The Hillside Ecological Restoration project involves removing invasive vegetation and installing approximately three acres of native landscape on the slopes of Laurel Hill East along Kelly Drive and West Hunting Park Avenue.

The goal of this project is to create an ecologically sensitive design that establishes a new native landscape providing food and refuge for wildlife, while also reducing erosion and stormwater runoff along the Kelly Drive frontage. We are currently in Phase III of the project, focusing on removing invasive species, stabilizing the hillside, and planting native grasses and forbs further north along the steep hillside that connects the cemetery with Kelly Drive and the Schuylkill River.

This multi-year project, expected to be completed by June 2026, has received additional funding from the 25th Century Foundation, Laurel Hill Cemetery Company, the Henry A. Jordan, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund, and private donations.