Preserving the natural beauty and wildness of the Wissahickon Valley for 92 years
WINTER 2016 VOLUME 25 • NUMBER 4
Final Report on the A Big Night Tips on Helping Children All Trails Challenge! p. 6 for FOW Volunteers! p. 8 Connect with Nature p. 10
Photo by Kevin Bennett LOGO
PRIMARY LOGO A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
s a parent with two daughters, I see first-hand the benefits my children receive from exploring the Wissahickon. Their enjoyment of the park is A 40 W. Evergreen Ave., Suite 108, Philadelphia, PA 19118-3324 very hands-on. They lift up rocks to discover what lives (215) 247-0417 • [email protected] • fow.org underneath, create designs with fallen leaves, and build SECONDARY LOCKUPS small “houses” for critters. The mission of Friends of the Wissahickon is to Our feature in this issue focuses on the importance of preserve the natural beauty and wildness of the children spending unstructured time in nature (see p.10). It Wissahickon Valley and stimulate public contributes to healthy child development, fosters empathy, interest therein. stimulates imagination and creativity, and helps children OFFICERS Let’s be friends. fow.org Let’s be friends. // fow.org develop gross-motor skills and risk assessment capacities. Will Whetzel, President You will find in our feature a list of nature books you can Jeff Harbison, Vice President James Walker, Treasurer share with your children and some tips on exploring the A proud PARTNER LOCKUP natural world when you are with them in the park. I find my Cynthia Heckscher,partner of Secretary experience of the Wissahickon is enhanced when I share it PAST PRESIDENTS with my daughters. Seeing them discover things in the park Cindy Affleck Charles Dilks allows me to rediscover it all with the same sense of joy. Robert A. Lukens David Pope John Rollins Edward C. Stainton Robert T. Vance, Jr. Many families took advantage of FOW’s first BOARD MEMBERS Christine Bamberger Courtney Kapp All Trails Challenge and raised over $25,000 for the Christopher Bentley John Kelly Amy Branch Benoliel Martha Kennedy preservation of the park. Those who came on hikes with me Tai-ming Chang Richard Kremnick got to explore little-used parts of the Wissahickon. Stephanie Craighead Charles Lee, Jr. Walt Crimm Chris McCausland Emily Daeschler David Pope David Dannenberg Chris Rabb Alyssa Edwards Jean Sachs Many families took advantage of FOW’s first All Trails Challenge and raised over Sam Finney Robert T. Vance, Jr. $25,000 for the preservation of the park. Those who came on hikes with me got to explore Shirley Gracie James Walker little-used parts of the Wissahickon. You can learn more about the All Trails Challenge on Jeff Harbison Patricia R. West p. 6 and start making plans to join us next year! Cynthia Heckscher Will Whetzel On page 13, John Wenderoth of The American Chestnut Foundation reports on the Nina Hoe Susie Wilmerding efforts to restore the American chestnut tree. If you missed his Valley Talk in November, Louise Johnston this is your chance to catch up. FOW hopes to take part in one of these pilot programs in STAFF the future and rediscover the place of the American chestnut in the Wissahickon Valley. Maura McCarthy, Executive Director You may notice some staff changes in this issue. FOW welcomes two new staff Ruffian Tittmann, Director of Development members: Peg Shaw, Project Manager, and Christina Anthony, Volunteer Coordinator. and Operations John Holback, former Volunteer Coordinator, has taken on the new position of Field Audrey Simpson, Business Manager Coordinator. These three staff members work extensively with FOW volunteers, who we Denise Larrabee, Editor/Writer rely on to complete projects and execute programs throughout the park. We couldn’t do Sarah Marley, Outreach Manager our work without them. Take a moment to read about all they do for the Wissahickon on Peg Shaw, Project Manager page 8, and learn how you can get involved in one of our volunteer programs on p. 9. Erin Mooney, Publicist John Holback, Field Coordinator Children exploring and enjoying the Wissahickon today are likely to grow into adults Christina Anthony, Volunteer Coordinator with a reverence for the natural world and an innate understanding of our place in Giulia Morrone, Development nature. Those boys and girls running around the park today will be the future stewards and Outreach Assistant of the Wissahickon. There are many reasons to preserve the Lorraine Awuku, Development Manager park, but one of the most important is for children Ashley Velez, Executive Assistant and future generations. Please consider donating to our annual appeal before the end of ILLUSTRATIONSNEWSLETTER & ART this year or become an FOW member. VALLEY TALKS Denise Larrabee, Editor Our new children’s book, Good Night Sarah West, Listings Editor Wissahickon Valley Park is free with a SAVE THE DATES! Moon Design, Layout new family membership and a great way APRIL 13 • MAY 16 Published by Bartash Printing, Inc., Phila. to begin exploring the park with your young children. Then head down to the 6 PM AT VALLEY GREEN INN Printed on recycled paper. Wissahickon and have an adventure! UNITED WAY DONATIONS Friends of the Wissahickon can receive membership/donations through the United Way. Our United Way number is 9882. If this is the most convenient way for you to give, Maura McCarthy, Executive Director please do so. Visit our website (fow.org) to learn about the benefits of membership in Photo by Laurie Beck Peterson Friends of the Wissahickon.
2 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon BRIEFLY NOTED
FALL FEATHERED FRIENDS Brilliant foliage is not the only reason visitors flock to the Wissahickon in the fall. Many species of birds reside, nest, or migrate through the park during autumn. In September, bird enthusiasts enjoyed a slide presentation by Ruth Pfeffer at a Valley Talk, sponsored by Valley Green Bank, followed by a bird hike later in the week. Pfeffer, owner of Birding with Ruth, is credited with creating the birding program at the Morris Arboretum where she is an instructor. She has led birding expeditions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and abroad since the 1990s. Read an exclusive interview with her at fow.org/chatting-bird-expert.
Pine warbler. Photo by Linda Goschke
DON’T EAT FAIRMOUNT PARK ONE OF 15 THIS COOKIE! GREAT PLACES IN AMERICA The porch on the Wissahickon Fairmount Park has been recognized by the American Environmental Center was Planning Association (APA) as one of 15 Great Places in completed in 2015, but it’s been America. This award annually honors neighborhoods, missing an important element streets, and public spaces for their character, that was recently added this fall: cultural identity, and use of sustainable practices. a tree cookie. The WEC is known “Fairmount Park was honored for its innovative as the Tree House because of a watershed techniques,” says Executive Director Maura tree that once grew through the McCarthy. “What has grown out of that initiative is porch roof. While the tree cannot some of Philadelphia’s remarkable parks, especially be replaced, FOW is doing its best Wissahickon Valley Park.” to pay homage to it through the installation of a “tree cookie” in the porch floor directly beneath a skylight where the tree used to fow.org/director-innovative. grow. Next time you visit the Tree House, step up onto the porch and look down—then up!
See a tree down across the trail? A damaged sign? Report a non-emergency problem in the park, donate to FOW, or subscribe ONLINE CHATTER to text updates by texting WISS to Over 330 people responded to our call on Facebook for letters of support (267) 966-2207. for FOW’s nomination of Forbidden Drive as Trail of the Year 2017. We are touched by your support and so happy that you love the Wissahickon and Forbidden Drive as much as we PUBLIC MEETING do! We should know the decision of JANUARY 25 the Department of Conservation and Friends of the Wissahickon will host a Public Natural Resources early next year. Meeting on January 25, 2017, at the Chestnut We’ll keep you posted. Like FOW’s Hill Friends Meeting house to discuss progress on Facebook page to get the news first! its Sustainable Trails Initiative and other projects this past year. During the meeting FOW will also Photo by James Sherman discuss upcoming projects for 2017. Visit fow.org/ events for more details.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 3 PROJECT UPDATE By Peg Shaw, Project Manager WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WISSAHICKON?
Andorra Natural Area Stormwater Management and Sediment Reduction
Those who visit the Wissahickon Environmental Center (the Tree House) in the Andorra Natural Area are probably familiar with the soggy ground conditions following even the slightest rainfall. To address these chronic conditions and improve the functionality of the grounds and environmental health of the site, FOW has conceptualized and secured funds from the PA Department of Environmental Protection for a first-of-its-kind- in-the-Wissahickon-Valley micro watershed restoration project. This is nothing less than a comprehensive approach to landscape restoration at the watershed scale. This means that solutions to the soggy landscape at the Tree House involve interventions not only at the site, but Proposed treatment by A.D. Marble. far upslope and downslope from the site. After posting a Request for Proposals and reviewing and carries precipitation, but buries and 3. Trails and access roads have not been six submittals, FOW awarded the project to a captures historic surface water streams and properly maintained due to a lack of team led by A.D. Marble. The preliminary data tributaries. Where does all this piped water resources. In some cases these pathways collection and survey phase is set to begin before drain to? In the Wissahickon Valley, it drains were not initially designed to carry the end of the year, starting with a meeting to surface outfalls throughout the park. This stormwater flows gently onto the forest led by the A.D. Marble team with Philadelphia creates a couple of troubling conditions. floor. Therefore they have become storm Parks & Recreation and the staffs from the Tree First, it robs the landscape uphill of the flow channels resulting in trail and roadway House and FOW. They will discuss the vision and Tree House of vital water infiltration and surface deterioration, erosion, and gullying. programmatic details for the area surrounding ground water recharging, creating artificially the Wissahickon Environmental Center. dry conditions for the forest and presenting A Path Forward tremendous stress levels to canopy trees and What a headache! The complexity and degree Three Problematic Conditions other vegetation. of cascading negative impacts on the landscape 1. If the forest floor was healthy with a thick can seem overwhelming. However, with the organic mat to capture and hold 80-90% Second, when these storm flows (fast moving, high volume, water flows of short increasing rise in watershed-scale analysis and of precipitation, the Tree House site would understanding, and problem-solving solutions not be suffering so much from soggy duration) reach the end of the pipe at the outfall, deep cuts into the landscape are among governmental, environmental, and land- site conditions. However, thanks to the use professionals, comprehensive approaches can abundance of invasive earthworm species created, either destroying preexisting surface flow channels or creating new ones. These lead to significant improvements in ecological devouring the organic material on the function and human enjoyment. forest floor, precipitation that reaches the conditions prevent precipitation from being Proposed solutions for the Andorra Natural ground surface is not captured. Instead, infiltrated into the ground on lower slopes. Area watershed involve a range of interventions it collects and flows downhill, creating a As surface channels deepen, the groundwater both major and subtle. Project funding will myriad of mini-rivulets, picking up speed level drops, further drying out the forest. support the major earth-moving components and converging at the Tree House before Storm flows erode soil which eventually gets of Phase I of the plan, while FOW staff and continuing its path to the Wissahickon Creek. carried to the Wissahickon Creek, negatively volunteers will accomplish the more subtle efforts There is much more to discuss regarding impacting water quality and habitat there. throughout the watershed. the negative impacts of earthworms in the Third, throughout the forest, habitat is forest, but suffice it to say that earthworms damaged or destroyed due to a lack of natural create a series of stressors in the forest water flows. and significantly undermine its health and stability. TELL ME MORE 2. The built environment at the top of the watershed was not designed to capture A watershed is defined as the area in which water flows through the landscape: and infiltrate precipitation that falls groundwater, surface water, and stormwater. Thanks to gravity, water always moves there. Instead, like nearly all of the built to the lowest possible elevation, following the path of least resistance. FOW identified environment, it was designed to convey approximately 30 acres of terrain within the watershed drainage basin where the water off site as quickly as possible into Tree House is located, and the majority of that acreage is upslope from the Tree stormwater sewers. The underground circuit of stormwater sewers not only captures House, with water flowing down toward it.
4 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon A RD ANDORR
F OR BID DEN DR IVE
Secondary Gravel Road Primary Gravel Road MEET FOW’S NEW PROJECT E V WEC A N R MANAGER! E T S E W Peg Shaw joined the FOW staff in H T R mid-August as Project Manager. She O N comes to FOW after consulting with the New York City Parks Department ` on a variety of forest restoration Parking Area 1 projects and working with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection on green infrastructure projects. ` Peg discovered the joys of W ` Wissahickon Valley Park in 1996 after moving to Philadelphia from Work Zone 1 can extend as 0 300 600 Boston and becoming an FOW Trail far upslope as necessary Feet Ambassadors in 2009. Her experiences in the Wissahickon led to a mid-life career change in 2010 when she Andorra Natural Area Work Zone sold her small business and earned a master’s degree in landscape Stormwater Management 1 Existing Streets & Sediment Reduction Project architecture with a concentration in ecological restoration from Temple 2 Existing Trail University. She has since earned certification from the International Date: 4/25/2016 3 Society of Arboriculture as an Arborist Prepared by: Henry Stroud and Qualified Tree Risk Assessor. In addition to helping shepherd FOW infrastructure projects to fruition, Some of the highlights for major components wet soils and the lawn will be reinvigorated. Peg is very much looking forward to of the plan include increasing the capture and Overabundant water in the infiltration garden expanding FOW’s habitat restoration detention of stormwater from Northwestern will follow a meandering surface path to a efforts, deepening the knowledge Avenue above the parking lot. Most notably, the restored wetland at the current site of the and skill base of our volunteers, existing basin will be enlarged and regraded and collapsed dam wall. conducting field research through a forebay (water catchment area that intercepts Below this point, following the access road partnerships with local universities stormwater flows and allows sediments and down to Forbidden Drive, current project funding and public high schools, and working debris to drop out before entering the infiltration allows for permits and designs only. FOW hopes with a variety of park-user groups to basin) will be added to filter water flows prior to to secure further funding for this Phase II of the understand, protect, and enhance the entering the basin. Downslope from the parking project using the designs developed in Phase I. unique attributes that contribute to lot, a series of regenerative hillside step pools the enjoyment and appreciation of this will be installed, and trails and access roads will How will FOW staff and volunteers be amazing regional treasure. be regraded and designed with vegetated swales. involved? We will bolster the project goals At the grounds of the Environmental Center, after construction with invasive plant removal, She looks forward to seeing you out stormwater will be conveyed to and filtered by native plant installation, micro-topographic on the trails! a beautiful and educational infiltration garden enhancements to encourage infiltration, habitat while the picnic area will be protected from creation, and much more.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 5 FOW MEETS THE ALL TRAILS CHALLENGE!
ATC BY THE NUMBERS 300 CHALLENGERS OVER $25,000 RAISED OVER MILES COMPLETED5,000 FOW raised over $25,000 with the All Trails Challenge this fall, and we couldn’t have done it without the 300 participants who Executive Director Maura McCarthy (front gave of their time and resources. They hiked, they biked, they ran . . . left) leading a hike in Houston Meadow and then they shared it with us all on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! during the All Trails Challenge. The All Trails Challenge was an exciting four-month long event that invited park users to explore Wissahickon Valley Park by hiking, walking, running, horseback riding, or biking all 50 miles of its scenic trails. Participants raised money for the continued preservation of the park by inviting their friends, family, and coworkers to sponsor them. The Challenge ran from August 20 to November 29, and included a fun kick-off party, mileage and fundraising incentives, lots of give-aways, and scheduled hikes and walks with great prizes, including hotel stays, a Fitbit, a Wissahickon Brewery tour, many gift certificates, and lots of FOW swag. “The first year of the All Trails Challenge was a big success,” says Executive Director Maura McCarthy, who led several hikes during the Challenge to help people reach their 50 mile goal. (Twenty-nine challengers completed 50 or more miles.) “My hope was that the Challenge would give people a way to discover new places in the Wissahickon—places they have never visited. Those who took hikes with me got to see parts of the park we had not seen before, and I enjoyed hearing their perspectives on the Wissahickon.” All funds raised by the All Trails Challenge will support the preservation of Wissahickon Valley Park by FOW as we restore historical park structures, eliminate invasive plant species, monitor watershed management issues, and restore trails. Thanks to our sponsors and everyone who participated, including Anna Claire, who raised the most money FOW’s youngest Challenger Josh FOW Trail Ambassadors who led ATC hikes and volunteers who helped at in the All Trails Challenge, proudly Lafferty with his father, Todd Lafferty, holding her ATC water bottle. at the Kick Off Party in August. Challenge events. We are already looking forward to the All Trails Challenge 2017!
ATC CHAMPIONS A CONVERSATION WITH TOP MILEAGE CHALLENGER TOP MILEAGE CHALLENGER >>> MARK LASHLEY 500+ MILES MARK LASHLEY YOUNGEST CHALLENGER >>> JOSH LAFFERTY How have you explored the trails? TOP FUNDRAISER >>> ANNA CLAIRE $2,320 I’ve been running the trails almost exclusively. I TOP FUNDRAISING TEAM >>> IRUNTHEHILL $875 would say I’ve done about 6-7 miles just doing leisurely hikes or walking my dog, but the bulk of my distance has been from running. I even bought my first pair of trail shoes just to do Sponsors the Challenge! What made you want to take the All Trails Challenge? I’ve loved the Wissahickon and have spent a lot of time on Forbidden Drive, but the Challenge gave me an excuse to check out more of the park. I’d seen the signs for it, and had a friend sign up, so I said, “Me too,” and we started a team.
Additional Support from: What have you learned about the park? Balance Justian Travels Serendipity I’ve been amazed at how many different types of terrain and Dance4Ever Studios Origin Photo Victory Brewing Company scenery there are in the park. Each trail has its own unique characteristics, and it’s fun to design routes that give you a Devilfish Ink Philadelphia Outside Wissahickon Brewing Company variety of things to experience. I remember discovering the Johnson Childcare Center P.M. Munchies Woodmere Art Museum Houston Meadow for the first time and being amazed by the scenery and how the rest of the park looks from up there.
6 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon by John Holback, Field Coordinator VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHTS SUMAC STREET This fall we hosted a series of workdays at the Sumac Street trailhead in the Wissahickon neighborhood. The trailhead is located at the intersection of Sumac Street and Vicaris Street and is just up the trail from the 100 Steps. Dozens of individual volunteers, as well as groups from Outward Bound and the Wissahickon Interested Citizens Association (WICA), worked with FOW and the Philadelphia Water Department to remove approximately 12,000 pounds of debris and chips, and 4,000 pounds of accumulated yard waste and invasive plant species from the hillside and trailhead. Volunteers also helped rebuild the trailhead itself by installing six terraces to replace the treacherously eroded drop-off from the street. Then they installed about 100 feet of split rail fence to discourage future dumping and protect the native shrubs that were planted on December 3.
Photo by Charles Uniatowski
SAVE STRUCTURES CREW LOVER’S LEAP CLEANUP THE DATE! FOW’s Structures Crew has spent On October 29 FOW Crew Leader Brad Maule hosted a considerable time restoring the fence along cleanup around Lover’s Leap and the Henry Avenue Bridge. JANUARY 16 the entire length of Forbidden Drive (about With assistance from David Bower and a hardworking 5.3 miles). On paper this sounds like an volunteer crew, Brad and company were able to remove about MARTIN LUTHER easy task, but in reality it’s a different story. a dozen bags each of recycling and garbage. KING DAY Each concrete fence post weighs about 200 pounds and is about six feet long. Broken OF SERVICE posts need to be pulled out of their holes and new ones inserted and packed into place. Many posts have tipped over or have sunk into the ground and need to be straightened NATIONAL or raised up, which is also a difficult task, especially by hand. Throughout the job, PUBLIC which is on-going, the Structures Crew has LANDS fun and is constantly coming up with ways to make the job easier, better, and faster. In DAY addition, they installed a safety cable on the Before To celebrate National Kitchen’s Land Bridge, repaired a fence at Public Lands the Livezey Dam, and began work on the Day we decided new pole barn being built at PPR’s District to try something 4 lot. new. This year we hosted a volunteer workday/workshop focusing on basic trail maintenance. Starting at Blue Stone Bridge, we During worked our way past Lover’s Leap, onto the Yellow Trail, and back down to the bridge. Volunteers learned about and practiced clearing drains, fixing rolling grade dips, and After removing outslope berms. Crew Leaders John Cassidy, LOVE YOUR PARK DAY David Dannenberg, This year FOW spent Love Your Park Day (LYPD) planting native trees Emily Southerton, and shrubs at the trail intersection behind Monastery Stables. A total and Brad Maule of 56 volunteers attended LYPD this fall and planted 381 trees and helped instruct the shrubs, an impressive feat. All the plants were watered (using almost nearly two dozen 200 gallons of water) and mulched. In addition to the work done on volunteers. LYPD, many volunteers helped prep the site by removing invasive plant species, spreading 20 yards of mulch, and erecting close to 300 feet of split rail fence to protect the planting area.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 7 7 9TH ANNUAL VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION NIGHT
FOW’s board and staff celebrated the contributions and hard work of FOW volunteers TAs BY on November 17. Jack Ott and the staff of Valley Green Inn generously contributed THE NUMBERS* to a lovely dinner that everyone enjoyed. Afterward, Outreach Manager Sarah 28 OUTREACH TABLES Marley and Field Coordinator John Holback spoke on the accomplishments of the Structures Crew, Crew Leaders, Trail Ambassadors, and other volunteers 55 GUIDED HIKES throughout the year. Below are highlights from their presentations. 300 FIELD REPORTS 400 Crew Leaders Conservation Volunteers PATROL SHIFTS 600 FOW’s 27 volunteer Crew Leaders help Trail Work: Volunteers built 3,000 HIKE PARTICIPANTS plan and lead volunteer workdays, and they feet of trail near Mt. Airy Avenue 2,000 are valued for their input, guidance, and this year, in addition to completing WITH PARKINTERACTIONS USERS encouragement. This year FOW welcomed regular maintenance throughout the four new Crew Leaders to the program: Brad park. Special thanks to students from FOW welcomes our new Volunteer Maule, Joe Mikuliak, Dean Rosenbranz, and the Crefeld School and Episcopal Academy, Coordinator Christina Anthony! Look Emily Southerton. and Crew Leaders John Cassidy, John Jensen, for a profile on this new addition to Dan Mercer, Joe Mikuliak, Dean Rosencranz, our staff in the spring issue of the FOW Trail Ambassadors and Kara Schoch. newsletter. Trail Ambassadors (TAs) assist and educate Trash Removal: Over 500 bags of trash people in the park about everything from were collected by volunteers and FOW’s directions to safety needs to park history, seasonal field crew. FOW focused on major flora, and fauna. FOW has over 100 TAs, with sites such as the Wissahickon Bus Transfer 9,322* 21 new recruits in 2016. A special thanks Station, the Walnut Lane and Henry Avenue VOLUNTEER HOURS— to Debbie Carr and Jeff Clark for sharing Bridges, and Devil’s Pool. their time and expertise in training our new Planting: FOW volunteers planted native AND COUNTING! TAs. Bruce Wagner topped the individual TA trees and shrubs at the Roxborough Avenue contribution again this year with over 300 Trail and behind Monastery Stables. Special PA MASTER NATURALISTS >>> 712 patrol hours logged, not including time he thanks to the 50 volunteers who planted 380 CREW LEADERS >>> 559 spent blazing trails with TAs Erica Lynes and trees and shrubs for Love Your Park Day. Gerry Schweiger. Chain Sawing: Volunteers cleared 40 STRUCTURES CREW >>> 897 PA Master Naturalists fallen trees from park trails this year. FIELDWORK** >>> 3,181 Special thanks to David Dannenberg, Chuck As coordinating partner for Philadelphia Uniatowski, Kenn Rymdeko, and Steve County PA Master Naturalist (PMN) training, TRAIL AMBASSADORS >>> 3,973 O’Kula. FOW connects with highly skilled volunteers and educators from partner organizations throughout the region. Many PMN trainees have also become Trail Ambassadors or VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: perform service projects with FOW. This year, 15 PMN volunteers participated in over 50 MERRITT RHOAD hours of environmental education. Merritt Rhoad has been an FOW volunteer Structures Crew since 2002 and his A special thank you to FOW’s Structures contributions are Crew, who spent 897 hours tackling a variety numerous. He is a of jobs at Courtesy Stables, including the long-standing member restoration of the historic springhouse next to of and now leads the the barn. They also replaced 135 rails and 36 Structures Crew as they Field Coordinator John Holback presents the volunteer concrete posts for the fence along Forbidden repair bridges, sheds, highlights of 2016. Drive, repaired park benches, and built dozens fences, gates, roofs, of animal boxes. Special thanks to Steve benches, and signs. O’Kula, groundskeeper at the Wissahickon He is also a graduate Environmental Center, for the use of his tools of the first Trail Ambassador class and has and wood shop. accumulated many hours conducting patrols and leading hikes. Merritt is a volunteer who is talented at both fieldwork and outreach activities. He has also been contributing Special Thanks to to FOW since 2007 in a unique way. He T&F Farmer’s Pride recommends FOW for an annual grant from High Point Café IBM, his prior employer, based on his volunteer hours. To date, he has leveraged $10,000 for for donating food and coffee FOW through this program. for our volunteers! Trail Ambassadors Valerie Flitter and Lisa Kolker. *Figures reflect totals as of November 30, 2016. Photos by Charles Uniatowski **Includes all other volunteer work. 8 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon A VALUABLE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE FOR YOU AND THE PARK by Sarah Marley, Outreach Manager When you become a volunteer with Friends of the Wissahickon, you get back as much as you give to the park. Through FOW volunteer programs you will meet and work with others who care about the Wissahickon as much as you do. With them you will learn more about the park—its history, geology, wildlife, plants, and more—which will enhance your experience of the Wissahickon. FOW volunteers provide critical support needed to protect, preserve, and enhance Wissahickon Valley Park. Each year, our volunteers work over 12,000 hours to help FOW perform duties and complete projects that are essential for the Wissahickon to thrive, and the skills they learn can be transferred to the work sector. In exchange for their support of our mission, FOW provides volunteers with a range of benefits and special opportunities. Their work is valuable to us, and so we try to make their volunteer experience valuable for them. CREW LEADERS Choose the Volunteer Program That Works For You LOVE TO GET FOW is committed to enabling our volunteers to be leaders in the community and allowing them to directly THEIR HANDS participate in the preservation of Wissahickon Valley Park in ways they choose. DIRTY FOW’s leadership volunteers complete four core classes together, during which they learn about park history, watershed health, FOW, and our current projects, and complete First Aid/CPR/AED training. Classes are usually Crew Leaders are volunteers scheduled on either weeknights or weekends. who become skilled in leading volunteer groups in the park and Once these classes are completed, volunteers will have the option to pursue additional classes focused on sharing their knowledge and their particular interests and expectations. Three areas of focus are currently available for volunteers—Trail expertise with others. They work Ambassadors, Outreach Corps, and Crew Leaders—and new classes and subjects are always being added. directly with our Volunteer & Field Coordinators to help plan BENEFITS BE FOW’S EYES AND and lead volunteer workdays throughout the park. Crew FOR FOW EARS AS A TRAIL Leaders can choose to focus on VOLUNTEERS! AMBASSADOR trail work, habitat restoration, structures, or trash and graffiti • Become a Wissahickon Trail Ambassadors are park docents expert! removal. Class schedules and who aid and educate park visitors topics vary from year to year. • Enjoy the satisfaction that about everything park related: comes from helping others directions, safety needs, park history, Required Courses and Wissahickon Valley Park. flora, fauna, geology, and more. Volunteer Leadership • Gain valuable, transferable Required Courses Tool Safety knowledge you can share Sustainable Trails Initiative with your friends, neighbors, Wildlife BE THE FACE OF FOW IN and community. Geology THE OUTREACH CORPS Ecological Practices • Connect with other lovers of Rules and Regulations Become a member of the Outreach Corps Trail Courses the Wissahickon. Customer Service and Outreach and you will have the opportunity to Sustainable Trail Construction • Participate in ongoing Program Logistics represent Friends of the Wissahickon in Trails 101 education about the the park and in surrounding communities. Stonework Wissahickon through Many visitors to Wissahickon Valley Park workshops, programs, and have never heard of FOW and are unaware Rigging field trips. that FOW membership is a great way to Trail Flagging • Receive a uniform and gear: support the park they love. Personal contact Basic Machine Operation* hat, shirt, backpack, etc. with our Outreach Corps volunteers is often just what they need to become an FOW Advanced Machine Operation* • Become First Aid/CPR/AED member. Chainsaw Use and Safety* certified. • Be recognized at FOW’s Required Courses Habitat Restoration Courses Annual Volunteer Staffing Membership Tables Forestry Management Recognition Night. Communications & Logistics Native Plants & • Become a community leader. Plant Communities • While on duty, receive a 50% Invasive Species & discount at Valley Green Inn TRAINING REQUIREMENTS Their Impacts snack bar and 10% discount FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS Invasive Plant Removal at The Cedars House Café. Techniques • Be committed to helping preserve Wissahickon Valley Park. • FOW volunteers can attend Reforestation Techniques continuing educational • Meet with the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss training and program requirements so you can determine Plant Identification in the Field* opportunities, such as which volunteer leadership group is right for you. workshops and lectures, by • Pay a $100 registration fee, which includes one-year basic membership with FOW. (Volunteer leaders are Plant Stewardship contacting FOW’s Volunteer expected to maintain a current FOW membership.) Index Training* Coordinator. • Obtain free criminal background and child abuse history background checks every two years. Small Stream Restoration* • Maintain a working e-mail address. Communication and scheduling of FOW volunteers is primarily via e-mail. *These classes have additional requirements. Contact FOW’s Volunteer • Sign the one-time volunteer release form. Coordinator Christina Anthony at [email protected] for more information.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 9 Students find their balance at the Nature Preschool at Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. Photo courtesy of SCEE
By Denise Larrabee, Editor
Take a Hike—
By Mary Ann Boyer, Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants With a Child Grace Yi, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education Would it surprise you to hear As a parent, you worry. Our sedentary squiggly lifestyle contributes to childhood obesity, lines from the following conversation? which has doubled in the past twenty years. beetles on a In addition, studies show an increase in the decomposing Parent: “Kids, play outside.” diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity log, or tiny Disorder (ADHD). evidence of Children: “We don’t have that app.” Yet outdoor time can counteract ADHD animal tracks. symptoms and, through outdoor exercise, help Help children keep children active. According to a study in hypothesize Environment & Behavior, “Children regularly about who According to Richard Louv, advocate for exposed to the outdoors are thought to was there connecting children and their families to experience a reduction of ADHD symptoms” and what nature and author of Last Child in the Woods (Hi-Tec Sports, 2016). Even spending ten to might have (2008), “Today, average eight-year-olds are fifteen minutes a day outside has positive happened. better able to identify cartoon characters than mental benefits by reducing stress. Add a dose of native species, such as beetles and oak trees, fantasy and Photo by Chrisie Foley So how do we get children to go outside? in their own community.” Louv has done frivolity by Whether this is your first or fiftieth time in extensive research on how children’s mental, also looking for trolls, fairies, and giants. physical, and spiritual health are directly the woods, here are some tips to enjoy a walk with children and entice them to join you: • Create nature art! Gather natural linked to our relationship with nature (Louv, materials to make something on the spot. • Turn 2008). What’s under a rock or log? It will challenge you and your child to over a decomposing log or large rock and Just as children need sufficient sleep think on your feet, see art come alive in see what is living underneath. You may every night, they also require significant three dimensions, and appreciate nature’s find bright and shiny beetles, burrowing exposure to nature. According to a study beauty. by the Landscape and Human Health pill bugs, iridescent salamander eggs, or mysterious fungi. Gently return the log • Bring a local field guidebook. What Laboratory (formerly the Human- type of tree or bird is that? Bring a field Environment Research Laboratory) at the or rock to its original place when you are done exploring to preserve the habitat for guide and look it up. Books from the AUniversity of Illinois, green space supports Golden Guides Series (St. Martin’s Press) these fun and vulnerable creatures. healthy child development (Taylor & Kuo, are some of our favorites to use with • Stand 2009). However, many children lack exposure Walk silently for a few minutes. children. We also recommend Discover to green space. Children between the ages still and count the number of different Nature Close to Home: Things to Know sounds you hear. Notice what is buzzing, of eight and eighteen spend an average of and Things to Do by Elizabeth P. Lawlor. chirping, and flying around. 53 hours a week plugged into electronics, It is fun to discover exactly what plant or according to a national survey by the Henry • Bring a journal. Write down your animal (or animal track) you discovered! J. Kaiser Family Foundation in 2010. thoughts and observations. Sketch what • Bring observation tools. Magnifying Consequently, many children and teens spend you see or craft a poem. Nature creates a glasses and binoculars make it possible more time “plugged in” instead of vast array of topics to write about. going outside. to discover small and large forms of • Become a detective. Look for signs of life. Even a plastic container filled with 10 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon an animal or insect: a half-eaten leaf, Students find their stream or pond water holds balance at the many surprisingly tiny critters. Nature Preschool • Carry a snack or drink. at Schuylkill Center Nothing beats a good snack for Environmental A Note from Education. during a long walk for a little tyke. Photo courtesy the Tree House of SCEE • Stay warm and end Families are welcome to bring early. Dress in layers so their children to explore you can adjust to changes in and play at the Wissahickon temperature. It doesn’t matter Environmental Center, also if you spend fifteen minutes known as the Tree House, in or three hours outside. The the Andorra Natural Area. important thing is to keep it Take the bus, bike, or hike fun. End early so your child into the woods. If needed, will want to go again. park in the seldom-used Playing in nature offers parking lot. Even when many benefits, including Northwestern Avenue is fostering empathy. The Journal packed, parking can often be of Therapeutic Horticulture notes found at the Tree House. that children who play in nature Photo courtesy of WEC Bring a picnic lunch, lay a are more likely to develop positive picnic blanket out on the feelings about others and their lawn, or sit at one of the an environmental approach to surroundings (White, 2004). CHECK OUT THESE picnic tables. Enjoy the shade preventing childhood obesity. Playing in nature also CHILDREN’S of the Wissahickon forest, stimulates imagination and Obesity isn’t the only health where the temperature is creativity. Research shows that issue that nature has the potential BOOKS! much cooler than in other to address. Another study from “the outdoor environment led to Backyard Books Series parts of the city. Once fed, more symbolic play in both boys the Journal of Epidemiology & let the children climb on the Community Health reports that by Judy Allen and Tudor and girls as compared to the Humphries fallen tree behind the Tree indoor environment” (Frost, et children living in areas with House. This still-living tree al. 2001). Unlike video games or more trees have lower rates of Frog Heaven: Ecology of a Vernal Pool has been a staple for summer apps, nature requires children to asthma (Lovasi, 2008). If your by Doug Wechsler camp activities for over 15 use imagination and creativity in neighborhood doesn’t have a lot of Good Night Wissahickon Valley Park of years. Encourage the children their play. It’s easy for children trees, perhaps you can find a park by Friends of the Wissahickon course! to explore, run, and play. nearby, like Wissahickon Valley to pretend to be animals while In a Nutshell by Joseph Anthony There is a dirt pile to dig in, playing where animals live. Park. a wood chip pile to climb, a The Lorax by Dr. Seuss During outdoor exploration With 1,800 acres of parkland grape vine to be swung upon– Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and observation, adults can foster and over 50 miles of trails, the all things that can be used a child’s vocabulary by asking Wissahickon offers the perfect The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer for imaginative and active play. Spend some time with questions: What did you discover? “nature Rx.” Whether you are eight Stellaluna by Janell Cannon What sounds do you hear? What or eighty, the Wissahickon woods them looking at the clouds, offers something for everyone. Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic relaxing in the shade, building color are these rocks? Why are Fantasy by Carl R. Sams the leaves changing color? Where Enjoy! a fairy house, or examining do animals go when the weather Mary Ann Boyer is a parent and Under one Rock, Bugs, Slugs and other an ant hill. Ughs by Anthony D. Fredericks Photo by Chrisie Foley changes? former science teacher. She now Yes, children might get into With supervision the outdoors helps schools and businesses The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric the stinging nettle, they can be a safe and fun place for become more “green” through Carle might even get poison ivy children to develop gross-motor Boyer Sudduth Environmental Recommended by Maura McCarthy, or discover the hard way skills, as well as risk assessment Consultants. Grace Yi is a nature FOW Executive Director, and Trish that bees can sting. It’s capacities. Hiking on uneven preschool teacher at the Schuylkill Fries, WEC okay. Research shows that terrain, climbing on trees and Center for Environmental children need to challenge rocks, and balancing on fallen logs Education and an intern at themselves, touch soil, and are just a few ways to exercise Boyer Sudduth Environmental play with things they find outside. Consultants (boyersudduth.com). outdoors. While they’re at it, remember they are also These types of physical Sources improving socialization skills, activities also lead to better Bell, Janice F., Jeffrey S. Wilson, and Gilbert C. Liu. 2008. “Neighborhood Greenness and 2-Year Changes in Body Mass Index of increasing levels of Vitamin Children and Youth.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine. http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(08)00734-4/fulltext. health. A study from the American D, reducing stress, improving Frost, Joe L., Sue Wortham, and Stuart Reifel. 2001. Play and Child Development. Pearson. Journal of Preventive Medicine eyesight and concentration– “Health Benefits of Hiking in the Outdoors.” 2016. Hi-Tec Sports. http://us.hi-tec.com/resources/health-benefits-of-hiking. found children living in “green just by playing. What more neighborhoods” (those that rely Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2010. “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds.” Jan 20, 2010. http://kff.org/ other/event/generation-m2-media-in-the-lives-of/ could you ask from a day out primarily on active and public Louv, Richard. 2008. Last Child in the Woods. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. with your kids? transportation) had a lower Body Lovasi, Gina Schellenbaum, James W Quinn, Kathryn M Neckerman, Matthew S Perzanowski, and Andrew Rundle. 2008. “Children By Trish Fries, Environmental Mass Index (BMI) on average (Bell, living in areas with more street trees have lower asthma prevalence.” Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. http://jech.bmj. 2008). The researchers attributed com/content/early/2008/05/01/jech.2007.071894.abstract. Education Program this result to increased physical Taylor, Faber A. & F. E. Kuo. 2009. “Children with Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park.” Journal of Attention Specialist at the Wissahickon activity or time spent outdoors, and Disorders, 12, 402-409. Landscape and Human Health Laboratory, http://lhhl.illinois.edu/research.htm. Environmental Center (WEC) White, Randy. 2004. “Young Children’s Relationship with Nature: Its Importance to Children’s Development & the Earth’s Future.” concluded that “greenness” offers Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture. https://www.whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/childrennature.shtml.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 11 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS The 2016 Biennial Wissahickon Photo Contest was the most successful to date with over 110 photographers submitting over 300 photographs. Presented in partnership with the Wissahickon Valley Best in Show Watershed Association Fantasy Walkway (WVWA) for the first By Tom Lo time, the contest included photos taken within Wissahickon Valley Park, along the Green Ribbon trail, and on any of the WVWA managed preserves. Thanks to everyone who submitted photos for participating and supporting the Wissahickon watershed. The winners are printed here, but you may see other submissions in future print publications as well as online. Special thanks to Jamie Stewart, who judged the contest. A former member of WVWA’s Board of Directors, many of his photos were featured in Wissahickon Worth Preserving: First Place, Junior Submission The Preservation of a People’s Choice A Good Day to Hammock Pennsylvania Watershed Smile Break By Joseph McDermott (2007). By Rachael Balascak
First Place, Landscape Autumn Color Parade By Mark Lipshutz
First Place, Structures Two Bridges By Monika Hemmers
First Place First Place, People Houston Meadow Riders: Wildlife Josh Delp and Mike Jagielski By Doris Rafaeli By Josh Delp
12 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon 10 AMERICAN ONE TREE AT A TIME: CHESTNUT RESTORING RESTORATION Since the pollen of a chestnut tree cannot fertilize its own THE AMERICAN female flowers, pollen of other chestnut trees is required CHESTNUT to produce viable seeds. Fortunately, this includes By John Wenderoth, PA-NJ Chapter of The American the pollen of other chestnut Chestnut Foundation species, some of which have resistance to the blight. he American chestnut was not just another tree. Some By hand-pollinating called it a perfect tree and its loss the greatest ecological American chestnuts with Tdisaster in recent human history. Capable of growing Chinese pollen, the disease to a diameter of five feet and reaching 100 feet in height, its resistance of the Chinese reliable annual nut crops were once a major food source for species can be acquired by wildlife and a cash crop for rural areas that sent wagon loads some of the seeds of such of chestnuts to market for the fall and winter holidays. The hybrids. These first-generation straight trunks produced excellent lumber that was particularly hybrids (F1) are grown until remarkable for its durability. mature enough to flower Just as indigenous human populations were devastated by and produce seeds. When F1 smallpox introduced by European colonists, some native plants trees are fertilized (or back- have also succumbed to foreign pathogens. One such disease crossed) with American pollen, arrived with chestnut trees from Asia. the seeds they produce are a During the first decade of the past century, a fungus found first back-crossed generation its way to America, not with colonizing armies or immigrants, (B1 hybrid). When the B1 but with a few Asian chestnut trees growing in a botanical generation matures, it is back- garden in New York. Although the Asian trees tolerated this crossed again with American fungal infection, American chestnuts were devastated, and chestnut pollen for the second the disease—or blight—spread before scientists understood its back-cross generation (B2); this cause and could find ways to control it. process continues to a third generation (B3). In less than five decades, chestnut blight changed the landscape of our Appalachian region by “killing” as many During each back-cross as four billion trees. Ecological resilience accommodated generation, the proportion of the loss of nearly every fourth tree in many parts of the the Chinese genome is reduced American chestnut’s native range, which ran the length of the and the American’s proportion Appalachian Mountains from New England to Georgia. grows. Fortunately, even though the stems of American chestnuts This process is logical, may quickly succumb to the blight, the roots remain viable. but described this simply, it They continue to send out new sprouts for a number of years— ignores the possibility of losing often surviving long enough to flower and fruit—before the resistance while increasing fungus kills these stems too. the American portion of the final generation’s genome. Though the Chinese chestnut is often disease resistant and However, any loss of resistance produces larger nuts that are easier to harvest, it lacks the genes can be overcome with stature of its American cousin and cannot compete with our tall larger numbers in the breeding native trees in the natural landscape. Restoring the American population. For example, tree to our forests has been the dream of many since the blight starting with 10,000 trees began to take its toll. in the F1 generation, it is During the early years after the blight was discovered, possible over multiple back- panic may have prevailed as attempts were made to restrict cross generations to get a its spread by some, while others made efforts to find native small handful of trees that trees with evidence of resistance. In restricting the spread of retain Chinese resistance and the blight by destroying native chestnuts, sources of native grow like the American tree in resistance may have been lost. forest settings. While natural By the 1950s, research and financial support waned, and survival through each stage of for the following decades little progress was made. Then, Top: Reproductive structures of the American chestnut. the breeding program would during the early 1980s, a plant breeder advanced a new Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania State University seem sufficient, inoculation strategy, which led to the formation of The American Chestnut Middle: American chestnut trees growing at the Juniata with the blight-causing fungus Foundation. TACF organized as a confederation of state College Chestnut Orchard in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, removes any doubt whether a chapters that contribute local variety to the breeding program, a partner with the PA-NJ Chapter of The American tree has acquired the genes to thus including genetic variability of American chestnuts over Chestnut Foundation. fight the disease and overcome the large geographic range of the species. Bottom: John Wenderoth gave a presentation on infections. John Wenderoth is President of the PA-NJ Chapter of the American chestnut tree restoration efforts at a Valley American Chestnut Foundation. He also leads volunteers in Talk in November, sponsored by Valley Green Bank. maintaining Tyler Arboretum’s American Chestnut Orchard. Pictured here are FOW Executive Director Maura McCarthy and John Wenderoth.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 13 11 KEEPING UP WITH THE TRAIL AMBASSADORS
TRAIL AMBASSADOR
WALKS Kid Friendly Hike with Marv Schwartz TRAILS LESS TRAVELED VIII: Blue Saturday, December 17 • 1 – 3 pm Bells and Hotels with Gerry Schweiger Saturday, January 21 • 1 – 3 pm Sunday, January 15 • 1 – 3 pm Meet at Valley Green Inn. Meet at the parking lot kiosk at Blue Bell (Hill) Park. & This hike takes participants along Forbidden Drive. Visit the Livezey Dam, Gorgas Creek, and Blue Bell Hill has several unique trails climbing Fingerspan Bridge. We will stop to enjoy our its shoulders. We will hike two of those trails as snacks and continue on to Devil’s Pool and Pee well as two little used trails off of Rittenhouse TALKS Wee Rock on return to the Inn. Level: moderate St. that touch the properties of Victorian inns on some rocky trails. and hotels that once fronted Lincoln Drive. WALKS We will also visit Historic RittenhouseTown. Distance: 3 miles. Level: moderate, but will Registration is recommended for all walks (required if Winter Solstice Walk Near the Mouth of the Wissahickon with Kris Soffa cross two streets with traffic. indicated) so that participants can be informed of weather or Wednesday, December 21 • 10 am - other emergency cancellations. Unless otherwise specified, noon Winter Wonderland in the Wissahickon Trail Ambassador Walks may be on rocky, rugged trails that with Kris Soffa Meet at front parking lot at 4900 Ridge Ave., may be wet and slippery. Wear sturdy shoes or boots with Tuesday, January 31 • 10 am - noon Phila., 19127. socks. Long pants are recommended for protection against Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. Welcome winter with this brisk walk with PA occasional poison ivy and possible ticks. Bring water and and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not Master Naturalist Kris Soffa. We will start a snack if desired. Unless otherwise noted, children 8+ work for this site.) where the Wissahickon Creek meets the are welcome if accompanied by a responsible adult. Walks Schuylkill River. We will learn Philadelphia Do you love hiking on frosty mornings when are cancelled in heavy rain or icy conditions. For more Canoe Club history while appreciating seasonal you can see your breath? Get your daily dose information or to register, visit fow.org. changes along the creek. Winter is the perfect of nature and join us for a winter walk on time to get outside. Dress in layers. Forbidden Drive with PA Master Naturalist TALKS Kris Soffa. We will hike to the Covered Bridge and back. Learn fun facts about what is Trail Ambassador Talks take place on Sundays from 2 Trails Less Traveled III: Bushwhacking in Andorra with Gerry Schweiger happening in the woods and in the creek, even to 3 pm. All talks are held at The Cedars House Café, while they both appear to be sleeping. Dress Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do Monday, December 26 • 1 – 3:30 pm in layers for cold weather. Bring a snack and not work for this site.) Events are cancelled in the event of Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. beverage. Hiking poles and non-slip footwear bad weather. Those who register will receive an email in the and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not recommended. Distance: 2 miles. work for this site.) event The Cedars House is closed. Visit fow.org for updated information. We will visit some of the Andorra Meadow’s Valentine’s Day Sweetheart of a Hike many attractions, including the highest with Kris Soffa elevation in the park, the Andorra Run Tuesday, February 14 • 10 am - noon watershed, the deer exclosure, and the old Meet at front parking lot at 4900 Ridge Ave., Bells Mill Trail, which provides a view of the Philadelphia, PA 19127. park prevalent in the 1980s. NOTE: Many brambles and thorny plants border the trails; The Wissahickon is for lovers. Here’s your wear leather gloves. Distance: 3 miles. Level: invitation to put down that remote control and challenging. add nature to your Valentine’s Day celebration. Take this heart healthy walk with PA Master A Holiday Season Winter Walk with Naturalist Kris Soffa and learn fascinating Bruce Wagner facts about the lower Wissahickon Valley. We will hike the paved trail from the mouth of the Wednesday, December 28 • Wissahickon Creek, pass below Lover’s Leap, 10 am – noon and end at Ten Box ranger station. Dress in Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. layers for cold weather. Bring a snack and and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not beverage. Hiking poles and non-slip footwear work for this site.) recommended. Distance: 2.5 miles. In the midst of the holiday season, what better Trail Ambassador Kris Soffa leading way to get away from the noise and crowds the Halloween Walk to the Lost Cave than to take a walk in the woods. We will hike of the Wissahickon in October. Photo from The Cedars House to the Covered Bridge, courtesy of Quyen Do. taking either the Orange Trail or Forbidden Drive, depending on weather. Wear clothes appropriate for the weather. Distance: 1 mile. Level: moderate.
14 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon We’ll Do What We Can more.) Bring an open mind and playful spirit, with Bruce Wagner a journal or notebook, and something to sit Sunday, January 22 • 10 - 12 am on. Be prepared to turn your phone off for a few hours. Participants on previous walks have TALKS Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. reported better sleep and a sense of calm that and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not lasted for days. We won’t be walking very far The Cedars House on Sundays at 2 pm work for this site.) so even those with limited mobility are invited. The middle of January can be very snowy. The Registration is required for this hike. Introduction to Back Packing Farmer’s Almanac forecasts lots of snow, but with Erica Lynes says it will be warm this spring. Confusing? So Woods and Meadow Hike December 18 this walk will be on easy terrain, but it might with Kimberly Quinn Learn what kind of gear you need for backpacking; how to use a be icy, it might be beautiful, and it might be a Sunday, March 19 • noon - 2 pm water filter and camp stove; how to hang a bear bag; how to hike walk in the open woods. Come enjoy whatever with a heavy load; and how to follow leave-no-trace principles. the winter gives us. Dress in layers and wear Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. appropriate footwear. Level: easy/moderate. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) Post Holiday Progressive Relaxation with Kevin Eikov Hike about 3 miles through woods to the Wissahickon Geology with Jeff Frazier January 15 Saturday, February 11 • 10 am - noon Andorra Meadow and then to the Wissahickon Environmental Center on return. Learn about Experience an after-holiday stress buster (Yoga Nidra) utilizing Saturday, March 11 • 10 am - noon the former Andorra Nursery, visit the Tree progressive relaxation in which individuals lie down with a Saturday, April 8 • 10 am - noon House, and see the Great Beech and Fallen pillow and a blanket and listen as Kevin Eikov takes you on a journey of total relaxation to relieve stress. He has been teaching Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. Magnolia. Level: moderate. progressive relaxation since the early 1980s. Bring a pillow and and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not three blankets. work for this site.) Spring Equinox Wissahickon Walk Learn through a slide presentation about with Kris Soffa Winter Ice Is More Than White the theories of what caused the rocks of the Monday, March 20 • 10 am - noon with Bruce Wagner Wissahickon Gorge to be formed and why Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. February 5 they are currently exposed at the earth’s and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not If it’s a good winter it might be bright and lovely with snow and surface. Then explore Wissahickon schist, work for this site.) with its intricate and beautiful patterns; view ice everywhere, but after a while it all looks alike: white, white, Welcome spring with a brisk walk in the white. Bruce Wagner has created a slide show that enhances the stream characteristics such as cut banks and Wissahickon with PA Master Naturalist Kris many colors of white present in winter. deposition bars; and learn how movement of Soffa. We will find signs of emerging new rock particles through erosion processes have growth everywhere. The woods echo with Butterfly Basics. Building your own shaped the landscape. Level: easy. birdsong, spring ephemerals bloom, and trout Pollinator Garden with Kris Soffa splash in the creek. Swelling tree buds and March 5 Winter Scavenger Hunt newly opened leaves bathe our deciduous Spring is the perfect time to transform your landscape into a with Bruce Wagner woods in a gorgeous chartreuse haze. Why not haven for these gorgeous native pollinators. In this class you Sunday, February 12 • 10 - noon get your dose of nature and join us for this will learn basic butterfly habitat guidelines, like the benefits of Meet at Valley Green Inn. energizing walk? Distance: 2 miles. pairing host plants. With a little practice, you will quickly be able When the leaves are gone, and maybe the to identify local butterflies and better appreciate their role as a snow has covered the ground, can you still find TRAILS LESS TRAVELED IV: Icons of bio-indicator species. We will discuss butterfly biology, how to interesting stuff? You betcha! We will spend the Lower Wissahickon raise butterflies at home, and other fascinating facts about these two hours on a scavenger hunt in an area with Gerry Schweiger brilliant insects. limited to a half mile. Objects to be found may Sunday, March 26 • 1 – 3:45 pm be obvious, whimsical, or even mysterious. Meet at the parking lot on Gypsy Lane Understanding Horses: Proof of discovery will be by smart phone near northbound Lincoln Drive, opposite with Cynthia Turecki camera or digital camera, and will be presented Wissahickon Hall. March 12 to the judges at the end of two hours. Wear Most park users visit the points of interest Have you ever wondered how a horse thinks and communicates? appropriate footwear and layers of clothing. along Forbidden Drive. We will visit lesser- This presentation will help you understand the horse’s point of Don’t forget your camera! known places in the lower valley including view. Learn how a horse sees its surroundings and thinks. Historic RittenhouseTown, the 100 Steps, Contemplative Forest Walk Hermit’s Cave, and Lover’s Leap. Level: difficult Bugs: A Naive Whimsical Collection with Sarah Gabriel with several strenuous climbs. of Photos of Small Creatures Saturday, March 4 • 12:30 – 3 pm Distance: 4.25 miles. with Bruce Wagner Meeting place will be sent to participants who March 26 register. In Bruce Wagner’s words: “I show some pretty pictures, but the Slow down, get quiet, activate all your senses, afternoon’s entertainment is about sharing expertise. We need and reap the proven benefits* of spending lots of creature identification experts to identify the critters in the time in the woods with Shinrin-Yoku or Forest pictures and learn what’s in our park!” Bathing. (Visit phillyshinrinyoku.org to learn
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 15 Every year it’s the same: Whispers Along the Wissahickon sells out in record time, and those who get their tickets early are thankful they did. Families enjoy a variety of fun activities, from balloon animals and face painting to hayrides and a night- time hike. Thanks to Tony Croasdale of the Wissahickon Environmental Center Along the Wissahickon for leading children on this nighttime adventure through the Andorra Natural Area. Whispers Along the Wissahickon would not be such a popular fall tradition without the help of FOW’s dedicated volunteers. FOW relies on them for helping with set-up, staffing tables and activities during the event, and cleanup. Thanks to everyone who helped us make this fun-filled event a huge success!
THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS
RICHARD BERMAN • JEFF CLARK TONY DEFAZIO • JENNY FAIR DAVID FERNLEY • ERICA LYNES MARY PHALAN • MERRITT RHOAD The new Tree House porch is a favorite spot during Whispers. FRANK TUPLIN • CYNTHIA TURECK WENDY WILLARD
Whispers Along the Wissahickon is presented by
A whole new way of looking at change
www.bestnesthome.com Jackie Gerhart with With additional support from Enjoying the bonfire with Urban Drawl. daughter Elizabeth Kolb
Charlotte Jauss sports the best Whispers Hat! Whispers hayrides are always popular and fun!
Photos by Charles Uniatowski
16 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon UP AT THE TREE HOUSE A TRIBUTE TO
By Tony Croasdale, DAVID BOWER Wissahickon Environmental Center VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR AT ou may think that the cold of winter would lay PHILADELPHIA PARKS & RECREATION waste to a six-gram bird. However, birds do very well Yin the cold. Bird feathers are extremely efficient White-breasted nuthatch By David Dannenberg, FOW Board Member insulation, and the blood vessels in bird legs utilize an efficient countercurrent heat exchange system that keeps them from freezing, even f you haven’t met David Bower, you probably when they stand on bare ice. In fact, the limiting factor for birds in winter is food. have seen him. For the past two decades he Most insectivorous birds migrate to warmer regions where they can find Icould be found throughout Wissahickon invertebrate prey during the northern winter. Some travel to the Southeastern United Valley Park, standing at the apex of a group of States, and others go as far as South America. Aquatic birds also migrate, but mostly volunteers or bent to hard work with a heavy just one step ahead of ice. For seed-eating (granivorous) birds like song sparrows and implement. At six-and-a-half feet tall, he is easy cardinals, there is plenty to fuel their furnace, even in the depths of winter. Likewise, to spot, as he stands higher than the cab of woodpeckers can find grubs in sapwood, tiny kinglets, brown creepers, and wrens his well-worn, city-issued truck. Throughout his can feed on dormant invertebrates, and birds of prey feed on rodents and other birds. career with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR), Wissahickon Valley Park has many year-round resident birds, including quite a few David Bower’s passion and indefatigable work ethic for which our beloved valley might as well be a tropical paradise, full of the necessities have been inspirational. of life in all seasons of the year. I have had the privilege of working with him for over 15 years. We led Crefeld The boreal forest, a vast boggy landscape of spruce, fir, and birch trees, runs from School students in over 400 projects in the Wissahickon—just one of David’s many the Northern Appalachians to Newfoundland, and west across Central Canada to working relationships with local elementary, high school, and college students. the Alaska Interior. Breeding birds of the boreal forest, including dark-eyed juncos He also led corporate groups, clubs, park friends groups, and individuals in work and white-throated sparrows, arrive in our area in October and depart in early projects, eagerly lending his advice, tools, equipment, and connections to almost May. They are extremely numerous in the Wissahickon and in wooded backyards every group that asked him to facilitate a worthwhile project connected with the and lots. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers also winter in our region, and they are aptly Wissahickon. named. Look closely and you can find their parallel rows of holes hammered into the David possesses an unparalleled combination of physical and interpersonal skills that he applied to create effective, safe, convivial work environments If winter birding intrigues you, join across a wide variety of sometimes physically challenging situations. He equally us up at the Tree House for a cup of managed the spirit, skills, and attention spans of small children, teens, millennials, and retirees (often simultaneously) so that everyone safely worked to his or her coffee and feeder watching or on one capacity and felt a sense of accomplishment. of our bird walks. Visit fow.org/events At the beginning of every work project he delivered an informal talk that mixed the right amount of humor, sternness, and intellect to give the job context for more information. and the workers a sense of purpose and direction. During the project he led by example, often side by side with the volunteers. At the end of the project, he gathered the group together, summarized the work completed and its impact on sapwood of trees, especially magnolias and sugar maples, people and the environment, and thanked the participants. Although he followed a an ample food supply during the cold winter months. Fox protocol, his conversation with volunteers never seemed canned. sparrows and American tree sparrows are also regular His success could be gauged in part by the number of volunteers that visiting boreal birds, and Andorra and Houston Meadows regularly worked with him and the organizations that turned to him for support are good spots to look for them. Red-bellied woodpecker. and advice. He helped train and mentor at least three volunteer coordinators Photo by Ruth Pfeffer The boreal forest has year-round residents as well. and countless volunteer crew leaders for FOW. He no doubt did the same for PPR Sometimes when spruce cones and birch cones are scarce, volunteer coordinators as well. these birds will irrupt south to take advantage of decent substitutes: hemlock cones and river birch seeds. This fall has brought a good number of red-breasted nuthatches, Astonishingly, when he was not working with groups of volunteers, he could purple finches, and black-capped chickadees to the park, joining our resident white- often be spotted working alone, even after work hours. Perhaps he had noticed or breasted nuthatches, American goldfinches, and Carolina chickadees. Without been alerted to a pile of debris left near the park and had undertaken to deal with tracking individual birds, we cannot know whether these birds are breeders in the it himself. Or maybe there was a sidewalk adjacent to the park that needed to be Appalachians or farther north. Their arrival in Philadelphia is often a harbinger of the cleared, or a vine to be cut. A self-starter, when he saw something that needed irruption of other boreal “finches” like pine siskins, common redpolls, white-winged doing, he often just did it. crossbills, red crossbills, evening grosbeaks, and pine grosbeaks. David’s contributions were not limited to physical labor. On his own time, he There is some indication that this may be an irruption year, so keep a lookout attended more committee and volunteer group meetings than any one person for these birds. They are so dependent on certain trees and shrubs that it is possible could reasonably be expected to endure. At these meetings he shared his valuable to predict their movements. A renowned ecologist even makes a winter finch ideas and perspective to guide the policy, strategy, and work that these groups forecast (visit http://ebird.org/content/canada/news/ron-pittaways-winter-finch- do for the betterment of the park and the public’s experience. For over ten years forecast-2016-2017/). The Tree House feeders, conifers of the Andorra Natural Area, he was present at every important committee meeting at FOW. He consulted birches of Houston Meadow, hemlocks along Forbidden Drive, and white pines of the with Wissahickon East, Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers, Friends of Cresheim Cresheim Valley are likely places to find winter finches. Trail, Friends of Vernon Park, West Mount Airy Neighbors, and countless other The winter has one clear advantage for bird observation: barren trees. During the organizations. winter, owls are much easier to find because they concentrate in conifers and the holes Those of us who know and depend on the support of David’s work, expertise, they roost in are not obscured by leaves. Bluebirds wander from the meadow into the and companionship have anticipated his retirement as kind of a pending woods, and the mighty pileated woodpecker is much easier to track down by its calls catastrophe. We needn’t have. His intention is to continue to work in the park as a without dense foliage. Bundle up and get out this winter. There is still much to see, volunteer several days per week. We should all be so lucky and so wise to do what and the seeing is easier! we love and love what we do. Tony Croasdale is an Environmental Education Planner at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 17 A GIFT FOR OUR NEW FRIENDS.
Join us at the family level and get our brand new children’s book! ReplyGet before Your June Copy 15, andof receive both a copy of Good Night Wissahickon and PARTNERS IN STEWARDSHIP: two child t-shirts. GOOD NIGHT WISSAHICKON THE FAIRMOUNT PARK VALLEY CONSERVANCY and receive By Lucy Strackhouse, Fairmount Park Conservancy PARK and Good Night Wissahickon he Fairmount Park Conservancy (FPC) exists to champion Valley Park is a children’s Philadelphia’s amazing park system and we accomplish that book sure to delight pre- Tmission by collaborating with many park groups, including one of schoolers and their parents. our larger, long-standing partners, Friends of the Wissahickon. The partnership FOW celebrated its publication between FOW and the FPC stretches over many years with the agreement with a party on September 10 at the to lease Valley Green Inn to FOW as a restaurant and event venue. Working Wissahickon Environmental Center. This together to steward Valley Green Inn has been one of the main focuses of our brightly colored picture book takes children on a partnership, but there is so much more going on behind the scenes. hike through Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Valley Park. It fo is sure to become your child’s favorite bedtime story! w.org Purchase price: $9.95 plus shipping & handling. Order at fow.org/good-night-wissahickon/. Join or renew your FOW membership at the family level or above and get Good Night Wissahickon FREE! Visit fow.org/membership-donations!
Photo by Charles Uniatowski On June 8, at the 23rd Annual Preservation Alliance Achievement Awards, the restoration of the
Guest Reader Siobhan A. Reardon, President and Director of the Free Library of Wissahickon Environmental Center (Andorra Tree Philadelphia, read Good Night Wissahickon to a rapt audience. House), financed by Friends of the Wissahickon, was awarded the Grand Jury Award.
When the proprietor of The Cedars House Café on Forbidden Drive approached the FPC to rehabilitate the cottage for use as a fitness café and event venue, we worked with FOW to develop a new amenity that fit within FOW’s daunting task of preserving the forever-wild feeling of the Wissahickon. Thoughtful discussion and planning between our organizations and the proprietor developed a new location that provides an inviting space to rest and enjoy delicious, healthy food amongst the stately cedar trees surrounding the café. Support was asked for and secured from FOW when the Conservancy Pierce Barsanti and Alisa Zlotolow meet a Wissahickon fox! proposed leasing the historic Glen Fern property to a new tenant, Interpret Green, for use as an office and residence. The new tenant provides long-term security for the building, which dates back to 1740, and the low-impact office use fits well with the ecologically sensitive landscape. Interpret Green provides a full-time presence at the site and additional security for this area, which is the main gateway to the popular Devil’s Pool destination. In 2015 FOW, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, and the FPC collaborated on the rehabilitation of the Wissahickon Environmental Center (WEC), located in the Andorra Natural Area of Wissahickon Valley Park. The restoration included repairs to the main building and construction of a new porch, which provides a visual reference to the famous tree that once grew through the porch roof. The new porch offers handicap accessible, outdoor classroom space that greatly expands the capacity for programming. Rheeden and Bodhi Fuentes enjoy some cake. Lucy Strackhouse is Senior Director of Preservation & Project Management at the Fairmount Park Conservancy. Photos by Charles Uniatowski 18 Winter 2016 • Friends of the Wissahickon HIKES IN THE WISSAHICKON Trail Ambassador Walks Appalachian Mountain Club Registration is recommended for all walks (required if indicated) so that participants can be informed of weather or other emergency Delaware Valley Chapter cancellations. Unless otherwise specified, Trail Ambassador Walks may be on rocky, rugged trails that may be wet and slippery. Wear sturdy shoes or boots with socks. Long pants are recommended for protection against occasional poison ivy and possible ticks. Bring water and a amcdv.org snack if desired. Unless otherwise noted, children 8+ are welcome if accompanied by a responsible adult. Walks are cancelled in heavy Mondays rain or icy conditions. To register, visit fow.org. Wissahickon Gorge Wandering. A brisk-paced hike of 5-7 miles on various trails throughout the Wissahickon Gorge. The distance of the MORE INFORMATION ON PP. 14-15 AND AT FOW.ORG. hike will be dependent on conditions and speed of the group. Meet at 6:30 pm by Valley Green Inn. Bring water, snacks, and a flashlight. Bad weather cancels. If doubtful, please check the status of the hike before Kid Friendly Hike with Marv Schwartz 5:30 pm at www.amcdv.org/AMCCalendar.php or contact the leader: Saturdays, December 17, January 21 • 1 – 3 pm David Stein, 215-508-5915. Dec. 12, 19, 26. Meet at Valley Green Inn. This hike takes participants along Forbidden Drive. Level: moderate on some rocky trails. Tuesdays Winter Solstice Walk Near the Mouth of the Wissahickon with Kris Soffa Tuesday Nights in the Wissahickon. Casual social hike through hills of Wednesday, December 21 • 10 am - noon Wissahickon Gorge. Bring water and a flashlight or headlamp. Always Meet at front parking lot at 4900 Ridge Ave., Phila., 19127. We will start where the Wissahickon Creek meets the Schuylkill River. an option for dinner following the hike. Meet at Bruno’s, at the corner Dress in layers. of Germantown and Northwestern Aves. at 6:30 pm. Nasty weather will Trails Less Traveled III: Bushwhacking in Andorra with Gerry Schweiger cancel the hike. If doubtful check the status of the hike at www.amcdv. Monday, December 26 • 1 – 3:30 pm org/AMCCalendar.php or contact a Leader: David Stein, Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) We will visit some of the 215-508-5915; Pat Naismith, 610-639-3670. Dec. 13, 20, 27. Andorra Meadow’s many attractions. Many brambles and thorny plants border the trails; wear leather gloves. Distance: 3 miles. Level: challenging. A Holiday Season Winter Walk with Bruce Wagner Wednesday, December 28 • 10 am – noon Philaventures Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) Hike from The Cedars House to the Covered Bridge, on either the Orange Trail or Forbidden Drive. Wear clothes appropriate for the weather. Distance: 1 mile. Level: philaventures.org moderate. Sundays TRAILS LESS TRAVELED VIII: Blue Bells and Hotels with Gerry Schweiger Last Sunday of Month Wissahickon Hike. An opportunity to walk at a Sunday, January 15 • 1 – 3 pm moderate pace with a talkative group of LGBT folks who like fresh air Meet at the parking lot kiosk at Blue Bell (Hill) Park. Hike two trails at Blue Bell Hill and visit Historic RittenhouseTown. Distance: 3 miles. and exercise! Some ups and downs and uneven paths are found along Level: moderate, but will cross two streets with traffic. the way, so wear proper footwear and be ready to hike. Meet at 2:00 Winter Wonderland in the Wissahickon with Kris Soffa pm at Cosimo’s Pizza, 8624 Germantown Ave. at Bethlehem Pike (the top of Chestnut Hill). Registration with the hike leader is required: Photo by Charles Uniatowski Tuesday, January 31 • 10 am - noon Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) Hike to the Covered Bridge Bert G. at [email protected]. and back. Dress in layers for cold weather. Bring a snack and beverage. Hiking poles and non-slip footwear recommended. Distance: 2 miles. Valentine’s Day Sweetheart of a Hike with Kris Soffa Batona Hiking Club Tuesday, February 14 • 10 am - noon Meet at front parking lot at 4900 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19127. Hike the paved trail from the mouth of the Wissahickon Creek. Dress batonahikingclub.org in layers for cold weather. Bring a snack and beverage. Hiking poles and non-slip footwear recommended. Distance: 2.5 miles. Sunday, January 1 We’ll Do What We Can with Bruce Wagner Wissahickon Creek Gorge with Audubon. 5-6 miles. Meet at Valley Sunday, January 22 • 10 - 12 am Green Inn at 1 pm for our annual New Year’s Day hike through this Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) Come enjoy whatever the spectacular gorge. There are parking lots at the bottom of Wises Mill winter gives us. Dress in layers and wear appropriate footwear. Level: easy/moderate. Rd. and along Valley Green Rd. From here, walk down the hill to Valley Wissahickon Geology with Jeff Frazier Green Inn. This is a combined hike with Valley Forge Audubon. An Saturdays, February 11, March 11, April 8 • 10 am - noon optional “Dutch Treat Dinner” at the Yu Hsiang Gardens Two, Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) Learn through a slide 7630 Germantown Ave. will follow the hike. Leaders: Gary Rigg, presentation about the theories of what caused the formation of the Wissahickon Gorge to be formed and then explore the geology 610-716-7654; Michael Alper, 215-233-0916, [email protected]. of the park. Level: easy. Sunday, January 8 Winter Scavenger Hunt with Bruce Wagner City Hall to Chestnut Hill. 16-17 miles. Depart from corner of 16th & Sunday, February 12 • 10 - noon JFK Blvd. at 8:30 am. Return to Philadelphia by train at the end of the Meet at Valley Green Inn. Join this scavenger hunt in an area limited to ½ mile. Proof of discovery will be by either smart phone camera or day. Hikers may take the Chestnut Hill West train into the city to start digital camera, and will be presented to the judges at the end of two hours. Wear appropriate footwear and layers of clothing. the hike. A classic, traditional Batona winter hike. Terrain is level to hilly Contemplative Forest Walk with Sarah Gabriel and rocky. For those who are interested there will be a stop at a local Saturday, March 4 • 12:30 – 3 pm Chestnut Hill brew pub following the hike. Ice or heavily accumulating Meeting place will be sent to participants who register. Bring an open mind and playful spirit, a journal or notebook, and something to sit on. snow cancels. Cost: $1 plus train fare. Leader: Bruce Melgary, We walking very far so even those with limited mobility are invited. Registration is required for this hike. 215-498-0472, [email protected]. Woods and Meadow Hike with Kimberly Quinn Sunday, January 29 Sunday, March 19 • noon - 2 pm Hills of the Wissahickon. 7 or 13 miles, your choice. Meet at 9:30 am Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) Hike about 3 miles through at Valley Green Inn. Come out for a great long (2 loops) or short (1 loop) woods to the Andorra Meadow and then to the Wissahickon Environmental Center on return. Level: moderate. hike. The first loop is about 7+ miles and the second loop is 6 miles. Spring Equinox Wissahickon Walk with Kris Soffa Several hills have steep climbs, including some with elevation increases Monday, March 20 • 10 am - noon up to 300 feet. Bring lunch and water. Lunch will be during the first Meet at The Cedars House, Northwestern Ave. and Forbidden Drive. (GPS directions do not work for this site.) Why not get your dose of loop before returning to Valley Green. If you need transportation, take nature and join us for this energizing walk? Distance: 2 miles. the Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail Line. Exit at Saint Martin’s station and walk to Springfield Ave. Call leader by 6 pm Saturday evening for Trails Less Traveled IV: Icons of the Lower Wissahickon with Gerry Schweiger pickup on Springfield Ave. at 9 am. Cost: $1. Leader: Barry Shapiro, Sunday, March 26 • 1 - 3:45 pm 215-673-4717. Meet at the parking lot on Gypsy Lane near northbound Lincoln Drive, opposite Wissahickon Hall. Level: difficult with several strenuous climbs. Distance: 4.25 miles.
Friends of the Wissahickon • Winter 2016 19 CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN THE WISSAHICKON WISSAHICKON ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Programs are FREE unless otherwise noted. Registration strongly requested or required for most programs. Register early. WEC is located at 300 W. Northwestern Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19118. THIRD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH More info. At 215-685-9285 or [email protected]. * Indicates a program at which children are welcome but the content is not tailored to them. Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers (WRV) lead a service project from 10 am–12 pm as part of their on-going reforestation activities. Project THURSDAY TOTS FULL MOON HIKE NIGHT • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 details and directions to the worksite will be posted on the WRV website at Bring your preschooler for an hour of discovery at the Tree House. Each month we will Hike by the light of the full moon and discover the tree silhouettes against the moonlit sky. least one week prior to the event: wissahickonrestorationvolunteers.org. For explore a new topic that celebrates the season. Ages 3-5. Parents stay with their child. $5 Maybe hear the hoot of an owl, and warm up around the camp fire. Registration required. info. and to RSVP, contact WRV at 215-951- 0330, ext. 2101 or per child per lesson. Register in advance. Preschool Hike: 6 – 6:45 pm [email protected]. Parents with toddlers can join us for a short night hike around the tree house. WINTER SLEEPERS • JANUARY 19 • 1-2 PM Family Hike for ages 5 and up: 7 – 8:30 pm EVERY TUESDAY Learn about chipmunks and groundhogs and play in a kid-sized chipmunk home. Adult Full Moon Hike: 9- 10:30 pm Friends of the Wissahickon volunteers repair and build structures in MAPLE TREATS • FEBRUARY 16 • 1-2 PM the Wissahickon from 9am to 1pm. For more info. and to register, contact MAPLE SUGAR DAY • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 • 11 AM - 3 PM Search for the special Sugar Maple tree and taste its fresh sap. Watch how the sap turns Join us on Forbidden Drive (near Northwestern Ave.) for our annual Maple Sugar Day. There Volunteer Coordinator Christina Anthony at [email protected] or into maple syrup and taste our homemade maple syrup on pancakes. 215-247-0417 x351. will be ongoing maple sugaring demonstrations, pancakes with real maple syrup, a taste test BIRD NESTS • MARCH 16 • 1-2 PM of different pancake toppings, and freshly made maple candy to taste. Pennsylvania Maple EVERY WEDNESDAY Discover what goes into a bird nest and create a wildlife gift that will provide birds with Syrup products will be available for purchase. All ages. NO registration necessary. FREE. Can’t volunteer with FOW on the weekends but still want to help out? Come extra nesting material. work with the Wednesday Morning Crew each week from 9am-12pm as we HOUSTON MEADOW WITH MARTIN • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 • 8:30 AM tackle projects throughout the park. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Christina KID’S EXPLORE WINTER WORLD • SATURDAY, JANUARY 7 • 1 PM Join local expert birder Martin Selzer for a walk through Houston Meadow, a great spot for Anthony at [email protected] or 215-247-0417 x351. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 • 1 PM meadow birds like bluebirds and field sparrows, and shrub loving birds like American tree Bring the kids out to the forest this winter to discover what is still active during the cold sparrows. EVERY SATURDAY winter months. Bundle up, this is an outdoor program! All ages. Friends of the Wissahickon workdays in the park are held most WOODCOCK WALK • FRIDAY, MARCH 10 • 5:30 - 6:30 PM Saturdays from 9am-1pm, unless it is a holiday or there is inclement WINTER ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS Hosted by local birder Martin Selzer, this bird hike aims to locate the American Woodcock during its incredible mating ritual. Meet at Houston Playground. Bring a flashlight as weather. Projects include trail maintenance, invasive weed removal, planting, FRIDAY, JANUARY 13 • 6 PM and clean-ups. Visit http://fow.org/volunteering/workinthepark/ for updates we most likely will be out past sunset. In case of inclement weather (temperatures below This will be the inauguration use of our astronomy telescope. We will look at the moon, freezing, rain, or snow) we will meet Saturday March 11 at 5:30 pm. All ages. and info on future projects. To register, contact Volunteer Coordinator which will be almost full, and whatever cosmic objects are visible. Christina Anthony at [email protected] or 215-247-0417 x351. Registration required. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 • 6 PM BLUEBIRD HIKE • SATURDAY, MARCH 11 • 11 AM FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH We will try to see some deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae. With it being close to We will take a walk through the woods and meadow to observe cavity nesting birds like Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers (WRV) lead a service project a new moon we will have a darker sky to look for these objects. from 10 am–12 pm as part of their on-going reforestation activities. Project Carolina chickadees and Eastern bluebirds. Bring a lunch if you plan on staying for the bird details and directions to the worksite will be posted on the WRV website at FRIDAY, MARCH 17 • 7:30 PM box workshop. least one week prior to the event: wissahickonrestorationvolunteers.org. For We will look at the moon and other objects in our solar system. Don’t expect to see the BIRD BOX BUILDING WORKSHOP • SATURDAY, MARCH 11 • 1 PM info. and to RSVP, contact WRV at 215-951-0330, ext. 2101 or planets in crisp detail, but hopefully we should see them as spheres of appropriate color Assemble a bird house for bluebirds, chickadees, and house wrens. Whether you have a yard [email protected]. rather than just specs of light as they appear to the naked eye. big enough for bluebirds or a row house; you can have native birds nest on your property. THIRD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH OWL WALK • FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 • 7 PM Bird house kits will be available to assemble with provided tools and hardware. Registration Friends of Cresheim Trail conducts ongoing workdays in order to enhance This walk will focus on hearing owls. We will hit a circuit of reliable spots along our trails required by March 7. $15 per kit. Limited to 15 participants. the evolving trail system in the Cresheim Creek area from 9am-1pm. hoping to hear great horned and screech owls. There is always the possibility of other SPRING TONIC TEA PARTY • SATURDAY, MARCH 25 • 10 AM Visit facebook.com/CresheimTrail for dates, times, meeting location and species. We will start with a discussion on the owls of the Wissahickon around the fire. Join us for a morning of tasting spicebush tea, nettle tea, dandelion tea, and other teas made updates on cancellations due to weather. We recommend that volunteers Registration required. All ages. Must be able to be quiet. with maple sap and local plants. Then we’ll head out for a walk to learn more about the wear long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes; poison ivy is present. All plants that we used. All ages. tools, including gloves, are provided. Coffee and snacks served. Contact: WINTER BIRDS • SUNDAY, JANUARY 22 • 8:30 AM Susan Dannenberg at [email protected] or 215-715-9159. Join local expert birder Martin Selzer to check out the feeders at the Tree House and then bird watch in Andorra Meadow. This winter looks promising for some rare winter birds at the FRIENDS OF THE HISTORIC RITTENHOUSETOWN feeders. Meet at the Wissahickon Environmental Center. WISSAHICKON Historic RittenhouseTown offers classes, workshops, and events for PUBLIC MEETING individuals and families to learn about the craft of hand papermaking and January 25 • p. 3 other aspects of Colonial life at the original Rittenhouse Family Homestead. WISSAHICKON VALLEY WATERSHED ASSOCIATION Located on Lincoln Drive at Rittenhouse Street. Info. at 215-438-5711, WVWA offers many public programs as part of its mission to protect the quality and beauty of the Wissahickon Creek VALLEY TALKS [email protected], or www.rittenhousetown.org. and to enhance life in the Wissahickon Watershed. Located at 12 Morris Road in Ambler. More info. at wvwa.org. April 13 • May 16 EVERY THURSDAY RUNNING Wissahickon Wanderers Trail Run. 4-5 miles. Starts 6:30pm sharp at Valley Green Inn. No Fees. CLUBS All runners, speeds, skill levels welcome! Fun food and Cash Bar afterwards courtesy of the Future calendar listings for the newsletter may be placed by contacting Valley Green Inn. For updates and more info visit wanderersrunningclub.org. FOR A LISTING OF MORE EVENTS, VISIT FOW.ORG/EVENTS. Friends of the Wissahickon at 215-247-0417 EVERY SATURDAY or [email protected]. Shawmont Running Club. Starts at Northwestern Ave. & Andorra Rd. (north end of Forbidden Drive). JOIN US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, The Calendar of Events in the Wissahickon may also be viewed on From 2nd Saturday in May thru 2nd Saturday in Oct. start at 7:30 am. Distances are at the discretion FOW’s website fow.org/events, which contains updates on our events, of runners. All levels welcome. Emphasis is on fun! More info. at shawmontrunningclub.com. AND INSTAGRAM including cancellations. — Friends of the Wissahickon Membership Form —
YES, I/We want to help preserve and protect the Wissahickon. MEMBERSHIP LEVEL $20 Limited Income/Students $45 Basic $75 Family* All new members receive a map of the Wissahickon Valley. Limited $100 Contributing* $250 Sponsor* $500 Patron* Income/Student members receive invitations to all events and our quarterly newsletter. Basic members receive invitations to all events, Society of Generous Friends* $1000 $2500 $5000 $10,000 or above our quarterly newsletter, calendar, and membership card with discounts for meals at Valley Green Inn (in the park) and FOW merchandise. *Choice of: Family members receive all benefits of Basic membership plus choice of Hat T-Shirt (circle size) two kids tees OR one children’s book. Contributing members and above Good Night Wissahickon Valley Park Children: S M L ($100 or more) receive all benefits of Basic membership plus choice of hat OR T-shirt OR one children’s book. Please keep the premium and Red Bird: Women S M • Adult L XL use the entire membership fee for the Park. Warbler & Map: Adult M L XL Method of Payment Name______ Check Enclosed (payable to Friends of the Wissahickon) Street______ Charge my City______State______Zip Code______ VISA Mastercard AmX Discover
Phone (Home) ______(Work) ______E-mail______Card Number______I also want to help Friends of the Wissahickon with: Expiration Date______ Membership Community Outreach Trail Repair Cleanup Wildlife Signature______ Fundraising Reforestation Structures Repair Education Vine Removal Please return to: 40 W. Evergreen Ave., Suite 108, Philadelphia, PA 19118-3324 • tel 215-247-0417 • [email protected] • fow.org Contributions to Friends are tax deductible as permitted by current laws. The official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling, toll free, within Pennsylvania (800) 732-0999.