Brandywine River Restoration Trust (BRRT) announced, that they have kicked-off a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 to restore the Brandywine River.
American Shad were once among the most popular fish in America. Also known as “America’s Founding Fish,” they helped feed Washington’s troops in Valley Forge. Before that, Shad fed the Lenape people until the dams blocked their passage.
Like salmon, Shad are born in freshwater and live their adult life in saltwater before returning to the freshwater river of their birth to spawn. Unfortunately, for the last 300 years the dams in the Brandywine have prevented Shad from migrating and spawning.
“Every dollar donated will further our journey to enable the annual migration of Shad all the way to Pennsylvania for the first time in nearly 300 years.” – Jim Shanahan, Executive Director
The Brandywine River Restoration Trust needs your help to restore passage of fish through the river to migrate and spawn by removing or modifying dams that no longer serve a purpose. Every dollar you donate will be matched by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation!
YOUR DONATION WILL:
- Help fund the effort to provide fish passage by removing or modifying dams
- Bring back the river’s natural ecosystem (birds, frogs, other fish, etc.)
- Reduce severe flooding caused by climate change
- Increase recreational uses such as fishing, kayaking, and swimming
- Provide equitable access to natural resources of the river corridor
- Fund the feasibility study and analysis to enable American Shad to migrate past Dam 5, also known as the Brandywine Falls Dam
- Monitor Shad repopulation efforts
- Provide services to the underserved community
DONATIONS CAN BE MADE BY CHECK, OR ON THE PATRONICITY WEBSITE UNTIL DECEMBER 4, 2022 IN THE FOLLOWING INCREMENTS:
Shad Egg | Give $25
· Acknowledgement in BRRT Newsletter
Baby Shad (Fry) | Give $50 or more
· Receive email with picture of each dam removal and fish passage
Juvenile Shad | Give $100 or more
· Receive a high-quality tee shirt with BRRT logo on front and Lenape Indian inscription on back
Adult Shad | Give $250 or more
· Receive a Handcrafted Lapel Pin of American Shad Made in UK from English Pewter
Migrating Shad | Give $500 or more
· Receive everything in previous level PLUS name engraved on dedication plaque
Dam Buster | Give $1,000 or more
· Receive everything in previous level PLUS a private tour of the dam sites
The NFWF grant and all donations will further the mission of BRRT to restore and protect the Brandywine River, enabling the migration of American Shad and improve ecological function while providing equitable opportunity for environmental education and recreation. NFWF is aligned with BRRT and dedicated to sustaining, restoring, and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats for current and future generations.
About Brandywine River Restoration Trust (BRRT)
A non-profit organization instrumental in enlisting a broad coalition of partners working together to remove 11 dams no longer in use, to allow shad and other fish to migrate in the Delaware portion of the lower Brandywine. In addition, goals indirectly related to restoring shad migration — such as ecological improvements, stream beautification, natural resource utilization, long-range maintenance and sustainability — could be realized simultaneously.
About National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
NFWF supports conservation efforts in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NFWF-funded projects are rigorously evaluated and awarded to some of the nation’s largest environmental organizations, as well as some of the smallest. NFWF focuses on bringing all parties to the table, getting results, and building a better future for our world. Financial commitments to its conservation mission since NFWF’s founding now reach $7.4 billion.