancaster County Community Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and donors to the Protect and Restore Campaign.

Protect and Restore started as a 50th-anniversary campaign, and over the past six years the campaign has accelerated the Conservancy's impact, allowing the organization to protect over 2,500 acres of natural land, undertake restoration and master planning projects, and expand trail networks, including five universal access trails planned or already constructed. One of the three key goals of the Protect and Restore Campaign is to update Climbers Run Nature Center to expand the reach and impact of the Conservancy's volunteer and education programs and deepen community engagement for years to come.

Project costs for Climbers Run are estimated at between $4.9 million and $5.5 million. The Conservancy will continue to raise funds for this project as part of the Protect and Restore Campaign through 2027. A sculpture at the entrance of the Russo Barn is planned to celebrate the donors who have invested in the Protect and Restore Campaign and its impact across the landscape.

Climbers Run Nature Center is closed to the public during the construction and restoration process. The Conservancy will continue to offer educational programming for school groups and adult learners at other locations, including Kellys Run and Ingrid Graham Historic Hellam nature preserves.

The Conservancy anticipates Climbers Run will reopen in late 2027. For project updates, visit http://www.lancasterconservancy.org/news/transforming-climbers-run-nature-center.