Volunteers planted flowers around the sign to brighten things up a bit

Check out more photos here!

The mature trees in this entrance to the Tacony Creek Park are excellent buffers for stormwater runoff from the street. Before the water can get to the creek, the trees soak up much of the rainwater and filter out many pollutants. TTF helps plant and tend trees with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) because they are an inexpensive and effective stormwater management tool. They do, however, need to be maintained and kept healthy — which is why trees are so much happier when they don’t have to compete with weeds, and when mulch is used to insulate and moisten their roots! To learn more about the benefits of trees, click here.

TTF will continue to work towards making Tacony Creek Park a resource for the community for walking, bicycling, picnicking, nature-watching, and learning. Nearly everyone driving by the park on Saturday looked over and some people honked their horns in support. Maybe next year we’ll have a “HONK if You LOVE Your Park!” sign!

There’s still time to celebrate your Philadelphia parks! Click here to learn more and join TTF for a rain garden workshop with PHS and a garden party in Vernon Park!

To volunteer for events, please contact 215-844-8100 or email Ashley Schmid at ashley@ttfwatershed.org.

To get involved in tree planting or tending in Philadelphia, please contact 215-844-8100 or email Abby Grosslein abby@ttfwatershed.org.

Glynis, Diane, and Abby pause after working hard to plant a variety of grasses and wildflowers.

The sunny weather and wet, clay soil made the plants very happy. Everyone pitched in, digging holes with shovels to nestle plant plugs into, pruning some weeds, and talking about compost and gardens. Some of the plants even got a little watering to perk them up.

If you would like to get involved with future plantings like this, please contact Ashley at ashley@ttfwatershed.org or click here.

Thanks to everyone who came out to support TTF at 5% Day at Jenkintown Whole Foods! Not only did we get to promote watershed health,  stewardship, and our organization we raised funds at the same time!

TTF staff members enjoyed speaking with shoppers about the importance of protecting our watershed and gave out information on rain barrels, rain gardens and native plants. We also brought along an enviroscape to demonstrate how watersheds function and a button maker so people could make their own water-themed buttons. When the day was over, Whole Foods raffled off two rain barrels to some lucky shoppers as well.

Thanks to our partners at Jenkintown Whole Foods and everyone who helped make the day a success!  Please stop by to see us if you missed us last week — or to see us again — on Sunday, April 29 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the EcoFest at Jenkintown Whole Foods. We’ll have lots of great free information and resources.

Currently, residents of this area of Philadelphia are looking to attract more businesses and make their neighborhoods safer. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission hosted a community meeting at Friends Hospital to collect input from residents, business owners, and property owners. Participants talked about making the area more walkable, decreasing crime, adding street lighting, cleaning up litter, and turning local parks into community assets. TTF was excited to participate in this event, since clean and safe neighborhoods and healthy watersheds go hand-in-hand! The information from this meeting will be compiled and included in the future development plans for the area.

A staff member from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission labels a map of the Lower Northeast with community input.

At the event, Mayor Nutter, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson praised the plan. We were especially thrilled to hear Mayor Nutter mention our creek!

For more about yesterday’s event and the Green City, Clean Waters plan, check out this article from The Inquirer. From the article:

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson joined Mayor Nutter and other officials at the Fairmount Water Works to sign the agreement for a 25-year plan that has been described as one of the most innovative and ambitious in the nation.

It will transform not only how the city handles storm water – treating it as a resource instead of a waste product – but also how the city looks.

Greenery planted to soak up rainwater will also beautify streets, which could increase property values. Shaded homes will be cooler in summer, which could lower electricity bills. Air quality should improve.

“The city has earned a place as a national and global leader on sustainable innovation and clean water protection,” Jackson said at the signing, noting that it was a fitting way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act this year.

Read the rest here!

Speakers at the program included Julie Slavet, TTF’s Executive Director; Steph Clymer, TTF’s AmeriCorps VISTA and Community Liaison; and Mindy Maslin, Project Manager for the PHS Tree Tenders program. Attendees came from all over the TTF watershed, representing Environmental Advisory Committees and Tree Tenders groups. The evening started with an introduction by Julie Slavet and a watershed lesson by Steph Clymer. After Mindy Maslin discussed the many ways trees are being planted in Philadelphia, the floor was open for comments and a Q&A session.

During the session we identified the need to have a guide to identifying tree planting opportunities in the watershed. There are many ways to plant trees in the Philadelphia area, and many organizations and programs to help you. In order to help you navigate your way through these options, here is some additional information.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society runs the Tree Tenders program to provide training and support for community tree planting efforts. In Philadelphia, applications for street or yard trees are accepted through your local Tree Tenders group. Street trees are free and are planted by Tree Tenders groups during the fall and spring plantings. Yard trees for you to plant yourself cost $10 (free for Tree Tenders graduates) and come with a hand trowel. For questions about Tree Tenders in Philadelphia, contact Mindy Maslin. For information about PHS tree planting programs in the counties surrounding Philadelphia, contact Barley Van Clief.

TreePhilly is a program of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation that provides free yard trees for Philadelphia property owners who are willing to pick up their tree at a distribution event and plant it on their own. TreePhilly’s goal is to plant 15,000 new trees in the City in 2012, working to increase the tree canopy of Philadelphia to 30%. The website also includes forms to contact the City to request a street tree to be planted in front of your home or for street tree maintenance. For more information, contact Erica Smith Fichman.

Community groups in Philadelphia are also working with the TreePhilly program to identify locations (such as empty tree pits or open planting strips) suitable for street tree plantings. Trees will then be planted by City contractors. If you are interested in getting involved in street tree surveying in West Oak Lane, contact TTF.

TreeVitalize is a program committed to providing funding to restore tree cover in metropolitan areas across Pennsylvania. This includes street tree and riparian buffer plantings organized by homeowner associations, watershed groups, land trusts, municipalities, and schools. For information about applying for TreeVitalize funding in Montgomery County, contact the Montgomery County Conservation District.

All of these planting initiatives are part of the Plant One Million campaign that includes Philadelphia and surrounding counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Philly Tree Map is an online database documenting trees in the greater Philadelphia region. Use this site to find out about trees in your area or to add trees that you’re planting.

If you have any other tree-related questions, don’t hesitate to call us!

Thanks to all of our fellow tree-planters in the area, keep up the good work!

Representatives from City Year, Earth Force, Philadelphia University, Arcadia University, Covenant House of PA, and the Awbury Neighbors Association met at Awbury Arboretum to network and learn about volunteer opportunities. Attendees enjoyed learning about volunteer opportunities and networking with people across their watershed.

After mingling with each other and enjoying breakfast, attendees were welcomed by Julie Slavet, TTF’s Executive Director, and Beth Miner, Awbury’s Manager of Outreach and Community Engagement. Cindy Rubino, the Coordinator of Community Service at Arcadia University, described the history of TTF-Arcadia partnerships and suggested ways for other organizations to collaborate with TTF. Ashley Schmid, Education and Outreach Coordinator at TTF, discussed our current work in the community and how volunteers or interns will be able to get involved. Afterwards, attendees enjoyed a tour of Awbury Arboretum’s stormwater management features.

Ashley explains the features of a rain barrel to the group.

See more pictures of the tour in this Flickr set.

For updates about our volunteer opportunities, current projects, and calendar of events, check out our website.

Thank you to Fill A Bagel for their generous donation of bagels for this event.

This is how Dr. William Lamont started off his talk at the Academy of Natural Sciences about building your own high tunnel in Philadelphia. With Philadelphia’s first congressional district ranking second highest in the nation for food hardship, many Philadelphia families can’t afford to buy enough food to feed themselves. Urban gardening is a great way to supplement our diets with cheap, nutritious, local produce.

So, what exactly is a high tunnel? Similar to hoop houses and greenhouses, these structures extend the growing season, allowing a variety of plants to be grown in the winter. Specific crops include strawberries, cabbage, lettuce, tomatillos, and herbs. Growing fruits and vegetables year-round not only provides fresh produce to neighbors, it also allows teachers to involve school students and teach them hands-on about science and nutrition.

Urban agriculture isn’t new. In the past, most people grew their own food, but this changed after the industrial revolution. Now, many city dwellers are returning to this way of life in order to protect the environment and reuse vacant land. The updated Philadelphia Zoning Code now welcomes urban agriculture and community gardens.

Community gardens are sprouting up all over the city and suburbs, so be sure to look for one near you this spring!

The Urban Sustainability Forum recently hosted this program about high tunnels. Keep an eye out for similar environmental programs at the Academy of Natural Sciences!

Looking for great service opportunities? Come to the Community Service Networking Breakfast on February 23!

The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership will be hosting a free networking and informational breakfast for teachers and community service volunteer coordinators. At this event, you will learn about TTF’s work in the watershed and our fun and informative events for your volunteers or students. If you ever look for service learning opportunities for your network, this is the event for you!

There will be an optional stormwater management tour of the Awbury Arboretum at the end of the event.

Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Place: Awbury Arboretum, One Awbury Road, Philadelphia PA 19138
Contact: Please RSVP to Steph at steph@ttfwatershed.org or 215-844-8100.

Feel free to share this event info with your colleagues, and we look forward to seeing you on the 23^rd!

Awards will be given in the categories below, although candidates may not be selected in every category. Awards will be presented at our first annual Watershed Milestones Award Ceremony & Reception this May 31 at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center in Philadelphia. Nominations are due by March 15, 2012.

Award Categories:

Municipal: A municipality or municipal agency within the watershed that has made a significant contribution to improving or preserving the watershed.

Private Sector: A company that has demonstrated a commitment to improving the watershed through responsible land use and stewardship.

Educator: A teacher who has demonstrated an understanding and commitment to the environment, initiating change in student perspectives about the natural world.

Youth: An individual or group of individuals under 18 years of age who have made a significant contribution to improving or preserving the watershed.

Friend: An individual or group of individuals who have made a significant contribution to improving or preserving the watershed.

Download the nomination form here!