Milestone Awards – Friend of the Watershed: Latinas in Motion, Tom Manns, and Streamkeepers

Latinas in Motion (LIM) is a nationwide nonprofit organization founded in Philadelphia in 2013 by Elaine Johnson. Their mission is to encourage, inspire and empower women to run and adopt a healthier lifestyle. They have chapters in several cities including New York, Orlando and Austin, and they organize local runs and walks several times a week.

After participating in the 2nd Annual Healthy Trails 5K 2014 in Tacony Creek Park, LIM was inspired to organize their very own 5K in the park. With the support of TTF Watershed, Councilwoman Quiñones-Sánchez and other partners, Latinas in Motion successfully hosted their first Peace, Love and Run 5K in June 2015. This race attracted over 300 runners and walkers from different states and neighborhoods to discover and experience Tacony Creek Park and its trail, encouraging the use of this special urban greenspace. We applaud their infectious energy, enthusiasm, and organizing skills!

Tom Manns

Tom provided his landscape architecture skills and guidance, as well his energy and enthusiasm to our Ethel Jordan Park project. He even assisted with the design of the creekside buffer prior to planting! On the community planting day in November 2015, he led a hard-working crew of volunteers to complete the lower end of the buffer at Osceola Avenue. A long-time Abington and TTF watershed resident — he lives in Glenside — he is retired from a career in landscape architecture, estate management, and construction. He has a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning from Utah State University.

Streamkeepers: Judy Bishop, Roberta Brunner, Mary Felley, Karen Serfass, Maria Kiernan, Nick Macelko, Thomas McKeon, Callie Raymond, Geoffrey Selling, and Jenn Sherwood

By completing monthly or even weekly monitoring in our watershed, these ten Streamkeepers have demonstrated their commitment to water quality monitoring. They have participated in training sessions that enable us to confidently rely on their data to inform our creek restoration and protection strategies. They have also expanded their roles to: recruiting other Streamkeepers, representing TTF at community events, leading volunteers at community plantings, monitoring macroinvertebrates and creek life as well as our new rain gardens, and bringing creek concerns to our attention. These awesome volunteers are key to the educational goal of our mission. Thanks to these Streamkeepers, we now have eyes on the creek!

Read about the start of our Streamkeeper program here! Then read about the Streamkeepers’ first birthday here. You can also read a blog about Streamkeeper Klavdiya’s first day monitoring water quality here. 

These award winners will be honored at our Fifth Annual Watershed Milestones Award Ceremony and Reception on May 25th! Purchase tickets here. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate the accomplishments of our partners and supporters in an evening of food, fun, and networking!

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AKRF, Inc. — The RBA Group — Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership

Firestone & Company — Pennoni Associates