Coburn Park serves as the community park for Penn Township, consisting of a 15+ acres area along Penns Creek, with two picnic pavilions, a playground, baseball field and large open, mowed areas. Opposite the parking area for the park, is a swale that seems to collect stormwater runoff from the town of Coburn slightly uphill. The Park also hosts the Penns Valley Conservation Association’s (PVCA) Creek Fest annually. PVCA would like to see more sustainable management of the park including educational opportunities for pollinator gardens, rainwater gardens, and riparian buffers. A plan for the entire site had been created for a grant but ultimately was abandoned due to the cost for the township and lack of buy-in. Centre County Conservation District along with PVCA would like to identify potential design/ plant selection for a pollinator garden to serve as an educational example, as well as to get the the township on board with work on making Coburn Park an attractive location for its residents to spend time outdoors, providing research and ideation of what the park could look like and how it can serve the community.
Sustainable Communities Collaborative Contact Info
University Faculty Contact
Liana T Burghardt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
ltb5167@psu.edu
814-863-6168