Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, Inc.

Mission: To improve the quality of life in the City of Lowell through education and through the creation, conservation, and preservation of parks, open space, and special places. LP&CT offers a diverse array of programs and projects, all focused on promoting Lowell’s natural resources and “creating positive change on the ground.” We have developed credibility for tackling and accomplishing challenging projects. Over the past year, LP&CT programming reached over 2,200 people through over 70 various educational programs, not including over 1,020 youth receiving over 5,000 contact hours of environmental education programming. Our projects are visibly woven throughout the city, improving the quality of life, the aesthetics of the city, and stabilizing neighborhoods. LP&CT’s four programmatic areas provide opportunities for people to connect to the land the city was built upon by: 1) offering educational programs to youth and adults about the city’s natural resources, especially its rivers; 2) advocating for the protection of Lowell’s special places, and 3) acquiring and protecting conservation lands where nature is left undisturbed. Our collaborative approach enables us to undertake positive projects and creative events that connect people with their local environment as a means of improving their quality of life. Our programming engages people in the out-of-doors in ways that promote creativity (Riverfest), provide recreation (property walks, Concord River Greenway), and engages their mind (youth programming, wildlife tracking, outdoor classroom programs). An often unspoken benefit to our programs, and the reason for the application, is the public health impact of offering programs that give community members a means of alternative exercise, access to new places for recreation, improved air quality, and stress reduction.