Press release by Manada Conservancy on 20 May 2026
This spring, Manada Conservancy permanently protected 40 acres of woodland in Dauphin County thanks to landowner Jay Megonnell’s commitment to conservation.
The property features diverse wildlife habitat, headwaters to Fishing Creek, and Dauphin County’s largest registered hybrid chestnut tree. Wildlife sightings on the land include barred owls, black bears, flying squirrels, and many bird species.
Through partnership with the REPI Program and the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, this project also supports protection of the natural landscape surrounding Fort Indiantown Gap by helping prevent incompatible development near the military training area.
Jay hopes the property will someday be available for public use with recreational trails and an environmental education center which he has given the name Megonnell Environmental Conservation Area (MECA).
About Manada Conservancy
Manada Conservancy is a land trust dedicated to preserving the natural, historic, agricultural and scenic resources of Dauphin County through land conservation, environmental education, and community engagement.
Manada Conservancy envisions a community in which preserved land is abundant and conservation is widely practiced for the benefit of all.
Manada Conservancy works with landowners who voluntarily wish to preserve their land and its natural resources for the future. Manada Conservancy’s preservation service area now includes all of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, with nearly 3,000 acres preserved to date. Our free education programs are popular and varied and draw from a multi-county area.
