Celebrating 95 Years of Stewardship in a Super Mega Way!
by Sarah Marley, Director of Development & Outreach
This year, Friends of the Wissahickon marks 95 years of stewardship of Wissahickon Valley Park and celebrates an era of the organization’s transformation. Founded in 1924 when a group of concerned citizens came together in response to a damaging winter storm, FOW’s founders were able to raise thousands of dollars over the next decade to plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers in the park. Nearly a century later, this legacy of civic responsibility and environmental activism continues, to ensure that the beauty and history of this extraordinary resource remains for generations to come. The group of concerned citizens has evolved into a vibrant, engaged community of members and friends more than 3,000 strong and growing.
At the core of FOW’s many accomplishments since our founding has been our remarkable volunteers. Last year, 1,100 volunteers donated more than 12,300 hours in conservation and educational initiatives throughout Wissahickon Valley Park and surrounding communities. From Trail Ambassadors leading hikes to the Sawyers Crew clearing fallen trees, FOW’s volunteer presence is seen and felt everywhere.
That will certainly be true when FOW hosts a Super-Mega Volunteer Service Day on June 1 at 10 different trailheads throughout the park in celebration of our anniversary milestone. We will be teaming up with our community partners to make the entrances to the park more beautiful and welcoming for all visitors by cleaning up trash and recycling, removing invasive plants, and planting native trees and flowers. We hope you will join us for this hands-on opportunity to help beautify your favorite section of the Wissahickon.
Sign up for one of the following volunteer locations at fow.org/supermega
95th Anniversary Super-Mega Volunteer Service Day
Saturday, June 1 • 9 am-12 pm
Picnic at Historic Rittenhouse Town • 12:30-2:30 pm
Volunteer Locations and meetup spots:
• Ten Box and Historic Rittenhouse Town, meeting at the Upper Lot at Historic Rittenhouse Town – site sponsored by Manko, Gold, Katcher, Fox, LLP; community partner- Historic Rittenhouse Town
• Ridge Avenue Trailhead, meeting at the Ridge Avenue Kiosk
• Blue Bell Hill, meeting at the Blue Bell Picnic Pavilion
• Saylor’s Grove, meeting at Wissahickon Avenue and W. Rittenhouse Street, community partner- Pennsylvania Environmental Council
• Wigard Avenue Trailhead, meeting at Wigard Avenue off Henry Avenue
• Mt. Airy Avenue Trailhead, meeting at West Mt. Airy and Mt. Airy Terrace, community partners- Mt. Airy CDC and Monastery Stables
• Lavender Trail and Covered Bridge, meeting at the Crefeld Street Trailhead, site sponsored by Larry Weaner Landscape Associates; community partner-Chestnut Hill Conservancy
• Wissahickon Environmental Center, meeting at the upper parking lot on Northwestern Avenue (Roxborough side), community partner- Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association
• Bells Mill (East and West), meeting at Bell’s Mill Road and Forbidden Drive, site sponsored by The Nature Conservancy
• Houston Meadow, meeting at Courtesy Stables