Press release by Lancaster Conservancy shared 22 October 2026
Photo of Lancaster Conservancy’s Climbers Run Nature Center 20-ac addition
Lancaster Conservancy (the Conservancy) is excited to announce the upcoming acquisition of an over 20-acre property which will expand Climbers Run Nature Center and protect an additional section of the Climbers Run stream.
“The Conservancy is delighted to work with this property owner to protect a beloved forest and stream while expanding Climbers Run Nature Center, our home for hands-on conservation education in Lancaster County. Preserving this priority wildlife habitat and stream corridor is central to our commitment to keeping this landscape intact and healthy for generations to come,” said Lancaster Conservancy President and CEO Fritz Schroeder.
The property, which is located between Climbers Run Nature Center and Trout Run and Steinman Run nature preserves, includes upland forest, forested bottomlands, and a pond, in addition to a section of stream that provides habitat for native brook trout. The stream from this property then flows through the existing area of Climbers Run Nature Center before emptying into Pequea Creek and eventually the Susquehanna River. “Protecting connected corridors of natural lands is important for supporting wildlife, which need space to move, live, and find food. It also creates the potential for expanded recreation opportunities,” said Kate Gonick, Lancaster Conservancy’s senior vice president of land protection and general counsel. “This is a critical connector tract, and the Conservancy appreciates the owners’ willingness to work with us on protecting this property forever.”
In the future, the Conservancy hopes this property will help to link Climbers Run Nature Center with the Enola Low Grade Trail. This is one of the last undeveloped tracts of forest directly across from the Enola Low Grade Trail, in an area which is facing development pressure.
Climbers Run Nature Center is located within the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape, a landscape designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources which includes the municipalities that border the Susquehanna River in Lancaster and York counties. The Susquehanna Riverlands are a priority for conservation.
Climbers Run Nature Center is the Conservancy’s home for education programming and volunteerism in Lancaster County. It is currently closed for renovations, which will include updates to the Russo Family Foundation Barn and Education Center and installation of a new universal access trail, water quality improvement projects, and native plant demonstration gardens. The Conservancy anticipates reopening the preserve in 2027.
This addition to Climbers Run Nature Center will transfer from the owners to the Conservancy in late spring 2027 and remains closed to the public. Funding to acquire this property is being provided in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Recreation and Conservation Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund as well as the County of Lancaster. The Conservancy is continuing to fundraise for this acquisition.
Learn more about Climbers Run Nature Center https://www.lancasterconservancy.org/news/transforming-climbers-run-nature-center/
About Lancaster Conservancy
Lancaster Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust that has protected over 11,000 acres of natural land in Lancaster and York counties. Managing over 50 nature preserves and more than 60 miles of trails open free of charge from dawn to dusk, the Conservancy strives to protect and restore our region’s natural landscape and provide opportunities for everyone to experience the outdoors.
