A Whole New Wissahickon this Winter
Long days and late nights have come and gone, and the Wissahickon has settled into its winter splendor. Despite the cool temperatures, all it takes to enjoy the park in the winter is a warm jacket and some sturdy shoes.
Emphasis on the warm jacket… due to freezing temperatures, FOW rescheduled our Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day to Saturday, February 1. Help us honor the life and legacy of civic service of the late MLK Jr. with a variety of projects to improve the important community resource that is Wissahickon Valley Park. Register here.
Test your tree identification skills. During the winter, tree identification becomes a bit more challenging when our Japanese Maples lose their signature flaming red leaves and the Sassafras lose their large, mitten-shaped ones. If you can identify trees by their bark, buds, and visible roots in the winter, you can ID them in any season. Check out DCNR’s guide to identifying common Pennsylvania trees and see how well you can do without those deciduous leaves!
See further and wider across the Wissahickon. The views that you thought you knew in the spring are transformed with the changing of the seasons. Take a stroll up the Orange Trail and meet a symbol of form and function, the Fingerspan Bridge, a permanent art installation by sculptor Jody Pinto, to steward you across the trail. From here, the views of the Creek and beyond are clear and beautiful. Another high point to check out this winter can be found at the iconic Lover’s Leap, overlooking Lincoln Drive, near the Henry Avenue Bridge on the Yellow Trail.
Go on a winter scavenger hunt. There’s nothing quite like the scene of snow-draped trees and an icy Creek. Since we’ve been so lucky for some snow coverage this year, take the rare opportunity to find who is enjoying their snow day in the park. Take out your field guide and see if you can spot animal tracks on the trail. Check out the Wildlife Commission for more resources. Check out resources from the Pennsylvania Game Commission for your wildlife viewing pleasure.
Photo courtesy of Jim White