Saturday, May 2nd
9:00 – 3:00
Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting
Thanks to funding through the William Penn Foundation and a partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club, we are excited to offer this exciting opportunity for Philadelphia park friends groups and stewardship organizations to connect and learn together! This summit is free for all attendees, and is geared towards leaders within these groups. Breakout sessions will be led by staff and volunteers from Appalachian Mountain Club, Bicycle Transit Systems, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Friends of the Cresheim Trail, Friends of the Wissahickon, PA Prison Society, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and Philadelphia Water Department.
Registration is required as space is limited. This will be held at the Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting (20 E Mermaid Ln, Philadelphia, PA 19118). Parking is provided in a large lot next to the meetinghouse. This location is close to the 23 bus line and the Wyndmoor stop on the Chestnut Hill East regional rail line. See the map here.
Coffee, breakfast, snacks, and lunch will be provided.
REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
Summit Agenda
9:00 – Coffee & networking
9:30 – Opening remarks by Susan Slawson, Commissioner Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
10:00 – Growing Food & Community: A Conversation with the Friends of Fernhill Park We’re kicking off the summit with a panel discussion on the challenges and successes of building community and stewarding a large multi-purpose park. This will feature members of the Friends of Fernhill Park and staff from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
11:00 – Breakout Session #1
Fundraising 101: Learn the basics of fundraising for your organization. This session will include legal requirements and best practices, different types of fundraising campaigns, and suggested tactics & resources to best increase your chances of raising money. This will be led by Sarah Marley, Senior Director of Advancement for Friends of the Wissahickon and Maeve Pollack, Development Director at PA Prison Society.
Volunteer Program Management: Learn the best practices for managing volunteer programs. This session will cover different types of programs, recruitment, retention, and tips for long term management to allow for growth within your organization. This will be led by Shawn Green, Director of Field Stewardship for Friends of the Wissahickon.
Principles of Sustainable Trail Design: Learn the basics of building and maintaining trails for long term sustainability. We will identify different types of trails, their anatomy, and their associated benefits and challenges, as well as identifying common trail structures and their purposes. This session will be led by Patricia McGuire, Trail Program Manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club.
12:00 – Lunch & Networking (Lunch will be provided)
1:00 – Breakout Session #2
Community Engagement through Cross-Pollination: Learn how your organization can utilize strategic and meaningful engagement to support your initiatives by way of collaboration with other community organizations. This session will be led by Nicole Seahorne Hameen, Education and Engagement Specialist for Fairmount Park Conservancy, a Circuit Trails Coalition member and Charolyn Mosley, Community Engagement Manager for Bicycle Transit Systems/Indego.
Untangling the Weeds: One of the biggest challenges to stewarding green spaces is managing invasive plant species. With this session, you will learn how to prioritize tasks, common plant species, and tips for leading volunteers in this work. This session will be led by John Jensen, Water Projects Technician for the Philadelphia Water Department and Varian Bosch, Field Operations Manager for Friends of the Wissahickon.
Grant Writing Basics: Designed for those that are new to grant writing, this session will provide a primer on the different types of grants, questions to ask, advice on the grant writing phase, and what to expect after a grant has been awarded. This session will be led by Mali Skotheim, Grants Manager for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
2:00 – Breakout Session #3
Grant Writing for Beginners Workshop: This workshop is designed for beginners to grant writing, but is also beneficial to those familiar with the process. Gain hands on experience with turning your organization’s story, challenges, and statistics into a compelling grant application. This session will be led by Mali Skotheim, Grants Manager for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
To Cut or Not to Cut: Practical Plant ID: This outdoor session will provide hands on experience with tools and pruning techniques, as well as practical identification of common plant species found across Philadelphia. This session will be led by John Jensen, Water Projects Technician for the Philadelphia Water Department and Varian Bosch, Field Operations Manager for Friends of the Wissahickon.
Cresheim Trail: Friends and Formulas: Friends of Cresheim Trail (FOCT) will lead this mini-hike literally right outside the doors of the Friends Meeting. This walk-and-talk will discuss the growth of a small organization to a larger one, with projects in progress and the partnerships that help drive them. This session will be led by Bradley Maule, Executive Director of FOCT and John Raisch, Board President of FOCT.
Running a Volunteer Service Day: Learn the philosophy and best practices for running a successful volunteer event. This outdoor session will cover each phase of the day from planning & preparation to welcoming & leading volunteers in the field and finally ending on a strong note to ensure retention and growth. This will be led by Shawn Green, Director of Field Stewardship for Friends of the Wissahickon and John Mellor, Field Coordinator for Friends of the Wissahickon.
3:00 – Closing remarks