PRESERVING THE NATURAL BEAUTY AND WILDNESS OF THE WISSAHICKON VALLEY FOR EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS. spring 2012 VOLUME 21 • NUMBER 1 The mission of the Friends of the Wissahickon is to preserve sthe natural beauty and wildness of the Wissahickon Valley FRIENDS o f the WISSAHICKON and stimulate public interest therein. About the Park About Us Conservation & Restoration Volunteering News & Events Membership & Support Frequent Questions The News Item Aysgi Reayed PARK MAPS Bayegfa. >> News Item SUSTAINABLE Aysgi Reayed TRAILS Tree House Bayegfa. >> INITIATIVE News Item Aysgi Reayed Bayegfa. >> Vo l u nt ee r Bdgi shadh faiduyf aisud at the Andorra Hiking fbaiusf aoudf bsb osdbfsao. Do na t e No w Bdgi shadh faiduyf aisud fbaiusf ao udbfosdbfsao. BIKING Repo r t a pr o bl em Bdgi shadsud fbaiusf aoudf bsb HABITAT maos udbfosdbfsao. Consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet l ear n the issues dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud Bdgi shadh faiduyf aisud exerci tation hendr erit in vulputate velit es consequat, vel illum dolougiat nulla. Natural Area fbaiusfos udbfosdbfsao. sear ch Fo l l o w U s o n FAC EB OOK T WI TTE R Sh ar e Th i s R SS H 54 L44 Contact Us Recei ve E-newsletter Secur e Log I n Si temap 72 Current Forecast > FOW Launches see page 8 New Website p. 3 Complete the Park User Survey p. 4 Town Meeting: Creek in Crisis? p. 7 photo by Nancy Ballard (1970-71) courtesy of Wissahickon Environmental Center From the Director by Maura McCarthy ast year, the Wissahickon Environmental Center (WEC) at the Andorra Natural Area celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Friends 8708 Germantown Avenue of the Wissahickon has long partnered with and supported Philadelphia, PA 19118-2717 L Phone: (215) 247-0417 • E-mail: [email protected] the “Tree House “ and its staff in their efforts to offer accessible Website: www.fow.org environmental programming to Philadelphia school children and ______________________________ families. And so it was fitting that before the year was out, we were The mission of the Friends of the Wissahickon able to secure a $150,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of is to preserve the natural beauty and wildness of the Conservation and Natural Resources for capital improvements to the Wissahickon Valley and stimulate Photo by Laurie Beck Peterson Andorra Natural Area. This grant will enable FOW to make this area of public interest therein. the Wissahickon a more suitable educational facility for visitors to the _____________________________ WEC, with restored trails, a compost toilet, and improved signage. You can read more about this project, the Tree House, and the Andorra Natural Area on page eight. OFFICERS The whole of the Wissahickon is an environmental education opportunity and FOW has a long history John Rollins, President of engaging the public in the natural life of the park. We have offered a consistent stream of lectures and Robert Vance, Vice President other outreach activities for many years, but it is because of the enthusiasm and dedication of our Trail Will Whetzel, Vice President Ambassadors that we have been able to expand our programming. In 2011 alone, Trail Ambassadors led Eugene Caffrey, Treasurer Richard Berman, Secretary a total of 37 free hikes in the Wissahickon. In January, ____________________________________ talented Trail Ambassadors Bruce Wagner and Sarah West began offering free lectures at The Cedars House PAST PRESIDENTS (see p. 12). Cindy Affleck Charles Dilks The whole of the Robert A. Lukens David Pope Expansion like this has been the norm at FOW over Edward C. Stainton Robert Vance the last few years, as we have grown into a strong and Wissahickon is an ____________________________________ capable organization. With growth, comes change. FOW BOARD MEMBERS has recently added a staff member in the new position of Cindy Affleck David Hilton Project Manager and sadly said goodbye to two valuable environmental education Chris Bentley Bettina Hoerlin staff members. Kevin Groves, Volunteer Coordinator since Richard Berman Louise Johnston 2007, single-handedly built our volunteer program into Melen Boothby Courtney Kapp the enterprising and effective program it is today. Heather opportunity and FOW has Richard P. Brown, Jr. John Kelly Davis-Jones, Development Assistant for five years, helped Eugene Caffrey Charles Lee, Jr. shape FOW’s membership outreach focus. We will miss Stephanie Craighead Jerome Maddox them and everything they brought to their roles at FOW, a long history of engaging David Dannenberg John Meigs but wish them all the best in their new endeavors. It is a Daphne Lynch Fifield Liz Pearson Sam Finney David Pope testament to their talents that it will take three new staff the public in the natural life Shirley Gracie John Rollins members to replace them: Sarah Marley, Dan Mercer, and Heidi Grunwald Robert Vance Henry Stroud. Jeff Harbison Liz Werthan Sarah Marley has served as an FOW Conservation of the park. Robert Harries Will Whetzel Cindy Heckscher Susie Wilmerding Intern for two years and is now working as our new ____________________________________ Outreach Coordinator, overseeing the Trail Ambassador STAFF program, lecture series, membership events, and other Maura McCarthy, Executive Director outreach efforts. Dan Mercer, a long-standing trail volunteer and Ruffian Tittmann, Development Director Audrey Simpson, Business Manager crew leader, has taken the position of Volunteer Coordinator and Denise Larrabee, Editor/Publicist will bring a wealth of Wissahickon knowledge to this role. Henry Dan Mercer, Volunteer Coordinator Stroud is FOW’s new Project Manager (see p. 11) and he will be Henry Stroud, Project Manager supervising FOW projects throughout the Wissahickon. Zane Magnuson, Development Assistant ______________________________________Sarah Marley, Outreach Coordinator For the first time in our history, FOW will have a field team NEWSLETTER dedicated to work in the park. This is an exciting opportunity Denise Larrabee, Editor for the organization and one that deepens our commitment to Dena Sher, Associate Editor • Sarah West, Listings Editor preserving the Wissahickon for future generations. Moon Design, Layout Published by INTERPRINT of Bristol, PA. Printed on recycled paper. United Way Donations The Friends of the Wissahickon can receive We appreciate Valley membership/donations through the United Way. Be a Friend. Our United Way number is 9882. If this is the most Green Bank reinvesting in Join at www.fow.org convenient way for you to give, please do so. Visit our our community and in the website (www.fow.org) to learn about the benefits of Wissahickon Valley! membership in the Friends of the Wissahickon. 2 Friends of the Wissahickon • Spring 2012 NEWSBRIEFS FOW Met the Challenge! The Friends of the Wissahickon Board of Directors and staff are thrilled to announce that FOW has met the third and final $50,000 challenge grant to raise funds for the Sustainable Trails Initiative (STI). Since the launch of the $10 million fundraising campaign for STI in May 2007, FOW has received almost $3 million in commitments. This challenge sought to build the capacity of FOW by increasing FOW Launches the number of major donors while supporting FOW’s priority project, the Sustainable Trails Initiative. New Website —Ruffian Tittmann, Development Director he Friends of the Wissahickon has launched a new FOW Volunteers Chuck Kirkland and Nick website at their current URL of www.fow.org. This Uniatowski work on a trail near Kitchen’s Tnew website is easier to navigate, provides more Lane on National Trails Day in 2011. information about the Wissahickon, and allows visitors to report problems in the park more easily and share pages Monastery Stables Offers New via social networks. “The new website is a dynamic and useful addition to Equestrian Programs FOW’s work,” says Executive Director Maura McCarthy. Hoof Prints at Monastery Stables is offering “One of the features we are most excited about is the line several new equestrian programs. The Pony Power of communication it opens to the public to report park Club is for horse-loving kids, ages 6 to 14. This problems and help us resolve them in partnership with unique program offers children the full equestrian Philadelphia Parks & Recreation in a faster more organized experience with hands on learning, loads of way.” fun, and horseback riding. Students learn safety, The new website was made possible with grants horsemanship, horse behavior and psychology, from the William Penn Foundation and the 25th Century horse health and nutrition, stable management, Foundation, and was designed using traffic information and more. The club meets every Saturday from from the old website as a guide. “We knew what the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; call for registration. Hoof Prints public was looking for when they visited our website,” also offers horsemanship classes and riding lessons. says McCarthy. “The new website design helps deliver The horsemanship classes for adults are for the that information more directly and will be an asset for our person who always wanted to own a horse, ride a membership, the public, and our volunteers.” horse, or just have the chance to be in its magical presence. Students will learn skills that will enable About the William Penn Foundation Misty Godfrey (standing) with Melissa them to enter into a partnership with horses that The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Cresswell on Geronimo. Photo will make being around them an absolute joy. Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the courtesy of Monastery Stables Riding lessons will allow participants to experience quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through the joy of riding while learning good riding and efforts that foster rich cultural expression, strengthen horsemanship skills. Whether you are a beginner, recreational, or experienced rider who children’s futures, and deepen connections to nature and wants to sharpen your skills, Monastery Stables will help you meet your goals and have a community.