From the Director’s Notebook: A Warm Winter Welcome
by Sara Stevenson, FOW Executive Director
This week, my first as Executive Director of Friends of the Wissahickon, winter still has a hold on Wissahickon Valley Park. But beneath the surface, root systems are already at work, storing energy and preparing for what comes next. That steady, often unseen effort mirrors the stewardship that has sustained this place for more than a century.
In these first days, I’ve been welcomed by FOW’s talented staff and introduced to the organization’s rhythms and history. While the role is new to me, the Wissahickon community is not. Joining FOW feels less like an arrival and more like a continuation of work I’ve long valued.
I first came to Wissahickon Valley Park as a teenager. Today, it’s still the place I seek tree cover to sweat out daily worries and tire my kids out before our evening routine. To join the organization leading stewardship of the place that has mattered to me for so long is both meaningful and motivating.
I bring more than 15 years of leadership in public gardens, conservation, and nonprofit management, most recently at Awbury Arboretum. That experience informs how I approach carrying Friends of the Wissahickon’s mission forward into its second century of care.
In the year ahead, my focus will be on strengthening FOW’s integrated stewardship approach so the park remains accessible, resilient, and well cared for. As we complete our current strategic plan, we will also begin shaping the priories that will guide the organization into its next chapter. One area of particular strength is FOW’s Zone Stewards program, which empowers trained volunteers to care for specific sections of the park.
Just before the New Year, The William Penn Foundation awarded the program a two-year grant that will allow us to expand volunteer participation, invest in additional training and tools, and develop a Zone Stewards field guide.
This work also deepens connections with park neighbors who want to play an active role in caring for the places they use and love. I know firsthand how working with the land can shape a person’s path, a lesson that has stayed with me since my own early experiences in the field.
I hope you’ll join me at an upcoming service day. I’ll be at my first one next week, our annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day on Monday, January 19. You can find more information and register here.
You can also join us for our Public Projects meeting on January 28, where we’ll reflect on our work in 2025 and outline what’s on the horizon in 2026. Register here.
Until then, join me for a walk on the trails,
Sara Stevenson, FOW Executive Director
Cover photo courtesy of Chuck Uniatowski