This fall, PHS joined Aqua Pennsylvania and community partners to celebrate 20 years of the Trees for Watersheds Grant Program, a remarkable milestone and collaboration that has helped plant more than 240,000 native trees, shrubs, and seedlings across Southeastern Pennsylvania. 

The celebration took place at Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Montgomery County, where partners, volunteers, and environmental leaders came together for a commemorative tree planting that marked two decades of progress toward healthier watersheds and greener communities. 

Two Decades of Greening for Clean Water 

Since its launch in 2005, Trees for Watersheds, formerly known as TreeVitalize Watersheds, has received nearly $2 million in grants from Aqua Pennsylvania, as part of over $4.7 million in total funding from Aqua, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and PECO. Together, these resources have supported projects that enhance local ecosystems, improve water quality, and strengthen community resilience. 

“For 20 years, the Trees for Watersheds program has shown how powerful partnerships and horticulture can be in protecting natural resources and advancing community well-being,” said PHS President Matt Rader. “We’ve planted hundreds of thousands of trees, shrubs, and seedlings, improving air and water quality, restoring vital habitats, and creating greener, healthier places for people to live.” 

Aqua Pennsylvania: Protecting the Source 

When Aqua Pennsylvania helped launch the Trees for Watersheds program in 2005, its motivation was clear: protect the sources of drinking water that sustain communities across Southeastern Pennsylvania. 

“We were a founding partner because we were focused on source water protection,” explained Krista Seng, Corporate Giving & Community Affairs Lead at Aqua Pennsylvania. “Forested areas are directly tied to water quality; they help recharge groundwater and filter the waterways that supply clean drinking water to our customers.” 

Seng emphasized that the science behind tree planting and clean water has long been established. “If you lose just 10% of forested land and it’s converted to development, you can see up to a tenfold increase in the chemical costs needed to treat drinking water,” she said. “It’s always better to have it cleaner to begin with.” 

Over the years, Aqua has proudly funded a large portion of the Trees for Watersheds program, a commitment that Seng says reflects both the company’s environmental mission and its long-term vision. “This is one of our longest-standing charitable partnerships; twenty years is a long time to invest in the same program year after year,” she noted. “And we’re not done planting trees. People sometimes ask if we have enough, but the truth is, we always need to replenish them. Trees fall, storms come, and the work of restoration never stops.” 

For Seng, the program’s true strength lies in its collaboration. “Aqua can’t protect tens of thousands of square miles of watershed land alone,” she said. “It takes community engagement, education, and partnerships with organizations like PHS and DEP to recruit more people to the cause, not just for drinking water, but for all the services that our waterways provide.” 

Riverbend: A Living Classroom for Environmental Action 

Nestled along the Schuylkill River in Gladwyne, Riverbend Environmental Education Center has long served as a “living outdoor classroom” for local students. With help from the Trees for Watersheds partnership, Riverbend has planted over 3,500 trees, 380 shrubs, and 21 seedlings across its 30-acre preserve to create thriving habitats for frogs, birds, and native plants while offering children a firsthand connection to nature. 

“Maintaining our forest and native plant habitat is key to allowing children to access the wonder and the freedom of being outside in nature,” shared Erin Reilly, Executive Director of Riverbend. “The trees play a critical anchor role in our habitats here.” 

Every year, school buses from across five counties arrive at Riverbend, filled with children eager to explore frog ponds, meadows, and forest trails. “When families and volunteers gather here to plant trees,” Erin said, “we’re united by one belief: every child deserves a sustainable future. Each tree planted is a simple, powerful act of hope and a promise to the next generation.” 

She added, “When you see a father and son, or a mother and daughter planting a tree together, that’s a memorable family experience, one that helps them fall in love with nature as a family.” 

For Reilly, the results of this long-standing partnership are visible every day. “People often tell me that it feels wild and free here,” she said. “The extensive tree canopy makes for very inviting hiking and open-ended exploration for families with young kids.” 

Riverbend is open 365 days a year, welcoming visitors to explore its trails and habitats at no cost; a living testament to how conservation and community engagement can go hand in hand. 

Building Healthy Watersheds, One Tree at a Time 

Through funding and technical support from Aqua and DEP’s Growing Greener Watershed Restoration Grant Program, and with leadership from PHS Tree Tenders and local conservation districts, Trees for Watersheds has helped expand the tree canopy across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. 

Each county’s conservation district, from Bucks to Philadelphia, has played a vital role in organizing, coordinating, and inspiring local plantings. Together, these efforts protect our shared water sources by filtering polluted runoff, lowering stream temperatures, recharging groundwater, and stabilizing streambanks. 

Dr. Chris Crockett, Vice President and Chief Environmental, Safety & Sustainability Officer for Aqua’s parent company, Essential Utilities, emphasized the program’s deep connection to Aqua’s mission: 

“We take our responsibility seriously to protect water sources and provide clean, reliable drinking water for the communities where we live and work. Trees help us to do that, so the Trees for Watersheds grant program is core to our mission, and we are proud to have partnered on this program for the last twenty years.” 

Planting the Seeds of the Future 

Over the past two decades, Trees for Watersheds has empowered local communities, volunteers, and PHS Tree Tenders to take meaningful action for cleaner water and stronger ecosystems. Together, these grassroots efforts have demonstrated that every tree planted contributes to a healthier, more resilient region. 

As PHS continues to grow this legacy, the Trees for Watersheds program remains a testament to what’s possible when public, private, and community partners unite around a shared goal: protecting the natural resources that sustain us all.