Giving Back Dear Friends,

A Letter from Julie

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.

In

Gratitude,

Board of Directors and Advisors

Julie Slavet Executive Director

Donors and Partners

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*

Tons of Work

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.

Safety is Key

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.