Women of the Wissahickon: Present, Future, Past
by Claire Brennan, FOW Communications Coordinator
Wissahickon Valley Park is made up of steep hillside cross hatched with rugged trails. Dribbling streams looking for coursing creeks. People searching for connection. Those who love and care for the park are as much a part of its ecosystem as plants that have laid roots here.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re showcasing some of the women who make the Wissahickon beautiful and work tirelessly to preserve it for future generations.
The present. Sarah West— beloved volunteer and board member, whose legacy continues to deepen our connection to the natural world. A member of the first class of Trail Ambassadors (TAs) in 2008, she was integral to designing the ever-popular Walk & Talk program, which offers free guided hikes through the park led by these very TAs.
Sadly, our dear friend Sarah passed last year in February, but her passion for geology and the Wissahickon echoes through the many volunteers she mentored. Trail Ambassadors Hallam Harper, Debbie Hoellein, and Lisa Myers, among countless others, pass along her profound knowledge of the park’s natural features on Walks & Talks of their own.
And so, the cycle continues.
For those who have the geology bug or hope to catch it, read Sarah’s book Rediscovering the Wissahickon Through Its Science and History, published in 1993.
There is still more to learn from Sarah- she offered her expertise and years of teaching experience to FOW during Covid-19 while developing the Virtual Valley section of the website, authoring many of the articles there so readers could continue to explore the park from the comfort of their homes.
The future. Pauline Berkowitz, FOW’s Director of Capital Projects, is fortifying Wissahickon Valley Park against the effects of climate change and striving to accommodate the park’s growing visitorship through infrastructure and habitat improvements.
At its core, Pauline’s work is about maintaining the delicate balance of the needs of the park’s visitors and those of the natural environment. Every project considers both and imagines how they can live in harmony.
The Germantown Neighborhood Connection project, launched in 2020 has been emblematic of her balancing act. Pauline and the capital projects team have collaborated closely with Germantown residents to make the Harvey Street entrance to the park more welcoming— a new kiosk and improved wayfinding— while bolstering the surrounding habitat with native plantings and ensuring the section’s new trails will stand the test of time.
To close out Phase I of the Germantown Neighborhood Connection project, the team is strengthening pedestrian access around Harvey Street with the addition of 1,100 linear feet of ADA-compliant sidewalk, a crosswalk, and traffic-calming measures.
In Phase II, the Capital Projects Team is thrilled to install the park’s first All Persons’ Trail: a trail designed to be universally accessible for people of all ages, abilities, and those who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers.
The Wissahickon is for everyone to enjoy. The future of FOW’s work is coursed to create pathways to the Wissahickon for our diverse usership.
The past. Molly “Mom” Rinker— the name might sound familiar if you’ve explored the southern end of the Orange and White Trails, where you’ll find a schist outcropping named for her: Mom Rinker’s Rock.
The following is excerpted from an article written by FOW volunteer, Barbara McCabe.
Mom Rinker’s Rock, the schist outcropping on which the [Toleration] statue is perched, can trace its name back to the American Revolution and a patriot known as Molly or “Mom” Rinker. As the story goes, the British troops, who were encamped just a few miles away in Germantown, took little notice of the old woman as she sat on the rock peacefully knitting.
They didn’t realize that Rinker inconspicuously was dropping balls of yarn containing messages about British activities onto the ground below. Watching from across the creek, the Green Boys of Roxborough, an irregular band of supporters of American independence, would retrieve the messages and relay them to General Washington in Valley Forge.
As the years passed, Mom Rinker became the stuff of legend with various storytellers casting her as a witch who used the rock as a launching pad for her nightly broomstick rides.
Thank you to the many women who work to further our mission to conserve Wissahickon Valley Park, hike its trails and share them with others— you make the park a beautiful place to be.
Cover: Sarah West showing hike participants what is now known affectionately as “Sarah’s Rock”. Photo: Brad Maule