The Nature Conservancy’s Ponders Trail Project Receives Grant From Delaware Community Foundation

New Funding Will Be Used Towards Designing and Constructing a New Public Trails System

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE — July 2, 2008 — Roger Jones, State Director of the Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, is pleased to announce that The Nature Conservancy is the recipient of a grant for $10,000 from the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF). This is one of 32 capital grants totaling $343,900 awarded to Delaware nonprofit organizations: the largest amount the Foundation has allocated for capital projects and equipment since the grantmaking program began in 1990.

Designed to support projects that have a lasting, positive impact on the population or region served by the organization, capital grants may be used to fund construction, major renovation or repair of buildings and/or the purchase of land as well as to a limited degree, the purchase of needed equipment.

“The Nature Conservancy will use the funds to design and construct a public trail system on the Ponders tract of the Pemberton Forest Preserve west of Milton in Sussex County,” according to Roger Jones. “We are very happy to be one of this year’s recipients and look forward to sharing this forest preserve with Sussex County residents and visitors.”

The Delaware Community Foundation is a nonprofit community organization that connects people who care with causes that matter. Since 1986, the Foundation has managed charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses and organizations and distributed the incomes from funds as grants to many humanitarian, educational, health and cultural organizations in Delaware. The DCF also works with other nonprofit organizations to assess and meet community needs. Funding for the capital grants comes from the State of Delaware Fund created in 1989 with a $2 million grant from the state, and unrestricted endowment and field-of-interest funds.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves the plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. In Delaware, more than 29,000 acres have been protected with the help of more than 3,100 members. Visit us on the Web at www.nature.org/delaware.

For additional information about the Delaware Community Foundation’s grantmaking programs, planned giving services and other ways to support Delawareans, please call 302-571-8004 or visit www.delcf.org.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.