Stories: Using Art to expand our impact

Using Art & Creativity to expand our reach & impact

Great Blue Heron mural in Tacony Creek Park by V.U.R.T. Creative

Nature Up Close and Personal

Our connection to nature and desire to protect it sustains our work, but our work does not focus on the natural environment alone. We are helping neighbors imagine and build a more harmonious interaction between the built and natural environment—the concrete and the creek, the brick and the birds. To do this, we looked to art to help us see our environment anew, but we knew we had to find a special partner who understood both nature and the city. When we heard about the forty-foot pigeon mural in Fishtown made by the same group of artists who painted a two-story raccoon hoarding a pretzel aptly named “The Pretzel Bandit,” we knew we had found our match. V.U.R.T. Creative’s “Local Critters” mural series playfully calls attention to the presence of wildlife in the urban environment. We knew they’d be the perfect partners to complete a series of four murals in Tacony Creek Park highlighting four of more than a hundred species of birds that you can spot in the park. Thanks to V.U.R.T Creative, you can walk right up to a beautiful Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Peregrine Falcon, or a White-breasted Nuthatch underneath what was previously an unwelcoming underpass.

I think it’s really important for everyone to realize that nature isn’t something in a distant land far away. There’s nature all around us, and when you come to a park like this, you can gain a greater appreciation for all the species that live within our environment.

— Evan Lovett, V.U.R.T. Creative

Murals help us reimagine the spaces around us. We hope that the murals under Whitaker Avenue share the message that this is a special place where the city and nature come together. Just as many species of birds visit the park for rest or food during migration, we hope that you feel welcome to connect with the park and discover regeneration here as well.

Belted Kingfisher mural in Tacony Creek Park by V.U.R.T. Creative

Creekforce One

This is why TTF needed a van

We know you will love walking up to the beautiful Great Blue Heron mural in Tacony Creek Park without scaring it off, but don’t worry—this bird can fly. Witness its flight on our new Sprinter van, Creekforce One. To feature our mascot—the Great Blue Heron—we turned to our partners at V.U.R.T. Creative to design the gorgeous wrap on our vehicle that helps us haul tools, trees, and shrubs for creek-side plantings, wheelbarrows and supplies for trash clean-ups, and rain barrels and tabling supplies for neighborhood events. We are thankful that the support of 131 donors enabled us to realize our dream of owning our own vehicle to better serve our community and promote our vision. Creekforce One made its first official public appearance at our Watershed Milestones Award Ceremony & Reception at our home at the Globe Dye Works on May 15, 2019. Look for the Heron taking flight through the streets from Jenkintown to Juniata Park, and in between!

For over a decade, TTF staff packed their personal vehicles to the brim with shrubs, shovels, and supplies for the dozens of events we host each year. We came to the realization that we were at our capacity and needed our own van to get our work done. And when we asked, the TTF community responded with tremendous support!

— Emilie Wetzel, TTF staff

Tacony Creek Park Stories

American essayist Joan Didion famously wrote, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Tapping into our desire to find meaning in our shifting experience, she highlights the power of stories to make real what might otherwise go unnoticed. In collaboration with the Olney Culture Lab with funding from the Joseph Robert Foundation, we spearheaded an oral history and photography project to capture the local stories and personal images, both past and present, that call our attention to the beauty of Tacony Creek Park and serve as a call to action to protect its treasured beauty.

Photo Contest

Our Tacony Creek Park Photo Contest received 56 submissions from 14 photographers, many of whom were neighbors we had never met! The photos were enjoyed by 150 guests at our annual Watershed Milestones Award Ceremony & Reception.

Crossing the Tacony by Brandon Hing. 1st place winner, adult category, Photo Contest.

A Chilling Wake by Jonathan Fredlund. 2nd Place winner, adult category, Photo Contest.

Untitled 1 by Yeredith Cruz, 1st place winner, youth category, Photo Contest.

Untitled 4 by Yanilda Hernandez, 2nd place winner, youth category, Photo Contest.

Oral History Project

Seven local residents, young and older, share their memories and relationships with the creek. The stories illuminate the park’s impact on residents’ connection with its beauty and recreational possibilities, but they also remind us of the importance of our work as they reveal historical concerns over pollution and flooding. Our partner, Manor College, hosts these audio interviews and transcripts on their website. Explore these stories and photos from the photo contest on our website, TTFwatershed.org.

The project will continue to evolve as local artists immerse themselves in the park and the recordings to bring these stories to life through music and dance at a number of venues, including the Olney Youth Arts Festival.

Working with TTF has given us the opportunity to expand our impact in the community by reaching new audiences and bringing local artists into the park to discover it for themselves. We have given both amateur and professional artists a platform and outlet to give voice to their relationships with this urban park environment.

— Ambrose Liu, Olney Culture Lab

Creekmobile

Education is an indispensable aspect of our work improving the health and vitality of our watershed. We educate community members, partners, policymakers, and institutions, but we know that any work that focuses on sustainability must bring our youth, the future (and present) protectors of our watershed, to the table.

The Creekmobile, our mobile education center, provides fun, hands-on experiences for young people to appreciate, explore, and protect our creek, park, and watershed. Visit the Creekmobile at one of our events or find it in the park to enjoy our recently upgraded educational resources.

The Creekmobile always captivates its audience!