Ryan Beltz

Dedicated to the protection and conservation of the land and water resources of the Perkiomen Creek, the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy (PWC) serves as an important partner to both the college and the Borough of Collegeville. “Having a great resource like Ursinus is incredibly beneficial,” said PWC Executive Director Ryan Beltz, who collaborates frequently with faculty and students. “It’s almost like a farm system for us in terms of bringing interns on board who transition to employees,” which include Director of Ecology Beth Myers ’17 and Director of Conservation Jessie Kemper ’12.

This year, after installing a boat ramp to give Collegeville residents better access to the creek, the PWC worked with the borough to secure a $170,000 grant for the construction of Creekside Park surrounding the launch, and they celebrated the creek’s official designation as the state’s 29th water trail.

“It’s a nice feather in our cap for the area because it brings in recreation, with maps, trail signs, and more exposure for the conservancy and recreation on the creek.”

~Ryan Beltz