At a time when mass media pitted the environment against the economy, ordinary people were quietly taking action and getting results. In urban centers like Philadelphia, they were turning abandoned lots into beautiful gardens that could educate children, provide spiritual rejuvenation, and produce healthy, local- grown food. Across state, in Pittsburgh, they were returning to riverfronts with canoes, sculls, and kayaks, and reclaiming the waterways that had been subjected to years of abuse. In other places they were cleaning streams, restoring wetlands, and working to educate kids about how to control asthma at home and at school.

Through television, print, the web, and other media tools, EFP’s GreenWorks programs shared hundreds of inspiring stories that showed change was possible—and that it happened one person at a time. The personal, solution-oriented approach of EFP’s storytelling resonated with audiences throughout Pennsylvania and across the country and spurred many to take action themselves. In 2004, GreenTreks was formed as a separate non-profit organization to expand the impact of EFP’s communications programs to a regional and national scale.