East Coventry Nature Preserve consists of over 90 acres of preserved open space among the rolling hills and farmland of northern Chester County. East Coventry Township owns and maintains the preserve that includes public hiking trails, historic resources, woodlands and the Pigeon Creek. Trail easements are located on adjacent farmland, expanding the trail system to nearly six miles. The preserve's two trailheads are located on Schoolhouse Road and Maack Road.
East Coventry Township is a part of the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape (SHCL), one of eight conservation landscapes in PA designated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. These "large regions work together to drive strategic investment and actions around sustainability, conservation, community revitalization, and recreational projects." These landscapes "contain strong natural assets, local readiness and buy-in, and state-level investment and support. Founded on the regions’ sense of place and resource values, conservation landscapes motivate citizens and elected officials to take on the challenge of effective land use planning, investment, civic engagement, and revitalization," (DCNR website, 2023).
Being part of the SHCL enables municipalities to apply for SHCL minigrant funding for conservation-related projects, and in 2021 and again in 2022, East Coventry applied for and was awarded over $12,000 to purchase and install new entrance signs for East Coventry Nature Preserve. Matching funds were provided by the township. The signs were installed in December 2022, and complement the existing historic resources of the township and assist in wayfinding to the trailheads.
