Last Wednesday, TTF hosted 55 Philadelphia area insurance workers for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s 2nd Annual Week of Giving. This is the second year we have been part of this amazing volunteer program! Insurance workers from offices across the Philadelphia region met us bright and early at the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation gateway at Whitaker Ave. and Loudon St. for a huge volunteer clean up and planting day in Tacony Creek Park.
Upon arriving at the gateway, eager volunteers set to work weeding, planting, clearing invasive vines, picking up trash and debris and repairing deep ruts caused by illegal ATV use. The Waterways Restoration team from the Philadelphia Water Department joined us for the morning, leading the way in removing debris and hauling it away in their dump trucks. With rain clouds rolling, in volunteers kept up the pace and managed to stay (mostly) dry before finishing up and having a celebratory pizza lunch.
By the end of our productive morning we planted 7 trees, 15 shrubs and a dozen perennials. 50 linear feet of ATV ruts were repaired and we hauled out three dump truck loads of garbage and debris! The garden beds received some new flowers and a fresh coat of mulch. New woodland plantings went in along the forest edge and trash was collected all along the trail throughout the park.
See more event photos here.
Tacony Creek Park is near and dear to our hearts at TTF, and Feltonville’s Whitaker and Loudon Gateway is no exception. This gateway welcomes trail users to a large meadow above Tacony Creek and is a trailhead between Roosevelt Boulevard and the Fishers Lane Bridge. Visitors enjoy the trail at all times of the day thanks to this newly paved walking and biking trail and renewed community passion. In past years, this site and much of the park, was feared and avoided by trail goers as the constant buzz of illegal ATVs echoed through the park.
All of this great work could not have happened without the help of all our volunteers and partners.
A big thank you to:
Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, CSAA Insurance Group, Global Indemnity Group, NSM Insurance Group, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Zenith Insurance Company, Ken Kolodziej: for donating trees, and our partners: Fairmount Park Conservancy, Waterways Restoration Team, Philadelphia Water Department, and Parks and Recreation Department. Special thanks to The Lauretha Vaird Boys and Girls Club for providing restrooms and a roof over our heads!
Interested in bringing your business or community group to Tacony Creek Park for a community service day? Contact Robin Irizarry at robin@ttfwatershed.org or 215.744.1853 to find out how you can help.
