Green stormwater management projects are transformational. At Conklin Pool and Recreation Center in Cheltenham, what was once a concrete pipe is now a meandering stream surrounded by over 150 native trees and 500 perennials. And what was once 7,500 square feet of turf grass is now a natural meadow.
This project manages 42 acres of stormwater to improve the health of this important headwater creek. Completed in 2020, this restoration was made possible with funding from Montgomery County Planning Commission and a Delaware River Restoration Fund grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Many volunteers took part in the transformation, collaborating during a time of isolation to don masks and prepare the site. Volunteer days are an opportunity to make new friends, get outside, learn about the history and importance of the watershed, and make a difference.
We are already seeing a dramatic difference: consistent creek baseflow and flourishing wildlife. Visitors observe blooming flowers, beautiful butterflies, singing birds, and jumping frogs. The creek slows the rush of polluted water so it can disperse on the adjacent meadow and floodplain where pollutants and debris can settle out before reaching the creeks.
The transformation has been so significant that it inspired a community engagement opportunity to give the creek a new name that fits its new important role in contributing to natural beauty, environmental education and sustainability. Soon you’ll hear, “Meet me at….”
We added two rain gardens to an existing creekside buffer that intercept runoff from both Abington Junior and Senior High School roadways to protect East Baeder Creek, a tributary that flows into Tookany Creek. These will manage about a half an acre of stormwater. The restoration project, completed in November 2021, was made possible by a Growing Greener Plus grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection. Restoration like this requires upkeep, which is why we created Creek Care Days to remove invasive plants and trash, repair deer fences, and add new plantings at our sites. Volunteers help us care for our rain gardens and creekside buffers all across our watershed.
Volunteer days are opportunities to connect around a love for the natural wonders of the watershed and to play a direct role in protecting habitats, streams, and public access to nature.
A group from the American Society of Civil Engineers Young Member Forum worked together in an upland area to plant a mixture of understory trees to retain soils in areas of severe erosion and plant loss caused by the construction of an illegal pump track.
A TreeVitalize grant provided the materials and plants. Thanks to the Scattergood Foundation for supporting maintenance of this critical natural area.
You might daydream about bringing the Atlantic Ocean closer, but the discovery that some local streams are now as salty—or even saltier— as the ocean because of road salt runoff won't make you happy.
We have been working with our Streamkeepers to raise concerns about salinity levels in our creeks and oversalting during winter storms. When salt levels increase, it negatively affects soil, plants, groundwater, and drinking water. Salt levels remain high even in summer! Keeping drivers safe on wintry roads and protecting the watershed are not mutually exclusive.
TTF Streamkeeper Geoffrey Selling testified before Philadelphia City Council, sharing his monitoring studies. His convincing testimony raised critical concerns about oversalting, including its impact on infrastructure and drinking water: elevated salt levels in water can cause high blood pressure and heart disease. Check out our “Save Our Streams From Road Salt” resource on our website to learn about some practical steps for residents, property owners, and communities.
One of the reasons we care about trails is that they bring people closer to water. The Circuit is a network of 300+ miles of trails (with more on the way) that connect residents and visitors across the region. After a year and a half, a robust public outreach campaign, multiple revisions and updates, and hundreds of hours spent analyzing and designing preferred alignments, “The Tookany Creek Trail Feasibility Study: Cheltenham Ave to High School Road in Cheltenham Township” was completed and published in April 2021.
There is still a long way to go and the trail will be built one piece at a time, but this is a huge step toward connecting Cheltenham to Tacony Creek Park and the Delaware River.
While some visitors like to rove around following their own whimsy, we have made it easier to explore Tacony Creek Park with new maps available in English and Spanish posted in strategic locations. We have handed out 1,000s of maps to neighbors to invite them to find their favorite spots to watch birds or enjoy a trail mural. The maps highlight new aspects of the park like the connection under Roosevelt Boulevard.
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I’m so proud to think about how far TTF has come. We have built a community of people who care about the health of our creeks and open spaces. We simply couldn’t do our work without their passion and energy.
Interns have been essential to building this community. Over fifty enthusiastic, diligent young volunteers have passed through our doors over the years, contributing to our work in a variety of ways. We take our role in supporting these young people very seriously. We strive to ensure that their time with us readies them for future work experiences, and inspires them to advocate for the environment, regardless of their path in life. Most of these internships have been unpaid, and while we can sometimes partner with organizations that provide a stipend or work study, we recognize the inequity of this practice. Through our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) efforts, we have prioritized the development of a paid intern program. In the fall of 2022, an anonymous contributor committed to investing in this vision by generously matching $25,000 in donations to fund a paid internship program!
We will raise funds for the intern program until the $25,000 match is fulfilled. Please make our paid internship program a reality by donating at ttfwatershed.org/donate!
With your help, we can provide paid opportunities for local interns to learn about and enhance our critical clean water work.
InGratitude,
Individuals, Businesses and Organizations
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University* / Jeffrey Ackler / Adventure Aquarium / Maggie Allio Rwakazina / Leigh and Carol Altadonna / Altar’d State, Store 170 / Anonymous / Audubon PA / Naomi Atkins / Saul Axelrod / Dottie Baumgarten Susan Becker* / David Bell* / Bob Bennett / Adam Berkowitz / Alison Berkowitz / Gary and Donna Berkowitz / Janet Bernstein / Cynthia Blackwood / Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve / Carol Brandt / Eileen and Eli Brill / Joan Brooks / Bernard Brown Dave and Marion Brown / Nicole Brown* / Traci Browne* / Karl Buchert / Kenneth Buckwalter Greta Bunin* / Calvan Environmental / Marc Cammarata* / John Canty* / Sally Cardy / Timothy Carey* / Pete Carter / Brian Cassady / John Chalikian / Richard Chalme / Karen Chenoweth Virginia Christensen / Sarah Clark Stuart* David Cohen / Emily Coleman / Siani Colon / AeLin Compton / Congregation Adath Jeshurun / Michael and Jackie Connor* / Eileen Cooper* Herb and Barbara Cooper* / Jay Coreano Francis and Elizabeth Coyle / Philip and Audrey Cross* Frances Crugman / Alexander Cupo* / Joanne Dahme* / Louise D'Alessandro / Charles Dalin / Doryán De Angel Donna Hunt and Christopher Deephouse* / Mary Grace DiGirolamo* / Vincent DiGirolamo* Ken Rose and Lisa Donahue* / Lisa Freimark and Bob Doyle / Earl Drumheiser* / John Dulik* / Earth Sky + Water / Robin Eisman Emily Ennulat-Lustine* Ernst Conservation Seeds* / Janet Everly* / Jen and Rob Eyre* / Erin Fadako / Fairmount Park Conservancy Katherine Falso* / Mary Felley* / Fishtown Pickle Project / Karen Fleck* / Christine Foley / Robert Dromboski and Laura Frank* / Friends of Steve McCarter / Stanley Fudala / Elizabeth Fuentes / Lynn Gale / Tracey Gale* / Kristen Gardner / Sharon Garfield* / Glen Foerd* / Silvina Godoy* / Seth Goldenberg* / Scott Goldstein / Lissette Goya* / Barbara Granger / Linda Grutzmacher / Kimberly Hamm / Julia Hanes / Mary and William Hangley* / Susan and Marc Harris* / Ellen Rogovin Hart Bryan Havir* / Bonita and Jim Hay* Judy and Steven Heath* / Mark Heere* / Jane Henderson* / Stephen and Erica Heverin* / Brian Hinson / John and Ruthanne Hoover / Ruth Hormann / Barbara Hughes* / Adam Hymans / Independence Seaport Museum / Robin and Christy Irizarry* / Sonia and Robin Irizarry / Jacqueline Green Public Relations / Andrew Johnson / Gregory and Jacqueline Johnson / Nathaniel Johnson / Rose Johnson / JMT / Stephen Jones / Marc Kalman / Daniel Kelly* / Rebecca Kelly / John Kennedy / Alexandria Khalil* Maria Kiernan* / John Kiernan / John Sorrentino and Judith King / Christopher Kircher* / Paul Kirk / Ken and Anne Kolodziej* / Tyler Krechmer* / Sherry Krider / Stefanie Kroll* / Andrew Lamas / Cheryl Lang / Langan / Pete LaVerghetta / Learning Times, LLC / Gregory Lech / Michael Shechtman and Roberta Lee* / Lehigh Gap Nature Center / Jon Lesher / Donna and Jack Levin Carolyn Hirsh and Alan Lindy / Donna Long / Jeff Perkins and Ken Lovett* / Thomas Maduzia / Arthur Magilner / Carole Maher* / Norman Marcus / Rebecca Martinez / Karon Massado* / John Mattar / Joseph McBride / Stephen and Deborah McCarter / Jame McCray / Connie McGeorge* / Meg McGuire / Ryan Megna / Kimberly Mehler* / Rachel Mermelstein / Rosanne Mistretta and Steve Miano* / Linda Moore / Richard Conroy and Marlene Morano / Luanda Morris* / Susan and Benjamin Myerov* / Anthony and Kathleen Naccarato / Zhenya Nalywayko* / Catherine Callan and Jim Napolitano / Joe Natale / National Audubon Society / National Wildlife Federation / Ryan Neuman / Jennifer Nicholas / Lynn Nicholson / Joanne O’Connor / Deborra Pancoe / Mary and Howard Panitch / Edward Schultz and Beth Parke / Linda Pascale / Marcus Paul / Pennsylvania Horticultural Society / Philip Witman and Dr. Bonnie Perlmutter / Joseph Peters Philadelphia Committee, Garden Club of America / Stephanie Phillips / Donald Pierce / Jeffrey Plaut / Sara Poindexter Nagiarry Porcena-Meneus / Primex Garden Center / John Raisch / Marie Raupp / Emma Raymont / Reading Terminal Market / Matt Pappajohn and Catherine Recker* / Laila Reilly / Renaissance Charitable / Resultant LLC / Rodman Ritchie / Rival Bros Coffee Roasters* / Lara Roman Arianne Romney* Rachel Rosenfeld / Erica Rossetti / Joseph Rozak* / Jeffrey and Mary Satterthwaite* / Nancy Schek* / Rebecca Schultz* / Jennifer Schwartz* / Mark and Bernice Schwartz Keisha Scovens / Ruth Seeley* / Aaron Segall* / Martin Selzer* Jocelyn Sessa / Said Gharrafi and Karen Shaffran / Meg Sheketoff / Elissa Siegel
/ Debora Sloane / Shirley Spirk Starbucks Coffee Company / Patrick Starr / Amy Steffen and Linda Stern Phyllis Stickney Jessica Stiner / Dr. Neale Stock / Sandra and Paul Szalinski* / Alma Taylor* / Lynn and Bill Thames / The Dress Closet / The Sewing Room / Robert Thomas* / Phaedra Tinder* / Mel Tollen / Marilyn Torres* / Alan Tractenberg / Robert Traver / United By Blue* / Tim Voit and Tanya Borman-Voit* / Midori Wakabayashi / Julie Slavet and John Walber* / Maxim Walsh / Julia Way Rix / Stacey Lee Webber* Weckerly’s Ice Cream / Marvin and Lillian Weilerstein / Robert Wendelgass / Janet Wetzel* / Keith Wetzel* / Peg Wetzel* / Wild Birds Unlimited / Sarah Willig / Cullen Wise / Betsy and Sheldon Wolf* / Woodmere Art Museum / David and Patricia Workman* / Donna Wray / Janet Wynne Starwood / Anita and Harry Yampolsky / Gerald Kaufman and Shelly Yanoff / Beth Yount / Florida Yunker / Nyra Zaracho / Suzanne Zlotnick* / Jonathan and Cecile Zorach*
Partner Alliance
A.D. Marble & Company, Inc / Abington Friends School Anonymous / Apiary Studio Landscape Architecture* / Aqua America The Essential Foundation AquaReale / Bassman, Adelman & Weiss, PC / Bennett Compost / Cedar Run Landscapes / Cerulean, LLC* Collins Nursery / Frankford Friends School / Garfield Refining Gilmore & Associates, Inc.* / Globe Dye Works / Green Hill Art Services / GreenWeaver Landscapes* / Juniata News / MOM’s Organic Market / NativeScapes, LLC / NV5, Inc. Octoraro Native Plant Nursery, Inc.* / PECO / Pennsylvania Horticultural Society / Philadelphia Insurance Companies* / Pixel Parlor* Primex Garden Center / REI Co-op*
“My internship experience at TTF was like no other. During my time at TTF, I immediately felt welcomed and a part of the team. I was given fun creative assignments focused on spreading a well needed awareness to the community about the issues we face with our watershed and nature.”
“Interning
TTF was a unique experience that provided me with education, connection, and community.”
Celeste Sullivan
Seeing litter, construction debris, and illegal dumping on your peaceful walk in nature has become an unfortunate norm in Philadelphia. It’s not only unsightly and unwelcoming, but litter has been linked with the likelihood of violence. We lead weekly cleanups with volunteers and recognize the hard work by neighbors and other community organizations trying to keep up with the trash problem.
At one volunteer day in March 2022, we removed 10 tons of trash from Tacony Creek Park in Feltonville. Ya Fav Trashman joined the group, and we learned many volunteers were visiting the park for the first but hopefully not the last time.
TTF is doing our part as best we can by hosting regular cleanups and advocating for more trash cans with regular pickups, but widespread problems require collective action. As Board Member Luanda Morris and the TTF Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
and Justice Committee (DEIJ) suggested in a blog article in June 2022, we need the City to address this illegal dumping and invest in this green space. Tacony Creek Park deserves as much attention and resources as any other Philadelphia park.
Tacony Creek Park is a place to recreate, rest, and discover peaceful moments in nature. Creating a safe park experience is critical to encourage use and community ownership of our shared green spaces.
In Spring 2022, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) designed, fabricated and installed emergency locator signs throughout Tacony Creek Park. These signs provide numbers identifying locations to enable emergency responders to locate park users calling for assistance.
Next time you visit, please note the numbers of the locator signs nearest to you along the trail to ensure your safety.
There are now three little libraries in Tacony Creek Park. These libraries provide critical opportunities for young children to engage with and access free reading materials. That these are in Tacony Creek Park — surrounded by nature — creates an environment that’s even richer for learning. Read to Succeed Philly! installed two libraries that joined an existing library made possible by WHYY, which hosted a story time and interactive craft days in the park. Visit these little treasures at the Tabor & Olney, Whitaker & Loudon, and I St & Ramona gateways. And stay tuned for another educational opportunity with the River Alive! Learning Trail that will continue our work connecting youth to nature with animal sculptures, bilingual signage, water messaging, and learning opportunities.
— Luanda Morris, TTF Board Member
a Feather,” an event coordinated and inspired by frequent TTF collaborator “Art God” Jay Coreano. Jay brought sixteen local artists to the park for a community day of creativity and unity while Evan Lovett of V.U.R.T. Creative touched up the bird murals under Whitaker Avenue. Over ninety children and adults were in attendance. Children drew with chalk on the trail, colored in educational activity books about clean water, made TTF pins, played cornhole, and painted on wooden birds for a future nature project in Tacony Creek Park.
Similar to the delight of snapping a sungold off your porch tomato plant or picking apples at an orchard in the Fall, there are many edible plants to find in the parks and green spaces that make up the TTF Watershed. There are also plants that are foraged for medicine and crafts. But before you munch on random plants in the park, it's important to have information. That’s why we published the “TTF Foraging Guide,” written by Alliance for Watershed Education Fellow MyKyah Vessels. She led foraging walking tours in Summer 2021 and Spring 2022. Participants sharpened their eyes to track down common mugwort, black walnut, yellow wood sorrel, and more. Flip through the guide on our website and take it with you on the go.
On a big grassy field near Tabor Gateway in October 2021, the Tacony Creek Park community enjoyed their first ever neighborhood Fall Fest.
TTF teamed up with Olney Culture Lab to host a day of food, pumpkin painting, bird walks, games, storytelling, music, and more.
There was even a live performance of the Tacony Creek Suite, an original piece written by Olney-based musician Professor Randy Gibson and inspired by the beauty of too-often underappreciated Tacony Creek Park.
It was a fun and inspiring day of community coming together to learn, meet, and love the park.
An out of this world concept that draws you closer to the natural world, AquaMarooned! is an active card game designed to be played outdoors that invites players to explore the flora and fauna of the watershed. The Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE) commissioned it with funding from The William Penn Foundation and others.
The card decks feature fantastical and whimsical illustrations and challenges like “Find a dead thing and give it a heartfelt eulogy. Most heartfelt wins.”
Aqua Marooned! was designed for the 23 AWE Centers, but there is a unique Tacony Creek Park expansion pack, as well as a Lenape expansion pack so you can learn more about historical and current Indigenous stewardship of the land.
Our 2nd “Eyes on Our Landscape” Photo Contest expanded to include the entire TTF watershed. We received over 150+ photo submissions from 58 adults, 12 youth, and 3 children. The photos submitted were an incredible celebration of the entire TTF watershed. Winners created diverse and intriguing visuals for the public to get a better understanding of what our watershed looks like. Thanks to our partner Olney Culture Lab! You can see these gorgeous photos by clicking on the Flickr icon on our website.
In the Spring of 2021, if you were walking in Tacony Creek Park, you might have come across “Intertwined,” three eye-catching sculptures made from woven natural materials. Sarah Kavage, the artist, and assistants wove together invasive grapevines harvested from the park to reimagine the relationship between trees and vines, place and migration. The sculptures are part of a large public art project “Water Spirit” organized by the Lenapehoking~Watershed art group of The Alliance for Watershed Education. Community members have embraced and named the bench that incorporates a sculpture the "Rainbow Bench."
“I often see litter and trash being dumped throughout the park, impacting the peace you seek when connecting with nature.”