Manada Conservancy has protected a 44-acre, fully wooded property along Blue Mountain in Lower Paxton Township that will be open to the public for hiking and passive enjoyment. Located near Hocker Park, the property includes a portion of the Darlington Trail and is part of the Kittatinny Ridge, an important corridor for raptor and songbird migration, wildlife diversity, and improving air and water quality to the region. This acquisition adds another piece to the growing tapestry of unfragmented forested ridge that numerous organizations are attempting to conserve.
The purchase was made possible by a Keystone Fund grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the generosity of the Champagne Family, and the assistance of The Nature Conservancy.