Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that the Van Scott Nature Reserve is located on the ancestral lands of the living, sovereign Munsee Lenni-Lenape peoples, communities, and nation.

We honor the traditional Native inhabitants of this place and uplift their historic, unique, and enduring relationship with this land and its resources. We pay our respects to their Elders and their past, present, and future peoples and culture as the Indigenous stewards of their homelands in the Upper Delaware River region.

We acknowledge that historically these same lands have been the site of colonial violence, extraction, pollution, and occupation, leading to significant displacement and disruption of the Lenni-Lenape way of life, which continue to impact these and other Indigenous communities to this day.

While the past cannot be altered, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy is dedicated to supporting the revitalization of Indigenous communities. We are committed to demonstrating continued gratitude for the gifts of nature and pledge to show respect, care, and stewardship for the land, each other, and future generations.