Dreamers & Milestones: A Powerful Year for the TTF Watershed

On a beautiful fall evening, the TTF Watershed community came together to celebrate our biggest Milestones yet, with moments made possible by the dreamers among us. At Globe Dye Works, we gathered community members, partners, and advocates to celebrate achievements, honor champions, and share groundbreaking announcements about the future of the Tacony Creek watershed.

Big News for Our Watershed

A New Public Nature Preserve: Scattergood at Friends Hospital

We were proud to publicly announce that the William Penn Foundation has awarded $1.5 million to Frankford Community Development Corporation to implement GSI restoration of a key section of the Tacony Creek. This program supports the creation of a new public nature preserve at the Friends Hospital Scattergood campus.

This three-year, 50-acre restoration project within the historic Friends Hospital grounds will protect heritage trees and spring-fed streams, restore forest understory and wetlands, and manage stormwater, while making this beautiful natural space welcoming and accessible to all.

“We are building a nature preserve to protect the Tacony Creek, to protect the great old trees we have there, and we’re going to plant new trees every year, by the thousand.” — Justin DiBerardinis, Executive Director

Located along Tacony Creek, the preserve will serve as a green sanctuary for learning, healing, and environmental protection—right in the heart of Lower Northeast Philadelphia.

The Wingohocking Tunnel: A new vision for clean water

The Wingohocking Tunnel during a storm event. 7/31/2025

The Wingohocking Wet Weather Tunnel is a massive stormwater initiative focused on the city’s largest combined sewer outfall. Through geotechnical studies and community engagement, this project will begin to tackle over a century of environmental degradation.

With a new $2.1 million grant ($2,127,659) from the William Penn Foundation, the Philadelphia Water Department and TTF Watershed Partnership are taking bold steps to address one of the city’s most pressing environmental injustices.

The “Wingohocking Wet Weather Tunnel” dessert table at 2025 Milestones Party. As guests removed cupcakes from the tunnel display, each treat represented pollution being cleared from the Creek—a hopeful (and delicious) vision for cleaner, healthier waterways in our communities.

Once the largest tributary of the Tacony Creek, the Wingohocking Creek was buried more than 130 years ago. Today, its failing infrastructure contributes to chronic flooding and pollution—sending an estimated 650 million gallons of combined sewer overflow into our creeks and parks each year.

“We’re taking on one of the city’s greatest environmental injustices — and we’ll do it together… We are not afraid to walk a long road. If we do, we will deliver the impossible. ” — Justin DiBerardinis

This funding will aid the decade-long effort to bring a new vision for clean water to communities across the Tacony-Frankford watershed—transforming public health, environmental justice, and water quality for generations to come.

A Year of Action: 5,000 Tires, Countless Volunteers

In spring 2025, more than 5,000 illegally dumped tires were discovered in Tacony Creek Park—the largest illegal tire dump in North Philadelphia. But our community didn’t back down.

With the help of the Philadelphia Water Department, Parks & Rec, CLIP, and hundreds of volunteers, we removed every tire and restored the trail, making it clean, safe, and accessible for the first time in decades.

“We made a human chain a quarter mile long and got those tires out of Tacony Creek Park. Today, people can walk from Frankford all the way to Cheltenham in a Tacony Creek Park that is free from tires, free from burned-out cars, and free from dumping. And we didn’t stop there. We just kept cleaning.” — Justin DiBerardinis

Today, TTF crews work daily to mow gateways, clear trails, and replant this rare urban forest. With every step, hope is growing in Tacony Creek—and it’s growing by the day.

The 2025 Milestone Honorees joined in smashing a shopping cart–shaped piñata, topped with tires and stuffed with flower seeds, soap, and fish-shaped candy—a joyful and symbolic strike against illegal dumping.

Honoring the Dreamers: 2025 Milestone Honorees

Tim Voit – “Always Here” Cleanup Champion

Longtime TTF volunteer

“Getting rid of the trash is my workout, my meditation, my mitzvah… I enjoy the hell out of it.” — Tim Voit

Khalil Williams – Parks & Rec Hero

Labor Crew Chief 1 for the City of Philadelphia Park and Recreation

“Khalil cleans with joy, and that is why he’s the leader on that grounds crew—because that joy is infectious and it spreads.”— Justin DiBerardinis

Jacqueline Rivera – “La Reina” Community Care Champion

Director of the Police Officer Lauretha Vaird Boys & Girls Club

State Representative Danilo Burgos presented Jacqueline with a citation on behalf of the PA House of Representatives, recognizing her deep commitment to community and environmental action:

“In a short amount of time, we’ve already seen the difference—and we can feel it. Jacqueline, there are challenges ahead, but if each of us contributes just a little, together we can make lasting change and leave our community better than we found it.”

— Rep. Danilo Burgos, PA House of Representatives

We are honored to celebrate Jacqueline Rivera for the care, strength, and pride she brings to her community every single day.

Illegal Dumping Learning Community

“We’re gonna end dumping by 2028! A lot of people came together to make the tire cleanup a true public effort. It showed everyone what’s really going on in Philly—what we need to stop, and what we need to change. That day, people didn’t just show up—they got enlisted in the movement. Thank you TTF for making that happen.” — Shari Hersh, founder of Trash Academy

Illegal dumping isn’t just a nuisance — it’s an injustice. The Learning Community will bring neighbors, leaders, and organizations together to share knowledge, advocate for change, and reclaim our spaces.

Carlton Williams – Visionary for Clean & Green Philly

Director of the City of Philadelphia Clean and Green Initiatives

Carlton’s impact extends beyond his titles. As State Representative Jason Dawkins shared during the ceremony:

“When I started in City Hall at 23, Carlton was one of the first people to lend a hand. He didn’t just give me advice—he gave me real support. I’ve watched him lead in so many areas, and he’s always been committed to the people of Philadelphia. His new role only means even greater things to come.”

— Rep. Jason Dawkins, PA House of Representatives

We are proud to honor Carlton Williams for his relentless dedication to a cleaner, greener, more just Philadelphia.

Learn more about the Honorees:

Celebrating the 2025 Watershed Milestones Honorees: Marking 20 Years of TTF’s Mission in Action!

2025 TTF Photo Contest Winners

We proudly announced community photographers of all ages for capturing the beauty of our watershed:

Thank You, Partner Alliance

We are deeply grateful to our Partner Alliance! This event — and our year-round work — would not be possible without their generous support. These businesses and organizations are helping build a cleaner, greener, and more connected watershed.

Let’s hear it for our partners who made this celebration — and all our work — possible!

Looking Back, Moving Forward

This year marks TTF’s 20th Anniversary. From cleaning dumped tires to launching major projects, our work continues because of you—our community of dreamers, doers, and defenders of clean water.