About
Outdoor Middletown
and Middletown Township Land Conservancy
Who is Outdoor Middletown?
Outdoor Middletown is an expanded version of Middletown Township Land Conservancy (“MTLC”), a non-profit organization formed 40 years ago to preserve natural lands in our Township. MTLC had a series of successes, starting with the Indian Orchards Park in 1985 (see The History of MTLC). This new Outdoor Middletown website reflects MTLC’s broader goal to help preserve and protect our Township’s entire ecosystem—all the natural features whether they are on public or private property.
Backyard Conservancy
Over half of the township is owned privately. The benefits of the natural features we’re preserving—the trees, streams, and open spaces—extend beyond property lines. We all benefit from the combination of all the trees and wild things in our area, no matter who owns them. And when trees are cut down or fields paved over, the loss affects all of us.
Backyard Conservancy is a new idea. We can’t tell homeowners what to do, but we can educate and encourage them to follow best practices when caring for their trees, gardens, lawns and open space. Every act to improve your own backyard—no matter how small—contributes to the overall preservation of our natural environment. If every property owner does their part, the cumulative effect is a healthy, invigorating outdoors that will benefit everybody in Middletown Township and will continue into the future.
Guide to Trails, Parks, and Playgrounds
There’s a wild side to Middletown you don’t see driving down Baltimore Pike. Middletown Township is blessed with an abundance of trails, clean-water streams, varied terrain, woodlands, and neighborhoods of mature trees and gardens. (Little-known fact: we have more hiking trails than any other township in the greater Philadelphia area). The second of Outdoor Middletown’s expanded roles is to make it easier for residents and visitors to discover wild Middletown with our comprehensive directory of trails, parks, and playgrounds. We believe that the more people go outdoors and enjoy the natural features of our township, the more they will want to join us in our grand effort to preserve and protect this beautiful green gem of a township we call our home.
Join us
Middletown Township Land Conservancy is an all-volunteer organization. A relatively small group of heros drove the public conservation efforts for the last 4 decades. Now, to achieve the ambitious, expanded goals of the new Outdoor Middletown, we need more people to plug in and help out. We need a variety of specialties and skills. The first step is to join Outdoor Middletown by signing up for our mailing list. It’s free. If you have skill or knowledge to offer, put it in the comments in the signup. Or email us. Contact Rob.Rayfield@Outdoormiddletown.com.
MTLC is financed by tax-deductible donations. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for tax purposes. Click the donate button to give “green energy.”