Philadelphia Parks Groups Unite at Inaugural Park Stewards Summit
By Claire Brennan, FOW Communications Coordinator
Two years ago, at Friends of the Wissahickon’s (FOW) Annual Members Meeting, Parks Commissioner Susan Slawson planted a seed. In welcoming our dedicated members, she praised the work of friends groups across the city and noted that, after a century of stewardship, FOW could serve as a model for financial growth and environmental impact.
This past weekend, her vision came to fruition: our first Park Stewards Summit in partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club, made possible with support from the William Penn Foundation.
It was fitting that Commission Slawson welcomed attendees from more than 23 organizations to this special event.
We brought together an incredible group of professionals from eight community groups to share the basics and best practices about a variety of topics including volunteer management, fundraising, grant writing, community engagement, sustainable trails, habitat restoration and much more.
Thank you to our partners for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us and thank you for your service to the city: Appalachian Mountain Club, Bicycle Transit Systems, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Friends of the Cresheim Trail, Friends of Fernhill Park, PA Prison Society, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and Philadelphia Water Department.
There are so many groups across the city, many of whom were in the room with us, striving to provide more accessible recreation, events that enrich the lives of Philadelphians, and a more sustainable future. We all share the same mission; when one of us wins, we all win.
We learned from each other from a panel discussion, mini-hikes, and breakout discussions.
A highlight of the day was the keynote panel discussion with Friends of Fernhill Park. Facilitated by Elisa Ruse-Esposito, Parks Stewardship Administrator with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Mekia Elizabeth and Sumanya Narra of Friends of Fernhill Park spoke about their unique approach to community engagement. They lift up and celebrate the strengths of their beloved park community: if a friend has an interest in fixing bikes, they provide the infrastructure for them to share their skills with other park visitors. Everyone in attendance came away wanting to dance and play the night away with Friends of Fernhill Park at their monthly Fun Friday series!
This event was just one piece of a larger series of training courses being offered by FOW and the Appalachian Mountain Club to help increase investment in parks across the city of Philadelphia. We’ll be back in 2027 with another Summit to continue to share ideas with other fantastic groups in the space and build a stronger, more connected city.