The Derry Township Environmental Action Committee, or DEAC, met on Saturday, November 17th to discuss future plans. 

Tree Planting 

First on the list, the committee was set to discuss how the tree planting, a week prior to meeting, went. They had planted trees in multiple spots around Hershey. 

Many committee members, parents, and boy scouts had volunteered to plant these trees. The only issue they ran into was that many of the trees did not have holes dug to plant them in. As a result, some volunteers had to dig holes with their hands. Besides that, the tree planting was very successful, with 20 trees planted. 

Next year, they are considering reaching out to more families across Hershey to ask if they want trees on their lawn. One specific demographic they were interested in asking were disadvantaged communities because, according to ponoma.edu, there is often an overlap between environmental consciousness and these communities. 

Environmental Awareness grant  

Second on the list, they discussed their plan to obtain a grant. Originally, they had planned to obtain an educational grant through the Environmental Education Grants Program in Pennsylvania. If granted, they would get money to teach the general public about any environmental topic of their choosing. However, the guidelines state that only non-profits may use this grant. Because of this, the DEAC was considering partnering with an organization like the Hershey Company. However, after re-considering the December deadline, they decided to postpone their plans until next year. 

“We want to make sure we aren’t biting off more than we can chew,” said one of the members. 

Climate Action Committee 

Near the end of the meeting, one member updated the DEAC on her committee’s progress on a Climate Action plan for the Derry Township municipalities. It included goals and strategies for businesses. There is a big focus on educating the general public and moving to solar energy. 

The next DEAC meeting will be held on December 17th at the Hershey Public Library. Everyone is allowed and encouraged to attend.