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.

Communications Assistant
The Communications Assistant will help to engage community members as watershed stewards through use of communications tools, including but not limited to social media, grassroots campaigns, press releases and printed materials. The Communications Assistant will expand TTF’s public presence by growing the organizational email contact list, tracking stakeholders who do not have email access and develop new methods to reach them, maintain and improve a dynamic social media presence and website, design targeted print materials, write press releases and create monthly newsletter content. Apply online here.

Educator
The Educator will work with businesses, community organizations, schools and existing TTF partners to provide education and service-learning opportunities related to watershed issues and stormwater management. The goal of the Educator is to provide stormwater management and watershed education and to promote clean water practices through a series of lessons, trainings and stewardship activities. Once the VISTA has become familiar with stormwater management, watershed education, neighborhood issues, lesson planning and event coordination, s/he will begin to make connections with businesses, community organizations, schools and partners in the watershed. S/he will have the opportunity to draft a year long education/service-learning plan as well as organize and lead watershed presentations and workshops for new and existing partners. Apply online here.

Volunteers from City Year pose before planting

Reverend Williams hosted the large group of volunteers on his front lawn as they took a break and ate lunch before getting back to work. The weather was beautiful, providing lots of sunshine for our new trees. Our volunteers had fun planting and weeding and learned about how what they did would help soak up rainwater and keep the streets cleaner!

Check out more photos from the event here.

TTF plants trees with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department and PHS as part of the Plant One Million campaign to absorb and filter rainwater, keeping our creek clean. To learn more about trees, click here.

For more volunteer opportunities, contact Ashley at ashley@ttfwatershed.org.

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.

The top ten things to do:

1. Get involved!
2. Do three things for every one you ask.
3. Be credible.
4. Work with your legislator’s staff.
5. Explain the local impact of policies.
6. Research your legislator’s background.
7. Introduce yourself and your organization.
8. Imagine yourself in their shoes.
9. Work around their schedule.
10. Invite your legislators to events.

Contacting your representatives can help you solve problems and affect change in your community. From constituent services to voting on bills, our legislators are there to serve us. Be sure to tell your legislators how much you care about protecting our watershed!

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.

PHS’ Sally McCabe leads this fun and informative course. Topics covered during the class include: how to test soil, decide which plants to grow, find out who owns a vacant lot, recruit volunteers, install rain barrels, and much more!

I am taking this class as part of my work as TTF’s Community Liaison. Community members often ask us about starting or maintaining gardens in their neighborhoods, and this class will enable us to better assist them.

If you are interested in learning more about Garden Tenders, check out the PHS website.

Check out these sites for information about lot ownership and impervious lot cover.

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!

Arcadia students fill in data on their spreadsheet, noting the presence of concrete and overhead power lines.