Friends of the Wissahickon Press Releases and More
FOW Leads LOVE the Wissahickon Clean –Up Day
Public Meeting for Wissahickon Creek Feasibility Study on January 14
Friends of the Wissahickon Need You to Become a Trail Ambassador
Friends of the Wissahickon Host Traditional Holiday Greens Sale
Meet the Directors of FOW and Fairmount Park
City Parks Will be Safer with More Use, Not Less
Friends of the Wissahickon Awarded $780,000 from Merck
FOW Offers Free Presentations through Speakers Bureau
Sugarloaf at Chestnut Hill College
Many people have inquired as to FOW's positon on the Chestnut Hill College Master Plan and IDD proposal for the Sugarloaf parcel. FOW has been participating in a group of Chestnut Hill community representatives and College representatives. Click here to learn more about FOW's interest in this issue.
Trail Permits Required by Fairmount Park
All equestrians and bicyclists over the age of 16 are required to display a valid Fairmount Park trail user permit on the upper trails of Wissahickon Valley Park and Pennypack Valley Park. Permits are required when using bicycles, horses, carriages, horse-drawn vehicles, and other non-motorized, wheeled vehicles. To make it easier and more convenient for trail users to obtain their permit, as well as to help reduce paper waste and costs, you can now apply online for your permit by going to the Park website at www.fairmountpark.org. After the Park receives your application, they will process it and send you a tag. The tag is valid through March 31, 2011. You can also receive a permit application in the mail by calling 215-683-0201.
The cost for permit registration is $20.00 for non-residents. There is no charge for Philadelphia residents. However, as in the past, the Park asks for your help in maintaining and improving the trails through a tax-deductible contribution to Fairmount Park. A minimum donation of $20.00 is requested, however all donations will be accepted. Donations will be used for the continued maintenance of the trails and to support the trail management program. Trail users who do not possess a valid trail permit will be in noncompliance of the trail rules and regulations and are subject to a $25.00 fine. Don’t let this happen to you! It is easy to obtain a trail permit. Complete trail regulations, registration and additional information can be found at www.fairmountpark.org.
Alert to all Wissahickon Valley Park Visitors
Please be aware that a sexual assault was reported in the Wissahickon on the evening of Tuesday, August 11th 2009. A description of the perpetrator has not been issued at this time. We encourage our park visitors to be aware of their surroundings at all times, not to run or bike in the park wearing headphones, and to evaluate their parking areas for safety. More details of the incident can be found in this police bulletin and in this Philadelphia Inquirer article. For safety tips, click here.
Trails to Devil’s Pool Targeted for Restoration
The Friends of the Wissahickon will begin work on trails leading to Devil’s Pool in Wissahickon Valley Park in August as part of their ongoing Sustainable Trails Initiative (STI). The project includes the lower trail between Valley Green Road and Livezey Lane, crossing at Devil's Pool, along with a section of the upper trail from Livezey Lane to the switchback near Cresheim Creek. The lower trail is a pedestrian-only trail that is not open to equestrians or bikers, while the upper trail is open to all park users. These trails will be closed from late August until mid-winter while trail work is being conducted to ensure the safety of park users.
“In recent years, FOW has seen a dramatic increase in visitor use of this beautiful natural area,” says FOW’s Executive Director Maura McCarthy. “The planned trail work will help to minimize the impact of this use and reclaim damaged habitat.”
STI is a three-phased, multi-year project to make the 50 miles of National Recreation Trails in the Wissahickon a physically and socially sustainable system that works for all park users. It is a project of the Friends of the Wissahickon in partnership with Fairmount Park with support from IMBA.
Wissahickon Blogs
This summer, Philadelphia high-school students from the BITS program (Building Information Technology Skills) at Temple University, with the support of the Friends of the Wissahickon, documented the multiple ways the Wissahickon section of Fairmount Park is used by humans and wildlife. Sponsored by the Information Technology and Society Research Group (ITSRG) as part of Work Ready Philadelphia's Green Jobs Initiatives for Philadelphia Youth., the program utilizes federal stimulus funding to
establish economic opportunities for young people while developing a green economy. This six-week intensive program allowed the students to learn sophisticated information and communication technology skills and applications that will enhance their geographic knowledge and computer, social media, graphic arts, and research skills in a university environment. BITS students also used the data sets they created to develop social media
projects, such as blogs, Powerpoint presentations, podcasts, and slide shows, says Michele Masucci, Director of ITSRG. For the full story, see FOW’s fall newsletter. And check out the blogs listed here.
Wissahickon Bloggers
http://coexist09.blogspot.com/
http://mircalemakers.blogspot.com/
http://g2-workingattemple.blogspot.com/
http://stilldonotknow.blogspot.com/
Henry Avenue Bridge Refurbishment Project
PennDOT will be refurbishing the Henry Avenue Bridge over Lincoln Drive and the Wissahickon Creek. The work will be starting the week of March 23, 2009, and will continue to August of 2011. Users should not be inconvenienced as all trails are to be kept open during the project.
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