A boat trip gave participants a glimpse of the downstream impacts of Pennsylvanian communities.

In partnership with our supporter Brady Stroh and Coastal Anthology, five participants  from the Lancaster One Water Partnership joined IPC for an exploratory educational experience on the Susquehanna River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay. The group met the boat at the Port Deposit waterfront and set-off for a cruise down to the Susquehanna Flats, where the river empties into the upper Chesapeake Bay. 

At the flats, we watched eagles, osprey, and numerous waterbirds foraging around the river islands and in the shallow water; we cruised over wide, bright green beds of submerged aquatic vegetation, watching damselflies dart over the floating mats of water weeds. We had our lunch down at the Flats, giving us an opportunity to reflect as we enjoyed the sights and sounds.

Captain Brady shared his knowledge and love of the River and the Bay with us, teaching us about the human and natural history of the lower reaches of the Susquehanna; our IPC staff led a conversation about how this past has shaped our watershed today and how this informs the work we are called to do; we left feeling educated and energized for the future!

Want to help us host more transformative experiences like this boat tour? Consider a gift on November 17th during the Lancaster Community Foundation's ExtraGive!

So what is coming up in Lancaster's One Water Partnership?

The Lancaster One Water Partnership received a grant from the Lancaster Clean Water Fund to continue to expand our mission in the region. This grant will help us increase our outreach capacity and support existing congregational green teams, with a focus on deepening relationships with environmental justice communities.

On Friday, November 17th, IPC will be participating in Lancaster's largest day of giving, the ExtraGive! The ExtraGive is a community celebration of giving that inspires thousands of donations and shinning a light on the work of Lancaster community benefit organizations, such as IPC. Please join our campaign and help us reach our goal of $3,000 for congregation seed funding support within the Lancaster community. Our new Lancaster Outreach Coordinator, Mike Hudson, is ready to work within the diverse faith community to strive for cleaner water in the Susquehanna.

We have seen firsthand the amazing things that can happen when our community comes together to give back. Check out this video of Pastor Steve Verkouw at Grace Lutheran Church who became a board member of Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake after getting involved with Creation Care at his congregation. He explains how IPC’s support helped them kickstart their green team.

Sunset photo taken by Chuck Book.

We’re counting down the days to ExtraGive and need your help to make our campaign a success. We’ve included a few easy ways that you can support us:

• Make your gift on Nov. 17th and be part of the movement! 
• Become a fundraising champion. Everyone loves a champion, including us. We would love to have fundraising champions to help raise $500 each and drive people to our ExtraGive profile on November 17th. Contact Natalie on our team for more information on how to become a fundraising champion.
• Spread the word to your family and friends. Our success depends on you telling others to support us!
• Help us grow our network by sending our emails about the event to your network and ask your friends to do the same.
• Be socially (media) active. Use your social media networks: post on Facebook, tweet about ExtraGive, and share your love for IPC's mission.

Thank you in advance for your support!