Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art earns prestigious reaccreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission
Chadds Ford, PA, May 13, 2025 — The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art is pleased to announce it has achieved renewal of its accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. The prestigious land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national high-quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever.
Since 1967, the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art has been a leader in protecting and conserving the land, water, natural and cultural resources in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware—with over 70,700 acres of open space permanently protected to date. It was also one of the first conservation organizations to be awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission in 2008. Since then, the Brandywine Conservancy has successfully completed the rigorous accreditation renewal process three times, maintaining its accreditation status for nearly two decades.
“We are thrilled to have received our third accreditation renewal through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission,” commented Stephanie Armpriester, Director of Conservation and Stewardship at the Brandywine Conservancy. “This award is an affirmation of our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our innovative conservation work and serves as a guiding framework for maintaining the highest national standards that the Brandywine has consistently maintained over the years.”
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs every five years. During the renewal process, the Brandywine provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The process also allowed Brandywine staff the opportunity to review and revise its current organizational policies and standards to ensure it was continuing to meet and exceed the highest accreditation standards set forth by the Land Trust Alliance. As a result of these efforts, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewal accreditation, signing its confidence in the Brandywine’s capability to protect land and steward its easements in perpetuity. Accredited land trusts now steward more than 50 million acres—that’s approximately 23 times the size of Yellowstone National Park.
“This accreditation renewal not only acknowledges our past work, but it also ensures that the Brandywine continues to hold itself to the highest professional standards in the land trust field now and in the future,” noted Grant DeCosta, Director of Community Services at the Brandywine Conservancy. “It provides confidence to our landowners, constituents, members and donors that this organization can and will responsibly fulfill the promise of preserving and stewarding natural resources for generations to come.”
“The role of renewing accreditation has always been to maintain public trust in the accreditation seal by ensuring accredited land trusts continue to meet national standards,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Commission. “The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art has been part of this program for more than 15 years and we are proud to recognize its commitment to conservation excellence.”
A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
About the Brandywine Conservancy:
The Brandywine Conservancy protects water, conserves land, and engages communities. The Conservancy uses a multi-faceted approach to conservation. Staff work with private landowners who wish to see their lands protected forever and provide innovative community planning services to municipalities and other governmental agencies. The Conservancy currently holds more than 510 conservation and agricultural easements and has facilitated the permanent preservation of over 70,700 acres of land. The Conservancy is a program of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
About the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art:
The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art preserves and promotes the natural and cultural connections between the area’s beautiful landscape, historic sites, and important artists. The Conservancy protects the lands and waters throughout the Brandywine Valley and other priority conservation areas, developing sustainable approaches to emerging needs and assuring preservation of majestic open spaces and protection of natural resources for generations to come. The Museum of Art presents and collects historic and contemporary works of American art, engaging and exciting visitors of all ages through an array of exhibitions and programs. The Brandywine unites the inspiring experiences of art and nature, enhancing the quality of life in its community and among its diverse audiences.
About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission:
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
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