Get to Know Scott Richards of the Wildlands Conservancy
Scott Richards, Wildlands Conservancy
One could say that Scott Richards’ involvement with the Wildlands Conservancy is a family affair. While he first came to know of the Wildlands Conservancy through his children’s summer programs, his interest in fully participating came from his father, Ed, a former board member of the Conservancy. When Richards’ office wanted to start doing days of service and volunteer at a local organization, it seemed only natural to help out the cause his father was involved with. From there, he got to know Chris Kocher, president of the Wildlands Conservancy, through mutual conversation about organizations they both belonged to. While volunteering, Richards became passionate about the ideology and values that Wildlands Conservancy stood for.
The Wildlands Conservancy’s mission is to be the premier organization for land protection and environmental stewardship in the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh River watershed. Their goals include land preservation, wildlife habit restoration, increasing accessibility to their nine nature preserves, expanding environmental education offerings throughout the Valley and increasing public support for the organization. “I loved working with my son, Garrett, on his Eagle Scout project, which was done at Wildlands Conservancy,” Richards says. “We, along with other Scouts, enclosed one square acre in deer fence to block deer from going into the habitat and eating the native species of plants, allowing them to grow and flourish.”
A man of many passions, Richards later took interest in the Jerry Zimmerman Memorial Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)—of which he is now president—in providing funding for land acquisitions by Wildlands Conservancy. “If preservation of open space is a concern of yours, support Wildlands Conservancy,” he says.
