We’d like to congratulate Meredith Hill for recently being featured in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) newsletter in the “Good Natured Pennsylvanians” section, honoring her incredible work for both the Pennsylvania Wilds and stewardship throughout the Commonwealth.

The Good Natured Pennsylvanians article:

Meredith is the Conservation Landscape Director at DCNR and the director of the Pennsylvania Wilds Conservation Landscape for the agency. For the last 20 years, she has worked to help revitalize rural communities through sustainable tourism development — all while inspiring a stewardship ethic in residents and visitors.

She was recently honored with our PA Wilds 2022 Champion of the Wilds Award for Outstanding Leader.

The award honors those that have used their platform to advocate for outdoor recreation economic growth in the Pennsylvania Wilds to create jobs, diversify local economies, inspire stewardship, and improve quality of life.

Above, from left: Mandy Book (Acting Deputy Secretary for the Office of Business Financing and Workforce Development), Ta Enos (Founder and CEO of PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship), Meredith Hill, Tim Poole, Abbi Peters (Founding COO of PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship)

Meredith works with and connects regional partners to ensure stewardship of the public lands, and to support and grow private businesses in the 12.5-county region of the Pennsylvania Wilds.

“The Pennsylvania Wilds has become a world-class conservation landscape,” says DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “What we have learned from Meredith is that to really do this conservation landscape work you have to spend time with the people and the communities and listen as much has you talk.”

Meredith played an integral role in the development and growth of the Pennsylvania Wilds initiative, participating in long planning meetings during the early days of the program, and she continues to put her heart into the Pennsylvania Wilds.

“Like water that shapes a rock over time, she has been a persistent force for good in the Pennsylvania Wilds region,” said Ta Enos, Founder and CEO of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship.

Meredith’s commitment and dedication continues to be a source of inspiration for many of those working for the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Meredith Hill receives the “Key to the PA Wilds” in a special moment of appreciation from the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship at the 2022 PA Wilds Champion Awards and Dinner. She hugs Stephanie Distler (of Stephanie Distler Studios), the artist who was tasked with creation the key. Ta Enos, Founder and CEO of PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, stands in the background. (More info and photos of Distler making the Key to the PA Wilds here.)

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Know of a good-natured Pennsylvanian who is passionate about outdoor recreation and/or conservation that we should feature? Contact us at [email protected] to nominate someone.