STIHL Inc. recently announced the winners of its 2022 Hearts of STIHL program, an initiative to care for the environment through the preservation of our nation’s state parks. The 2022 Hearts of STIHL winners, representing the nation’s six state park regions, have each been awarded a $20,000 grant to help fund sustainability, recovery, conservation, or environmental education programs.
The recipients of the Hearts of STIHL grants by region and some examples of how they will use their grants are as follows:
- Northeast – Roxbury Heritage State Park – Massachusetts
- Stewardship Corps after-school program, 8-week high/middle school program
- Southeast – Chewacla State Park – Alabama
- Partnership with the City of Auburn and Auburn University College of Forestry Wildlife and
Environment for non-native invasive species removal
- Partnership with the City of Auburn and Auburn University College of Forestry Wildlife and
- Central – Inks Lake State Park – Texas
- Storm damaged and diseased tree replacement, native tree planting, eco-system maintenance
- North Central – Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park – Kentucky
- Tornado recovery, trail recovery and enhancement, equipment and material purchase
- Northwest – Wyoming State Parks – Wyoming
- Installation of pollinator demonstration gardens at five Wyoming state parks
- Southwest – Spooner Lake State Park – Nevada
- Improved biomass disposal, purchase of portable mill and wood kiln
The awarded grants will be managed by America’s State Parks Foundation, ensuring that all funding will support environmental efforts and educational programming. More than 25 parks applied for the grant, with a broad variety of funding and support needs.
“America’s State Parks have had record levels of visitation across the country this year. The continued support of STHIL Inc. with this new Hearts of STIHL program will give our visitors increased enjoyment and understanding of conservation and the value of preserving the state park treasures for the future,” said Lewis Ledford, executive director at the National Association of State Parks Directors.
The Hearts of STIHL program expands STIHL’s relationship with America’s State Parks. For more than a decade, STIHL has been a sponsor of the National Association of State Park Directors Leadership School, providing scholarships for park personnel to attend.
The 2021 Hearts of STIHL program focused on planting 2,021 trees in two western state parks in response to the devastating effects of the 2020 wildfires. The project was a true partnership and included: men and women of the Oregon and California state parks; professional arborist and STIHL Inc. spokesperson Mark Chisholm, who provided hazardous tree felling and training; Director of Conservation for the MeatEater group Ryan Callaghan; and musical director for the Rolling Stones, Chuck Leavell, who is also an award-winning tree farmer, conservationis, and producer of the PBS television program, “America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell.”
Click here to learn more about the Hearts for STIHL program.
For previous Turf coverage of the Hearts for STIHL program, click here.
