Summer 2017 Volume 26 • Number 2
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Preserving the natural beauty and wildness of the Wissahickon Valley for 93 years SUMMER 2017 VOLUME 26 • NUMBER 2 Summer TA Walks p. 14 Hidden World p. 10 Kelly Green Project p. 17 of the Forest Floor Photo by Tara Cutler A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR ou will notice that this issue of FOW’s quarterly newsletter is thicker than usual. It includes our YAnnual Report for 2016, and we encourage you to 40 W. Evergreen Ave., Suite 108, Philadelphia, PA 19118-3324 take some time to read it. Last year we laid the groundwork (215) 247-0417 • [email protected] • fow.org for several large capital projects that will preserve the The mission of Friends of the Wissahickon is to Wissahickon, improve the water quality of the creek, and preserve the natural beauty and wildness of the maintain the park for the enjoyment of all park users: hikers, Wissahickon Valley and stimulate public bikers, bird watchers, equestrians, and . explorers. interest therein. No matter how old you are, it is fascinating to OFFICERS peek under a log in the Wissahickon and discover Will Whetzel, President what is living beneath it. The small creatures found Jeff Harbison, Vice President under a log help keep our world clear of debris— James Walker, Treasurer breaking down dead trees, animals, and waste—and Cynthia Heckscher, Secretary we depend upon them. The feature in this issue of PAST PRESIDENTS FOW’s newsletter provides guidelines that will help Cindy Affleck Charles Dilks Photo by Laurie Beck Peterson Robert A. Lukens David Pope John Rollins Edward C. Stainton Last year we laid the groundwork for several Robert T. Vance, Jr. large capital projects that will preserve the Wissahickon, BOARD MEMBERS Christine Bamberger Louise Johnston improve the water quality of the creek, and maintain the Christopher Bentley Courtney Kapp Amy Branch Benoliel John Kelly park for the enjoyment of all park users: hikers, bikers, bird Tai-ming Chang Martha Kennedy Stephanie Craighead Richard Kremnick watchers, equestrians, and . explorers. Walt Crimm Charles Lee, Jr. Emily Daeschler Chris McCausland Alyssa Edwards David Pope you discover the life under a log without disturbing the creatures you encounter and Sam Finney Jean Sachs identifies what you might find. (See p. 10) It’s a great way for children to learn more about Shirley Gracie Robert T. Vance, Jr. the natural world, and you can look and observe with little or no impact on these hidden Jeff Harbison James Walker ecosystems. Cynthia Heckscher Patricia R. West Nina Hoe Will Whetzel At Philadelphia public schools, FOW is encouraging self-directed inquiry beyond the Susie Wilmerding park’s boundaries and into the Wissahickon Watershed at large. On page 17 you can read about the new meadow that has been built and cultivated by students at the John STAFF B. Kelly Elementary School and supported by FOW and the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Maura McCarthy, Executive Director Watershed Partnership. The meadow will help mitigate stormwater runoff in the area, Ruffian Tittmann, Director of Development and Operations while students learn through doing. Audrey Simpson, Business Manager For all of us to continue to learn and love the Wissahickon, we must be mindful of Denise Larrabee, Editor/Writer each other and the habitat. FOW welcomes everyone in the park, including dog walkers, Sarah Marley, Outreach Manager who are present in the park at all hours of the day and are often the first to report to Peg Shaw, Project Manager Laura Feragen, Publicist us when there is a problem. But it is critical for their safety and the safety of others, John Holback, Field Coordinator including their dogs, that they keep their pets on a leash. FOW Trail Ambassadors are Christina Anthony, Volunteer Coordinator offering treats to dogs on leashes, and you can learn more about this program on page 15. Giulia Morrone, Development We all appreciate the park and support it in our own ways. Dr. Alice Clark (1937- and Outreach Assistant Lorraine Awuku, Development Manager 2016), who you can read about on page 12, had a deep personal connection to the Ashley Velez, Executive Assistant Wissahickon and made arrangements to ensure that others could do the same by putting aside resources to donate to the stewardship of the park. We hope you will take some NEWSLETTER time this summer to consider what the Wissahickon means to you—recreation, learning, Denise Larrabee, Editor rejuvenation—and consider joining us at FOW in protecting this unique and wondrous Moon Design, Layout Published by Bartash Printing, Inc., Phila. place. Printed on recycled paper. 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 please do so. Visit our website (fow.org) to Executive Director learn about the benefits of membership in Friends of the Wissahickon. 2 Summer 2017 • Friends of the Wissahickon BRIEFLY NOTED HANDS-ON LEARNING SPRING AT SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL VALLEY Springside Chestnut Hill TALKS Academy’s (SCH) campus Valley Talks this past regularly provides a hands-on spring explored trees and classroom for students. This history. In April, Paul spring, Lower School boys Meyer, Edward Sibley tapped five maple trees during Barnard, and Catriona the running season (when Bull Briger presented sap flows) and then boiled the a preview of their sap to create delicious maple forthcoming book Philadelphia Trees: A Field Guide to the City and syrup. The boys also enjoyed the Surrounding Delaware Valley. Elizabeth Milroy examined how a Maple Tree Festival where and why the Wissahickon was added to Fairmount Park and shared they shared what they learned some new discoveries she made while writing her new book, The about the chemistry and Grid and the River: Philadelphia’s Green Places, 1682-1876. Valley ecology of syrup production Talks are sponsored by Univest. with other SCH students. Most were quite stunned to learn that the ratio of sap JOIN US FOR OUR 11TH ANNUAL boiled to syrup produced is 40:1! Pictured are first grade sap collectors Kiran ICE CREAM Chennupati (left) and Jasiah Payne (right). —Karen Tracy, SCH Academy SOCIAL. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 The Cedars House Café 3PM-5PM on Forbidden Drive near Northwestern Ave. Join us for a lovely afternoon of free ice cream, live music, nature activities for the whole family with FOW volunteers and the staff from the Wissahickon Environmental Center, e e mee , volunteers, and community partners. Partners Sponsored by THANKS TO YOUR VOTES, fow.org FOW WINS $10,000! FOW won a $10,000 grant from NRG Gives, NRG Home’s community Photo by Ellie Seif giving program funded by the NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. Three organizations were competing for up to $100,000 by encouraging WISSAHICKON IS TOPS IN HIKING their supporters to vote for them as often as possible from May 8 to 19. Nominated by an FOW member and NRG Home employee, FOW PhillyVoice named Wissahickon Valley Park one of the top three received hundreds of thousands of votes, which qualified us for the hiking destinations within ten miles of Philadelphia in April. $10,000 grant. Thank you to all our volunteers and supporters who The Wissahickon was lauded for being “the closest you’ll come to voted tirelessly for us! Pictured here are FOW Executive Director Maura mountainous hiking in Philadelphia.” It was called out for its 50+ McCarthy (center) and Tom Hughes (left) and Jordan McConnell (right) miles of “lush trails,” three equestrian stables, and the beloved Valley from NRG Home. Green Inn, because “what’s more satisfying than an early morning sweat followed by brunch?” We couldn’t agree more! Friends of the Wissahickon • Summer 2017 3 WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WISSAHICKON? By Peg Shaw, Project Manager SUSTAINABLE TRAILS INITIATIVE The Sustainable Trails Initiative (STI) is a multi-stage commitment by FOW to help make the 50 miles of natural surface trails in the Wissahickon Valley Park an environmentally and socially sustainable system that works for all park users. There are three key objectives of the initiative: 1. improve stormwater management; 2. protect and restore habitat; and 3. enhance the trail user experience. Starting in 2006, FOW initiated a thorough community and stakeholder engagement process, and the results of that were synthesized into a trail assessment by the team of professional trail builders who developed the STI plan. We have completed over 14 miles of new sustainable trails, closed over nine miles of unsustainable trails, and maintained approximately ten miles of trails annually. Who’s completed all this work? A combination of professional trail builders, a corps of dedicated, trained, and skilled volunteer trail builders, FOW staff members, and hundreds of people NEW TRAIL AT Project Coordinator John Holback using a mini who volunteered on dozens of workdays. MT. AIRY AVENUE skidsteer on the trail near This spring Christ Bernhardt, a professional Mt. Airy Avenue. trail builder and Principal of Sentieros This spring FOW continued our Sustainable Trails Initiative (STI) work Consulting and one of the members of the by building a new sustainable equestrian and hiker trail near Mt. Airy original STI consulting team, assessed the work Avenue. Covering approximately 3,000 linear feet (LF), this new trail of STI to date as it relates to the original 2006 is replacing an existing trail, approximately 1,200 LF, located on a flat plans. He then outlined priority projects to move ridge top, and along the edge of, private property. Due to this location, the initiative toward completion in the next two the trail was unable to manage stormwater, which resulted in several to three years, at which time a new phase of segments holding water and remaining muddy, and other segments trail management will begin.