News
International Coastal Clean-Up at Wall Park
We would like to thank the awesome volunteers who came out last Saturday to help us clean the banks of the Tookany Creek in Wall Park as part of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day. In just a few hours, our small team managed to remove all of the following items: 56 plastic beverage bottles…
30 Days to Cleaner Streets this November!
You can be part of a cleaner Philadelphia! Imagine how beautiful our streets would be if every person in the watershed picked up one piece of trash everyday for 30 days. Together we can make that vision a reality! From November 1 to November 30, 2010, the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership (TTF) is picking up one…
Philadelphia City Hall Hearing on Marcellus Shale
After a day long hearing of expert testimony on September 28th, Philadelphia City Council adopted a resolution supporting House Bill 2754, which was introduced by Representative Tony Payton (whose district includes parts of the TTF Watershed). The Bill calls for a three year statewide moratorium on hydrolic fracturing and establishes a Marcellus Shale Study Commission…
Hidden Treasures in Philly-Area Sewers!
As we are constantly reminding people here at TTF, everything you put down a household drain, flush down your toilet, or drop in a storm drain on the street ends up in our sewer system. Depending on where you live, items dropped into storm drains on the street will either be combined with household wastewater…
Newsweek on the Race to Buy Up the World’s Water
This week’s Newsweek contains an fascinating article that asks the question, “Should private companies control our most precious natural resource?” Calling water “the new oil,” the article examines a series of important issues surrounding water rights and water privatization. An excerpt: “Water has been a public resource under public domain for more than 2,000 years,”…
Academy of Natural Sciences Studies Gas Drilling’s Effects on Streams
An article in yesterday’s Inquirer discussed the Academy of Natural Sciences’ study on the effects of natural gas drilling on our waterways. From the article: A preliminary study by Academy of Natural Sciences researchers suggests that even without spills or other accidents, drilling for natural gas in Pennsylvania’s rich Marcellus Shale formation could degrade nearby…
Volunteer Today in Germantown!
RAIN CAN’T STOP US!!! Remember to come help TTF in the last steps of our Vacant Lot Revitalization project today. We will be planting native flowers, shrubs, bushes and bulbs at 5:00 pm today, October 5th, at the corner of Washington Lane and Clearview Street. Wear your work clothes. We will have all the tools…
Tour a Restored Segment of Tacony Creek!
We encourage all watershed residents to attend this exciting event! Event: Tour of a restored segment of Tacony Creek Date: Saturday, October 2 at 1:30 p.m. Location: Tacony Creek, located south of Roosevelt Boulevard (US 1), downstream of the Whitaker Avenue Bridge and upstream of the Wyoming Avenue Bridge. Entrance via Scattergood Foundation Friends Hospital…
Philadelphia and Marcellus Shale
Ashley and I were pleased to spend the day today hearing expert testimony from scientists, gas companies, environmentalists, government officials, and economists at a Philadelphia City Council Hearing regarding the Marcellus Shale. We’ll have a long post up summarizing each speaker shortly, but for now, we’d like to point you to an article that ran…
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan News
Check out this awesome news via PennFuture! Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released a draft Watershed Implementation Plan (the “WIP”) outlining Pennsylvania’s plan to reduce pollution in our local waterways and meet the expectations of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup strategy, officially called a total maximum daily load or TMDL. The federal Clean…
More on Cheltenham’s New Recycling Guidelines
News from Cheltenham Township: TOWNSHIP EXPANDS PLASTICS RECYCLING Cheltenham Township has expanded its residential recycling program to include most plastics, effective immediately. The program has long accepted #1 and #2 plastics, which covers the majority of plastic containers. Now plastic items with recycling codes #3 through #7 may also be recycled, except for plastic bags,…
Great News for Recycling in Cheltenham!
We just wrote about how Philadelphia expanded its recycling program to include plastics #1-7. Now Cheltenham has done the same! Cheltenham residents can now recycle all plastics except for plastic bags, pvc piping and styrofoam. This change is effective immediately. Congratulations, Cheltenham!
Great News for Recycling in Philadelphia!
As of August 1, Philadelphia residents can recycle plastics #1-7! From the Philadelphia Streets Department Website: Recycle All Plastic Containers! You’ve been recycling plastic containers marked: #1: Soda, water bottles #2: Milk jugs, detergents, shampoo bottles Now you can add: #3: Rigid plastic containers and juice bottles #4: Plastic tubs and lids from butter, margarine…
Art Garden Party
On Friday, we had the privilege of hosting an Art Garden Party with our partners at Artology. Artology is “an art and science summer learning program with an emphasis on ecology and environmental justice [that] sparks students’ curiosity by utilizing Philadelphia’s park system as a vibrant interactive classroom.” TTF has been partnering with Artology this…
Update from PHS
Yesterday we wrote about some budget decisions that affect the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Vacant Land Stabilization Program. Today, we have an update from PHS President Drew Becher, and John Ball, Chair of the PHS Council: A few days ago we asked for your help in encouraging the City of Philadelphia to continue funding the PHS…
Help Save the PHS Vacant Land Program
Here at TTF, we are extremely committed to turning vacant lots into community spaces — especially gardens that can help manage stormwater! So we really, really do not want to see the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s vacant land program disappear. Read on for the bad news, courtesy of the Next Great City newsletter, and what you…
The Science of Playing in the Rain
TTF has been working with BuildaBridge’s Artology program over the past few weeks, teaching students about watersheds and stormwater issues. By the looks of this video, it seems like they really get the message!
Caring for Your Tree
Have you had a tree planted in front of your house lately? If so follow these steps to keep your tree healthy and beautiful… Water Water is crucial for your trees survival, particularly during the first year after planting. Water your tree when the soil is dry beneath the mulch. Apply approximately 15-20 gallons of…
Gasland
Last night, Ashley and I caught a screening of Gasland, a film that explores natural gas drilling and its effect on water quality, air quality and human and animal health. As we’ve written about before, natural gas drilling is done through a controversial process called hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” — the Gasland website explains fracking…