In the 2025 grant cycle, the E. Kneale Dockstader Foundation (EKDF) awarded $113,363 to eight nonprofit organizations serving the SECCRA region. These grants support environmental education, habitat restoration, and community enrichment. Recipients will be recognized at a special reception held this June at Anson B. Nixon Park.

2025 Grant Recipients:
• Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
Installation of three wildflower meadows to improve biodiversity, enhance rainwater infiltration, and protect local wetlands.

• Stroud Water Research Center
Renovations to support freshwater research, watershed restoration, and environmental education.

• Friends Home in Kennett
Native landscaping enhancements around the newly installed elevator.

• Coatesville Youth Initiative
Camp Quiet Thunder – a summer program at Stroud Research Center where campers explore nature and develop as future environmental advocates.

• Kennett Area Parks Authority
Trail access improvements and wetland protection efforts along the Eastern Branch of Red Clay Creek in Anson B. Nixon Park.

• White Clay Watershed Association
Stormwater management projects and community education initiatives.

• The Garage Community and Youth Center
Native species education program for middle and high school students.

• Octorara Area High School
Creation of an outdoor “Plein-air Classroom” including garden, meadow, and discussion areas.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Since 2011, EKDF has awarded scholarships to graduating high school seniors in the SECCRA service area. Each year, one student from each eligible high school is selected to receive a one-time $4,000 scholarship.

2025 Scholarship Recipients:
• Unionville High School – Kai Talbert
• Kennett High School – Lilly Sheward
• Avon Grove Charter School – Aubrey Carter
• Avon Grove High School – Kellar Cimini
• Oxford Area High School – Owen Hughes

This year, scholarship recipients were also invited to a private half-day program hosted by the Chester County Conservation District, highlighting local efforts to address environmental challenges in Southern Chester County.

In 2024, the Dockstader Foundation hosted an awards ceremony at the Penn Township Municipal Building to distribute grants totaling $150,000 for twelve environmental projects and studies in Southern Chester County. Additionally, the Dockstader Foundation awarded $20,000 in college scholarships to outstanding local high school seniors who intend to pursue environmental studies at college.

The scholarship recipients were from Avon Grove Charter, Avon Grove High School, Kennett Square High School, Oxford Area High School, and Unionville High School.

Each year, the Dockstader Foundation disburses project grants to individuals, non-profit organizations, and local governments for environmental projects that benefit Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The Dockstader Foundation has disbursed over 1.9 million dollars since its inception.

The following is a list of 2024 recipients:

Avondale Borough – Community Garden $2,700
Avondale Borough – Pomeroy Park $10,500
Brandywine Conservancy $11,500
Brandywine Red Clay $19,805
Kennett Area Park Authority $20,000
Kennett Square Friends Home $10,000
Natural Lands $20,000
New Garden Township $8,000
Penn Township $7,500
SILO $10,000
White Clay Watershed $5,000
YMCA Brandywine $5,000

In 2023, the Dockstader Foundation hosted an awards ceremony at the Stroud Water Research Center to distribute grants totaling $108,800 for thirteen environmental projects and studies in Southern Chester County. Additionally, Dockstader Foundation awarded $20,000 in college scholarships to outstanding local high school seniors who intend to pursue environmental studies at college.

The scholarship recipients were from Avon Grove Charter, Avon Grove High School, Kennett High School, Oxford Area High School, and Unionville High School.

Each year, the Dockstader Foundation disburses project grants to individuals, non-profit organizations, and local governments for environmental projects that benefit Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The Dockstader Foundation has disbursed over 1.8 million dollars since its inception.

The following is a list of 2023 recipients:

Avondale Borough $2,800
Brandywine Red Clay Alliance $20,000
Kennett Area Park Authority $10,000
Kennett Library $10,000
Lincoln University $5,000
London Grove Friends of the Park $6,000
New Garden Township $7,500
SILO $5,000
Stroud Water Research $10,000
The Garage $15,000
Unionville Chadds Ford Elementary $10,000
White Clay Watershed Association $7,500

On June 16, the Dockstader Foundation hosted an awards ceremony at the Natural Lands Trust Cheslen Preserve to distribute grants totaling $112,500 for eleven environmental projects and studies in Southern Chester County. Additionally, Dockstader Foundation awarded $20,000 in college scholarships to outstanding local high school seniors who intend to pursue environmental studies at college.

The scholarship recipients were from Avon Grove Charter, Avon Grove High School, Kennett High School, Oxford Area High School, and Unionville High School.

Each year, the Dockstader Foundation disburses project grants to individuals, non-profit organizations, and local governments for environmental projects that benefit Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Foundation, which has disbursed over 1.7 million dollars since its inception.

The following is a list of 2022 recipients:

Brandywine Conservancy and Art Museum	Supporting Best Management Practices Pilot Project in the Oxford Region
Brandywine Red Clay Alliance	Land and Water Improvements for People and Wildlife
Parks, Recreation & Open Space Board For Franklin Township	Tree Planting at Crossan Park and Franklin Preserve
Friends of New Garden Trails	Restoration and Maintenance of Existing Trails
Hillendale Elementary Parent Teacher Organization	Outdoor Education Pavilion
Kennett Area Park Authority	Historic Water Works Building and Exterior Environmental Clean-up
London Grove Friends of the Park	Blosser Property
Londonderry Township	The Woodlands
Natural Lands Trust	Planting Meadow for Pollinators of Natural Lands ChesLen Preserve
SILO	Growing Together Community Garden
Stroud Water Research	Experimental Watershed Models for Education and Training

The Dockstader Foundation is a charitable foundation created by Southeastern Chester County Refuse Authority (SECCRA) to honor its longtime director and Chairman, Kneale Dockstader. A professional engineer with the DuPont Company, and a 60-year resident of southern Chester County, Dockstader served the community as a volunteer director on the SECCRA Board from 1978 until his death in 2008. He served as Chairman of the Foundation Board for twenty-five of those thirty years. 

For more information:

Dockstaderfoundation.org

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The Dockstader Foundation has awarded 14 grants totaling $147,000 for environmental projects that benefit Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania for 2021. The grants rang from $1,000 to $30,000 for various projects and activities including community gardens, environmental educational programs, and natural playgrounds and trails.

The Dockstader Foundation will also award between $16,000 and $20,000 in college scholarships to local high school seniors.

The Dockstader Foundation Board of Directors congratulates the fourteen grant recipients and scholarship winners and expresses its sincere thanks to these willing partners who are making the effort to improve the environment in southern Chester County.

2021 GRANT AWARDS:

Borough of Oxford, Rain Barrel Initiative in the Borough                             $7,000

Brandywine Conservancy, Agricultural Best Mgt. Practices                         $30,000

Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, Restoration Plan Lower Red Clay Creek   $16,500

Coatesville Youth Initiative, Environmental Camp Quiet Thunder              $1,000

Friends of New Garden Trails, Restoration/Maintenance of Trails               $2,500

Kennett Area Park Authority, Equipment for Old Landfill Restoration        $21,000

Londonderry Township, Improvements to their Woodlands Park                $6,000

Natural Lands, Invasive Plant Species Removal, and Inventory                    $7,000

Oxford Area Recreation Authority, Natural Playground and Trail                 $6,500

Oxford SILO, Community Garden                                                              $7,500

Penn Township, Environmental Education Center and Trails                        $7,500

Stroud Water Research Center, Mobile Education Lab for Schools                $20,000

TLC of So. Chester County, Environmental Education Program                    $7,000

White Clay Watershed Association, Green Infrastructure Project                   $7,500

The Dockstader Foundation awarded grants and scholarships in 2020 totaling $115,200. Grants ranged from $1,200 to $12,000 and covered activities from a demonstration wildflower meadow, and spotted lantern fly control to the re-propagation of the American Chestnut and a nature trail. The Foundation’s Board of Directors wishes to congratulate the thirteen grant and four scholarship recipients, one each from Kennett Consolidated School District, Avon Grove School District, Oxford Area School District and Unionville Chadds Ford School District. The Foundation wishes to express its sincere thanks to these willing partners who are making the effort to improve the environment in southern Chester County. Listed below are this year’s grant recipients and their projects:

Brandywine Conservancy and Art Museum – Community Driven Water Quality Improvements

Brandywine Red Clay Alliance – Management of Invasive Ailanthus Trees and the Spotted Lantern Fly

Oxford Area Recreation Area – Rain Garden Restoration and Bridge Protection

Londonderry Township – Woodlands / Daleville Preserve Trail and natural Area

Natural Lands – Cheslen Preserve Invasive Species Removal and Stewardship Portal

Friends of New Garden Trails – Demonstration Wildflower Meadow

Penn Township – Trail and Environmental Education Area

Kennett Area Park Authority – Impervious Surface Removal and Emergency Park Entrance Renovation

Octorara School District – Octorara Solar Project

Friends Home in Kennett – Raised Beds for Gardens

Grace McNeill – Upperclassman Scholarship

Patton Middle School – Restoring the American Chestnut

The Land Conservancy of So. Chester County – Creek Crossing, Streambank Stabilization and Water Monitoring