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April 2021
Dear Friends:

We Miss You!
Join us for a relaxed, virtual networking hour with our Partner Alliance. This event is an opportunity for you to meet Alliance members...and to consider joining on behalf of your business!

Partner Alliance Networking Reception
Thursday, May 20 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm!


We'd love to see you there! Questions? Reach out to emilie@ttfwatershed.org.

Tookany Creek Trail Study Appreciation
Thank you to our amazing partners: Cheltenham Township and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, consultant: Campbell Thomas, funder: Regional Trails Program, William Penn Foundation and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission...and the over 600 community members who shared their critical input.

We pursued this opportunity because we know the critical role trails play in environmental education and improvement, as well as community connection and health. We are proud of the process and result, and look forward to making this trail a reality!

Staff Update
Join me in wishing the best to Nathan McWilliams, Philadelphia Stewardship Manager and Rachel Hess, Communications Specialist, who are moving on from TTF. Let's welcome Alex Rosario as our new Philly Stewardship Leader. Learn more about Alex here. Please spread the word about our Communications Specialist Job Posting.

Take care and hope to see you soon,
Julie

PS: Have you visited our new website? Explore our new brand, mission, work, resources, and events in a simple, beautiful way. We love sharing stuff with you, our watershed constituents! Let us know what you else you'd like to see.
Bring Us Along: Virtual Nature Tours
May & June in Tacony Creek Park
Interested in exploring our beautiful watershed and learning about our excellent ecosystems, but not sure where to start? Check out our FREE Bring Us Along: Virtual Nature Tours!

Created last year in response to the pandemic and our reduced ability to provide in-person programs, this online series brings you face to face with lots of living things you may have never noticed before. Use your computer or phone to access the tours with photos, videos, audio recordings, and interactive maps to help you learn about where to find and identify different creatures.

The five nature tours (in English and Spanish) take you on a seasonal journey, so that you can see how the plants and animals around us change. We hope that this series inspires you to explore and make your own discoveries!

May: Episode 1: Tacony Creek Park North. Late spring in Tacony Creek Park brings beautiful flowers and migratory birds! Join us for an exploration of the northern half of the park, and learn how to identify and avoid bothersome plants like poison ivy and stinging nettle.

June: Episode 2: Tacony Creek Park South. Do you know which birds build mud nests under the Whitaker Avenue bridge in Tacony Creek Park? Or which insects depend on the beautiful common milkweed plant?

We'll remind you about July in Ethel Jordan Park in Abington, August in Vernon Park in Germantown and Abington Friends School in October.
Tookany Creek Study Complete!
After a year and a half, a robust public outreach campaign, multiple revisions, and hours spent analyzing and designing alignments, the Tookany Creek Trail Feasibility Study has been completed.

This trail will form an important part of The Circuit, the 800+ mile long network of interconnected multi-use trails being developed in our region. You can see the final plan including all appendices here. Check out & share the Digital Executive Summary!

Next steps? To secure funding to conduct engineering and design analyses to identify the alignments, amenities, and needed Rights-of-Way to build the trail. Once these have been completed, construction can begin. It's likely that the entire trail will be built segment-by-segment, with each piece bringing Cheltenham residents closer to a fully connected trail system.


TTF Events

Wednesdays: 10am to 12pm
May 12, 19 & 26

Join us to pick up trash and beautify our parks and creeks. Masks & social distancing required. Tools & masks provided. Weather dependent.

Locations are determined based on interest and need. Concerned about your Tacony Creek Park gateway or street? Contact us - we'll be there!

Questions? Call 215-744-1853. Register: Alex@ttfwatershed.org
Bird Philly Walk:
Tacony Creek Park

Saturday, May 15, 8am to 10:30am
Meeting location To Be Announced
Join the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club for a FREE BirdPhilly walk in Tacony Creek Park. It's peak spring migration, so we're bound to see some warblers, thrushes and vireos!

Space is limited so please register here.
Binoculars and field guides will be provided.
Questions? Contact birdphillywalks@gmail.com.
NEW FREE SERIES!
Creek Nature: This is the Tookany Creek Watershed

Saturday, May 15, 10:30am to 12pm
Meet in the parking lot at William Gottschalk Field, Tookany Creek Parkway, Elkins Park 19027 (next to the fire training facility).

What is a watershed? It's not a building. Through an interactive model and maps, learn about our watershed. Then take a walk to see and hear some of the birds that benefit from our watershed's clean water and trees. Presented by Judith Gratz, Environmental Educator and sponsored in partnership with Cheltenham Township.

Preregistration required. Class size limited to 15. No walk-ins. Please fill out one form for each person in your party attending. Register here.
Creek Care Day:
Abington Friends School

Saturday, May 15 from 10am to 12pm
Abington Friends School (behind Lower School parking lot)

Join your neighbors and Streamkeepers for our Creek Care Day. We will repair downed fencing and remove existing fencing around mature trees. We will also remove invasive plants such as porcelain berry and multiflora rose.  

All tools and supplies will be provided, including work gloves (though you're welcome to bring your own). Please note, restrooms are not available. No plastic water bottles - please bring a reusable water bottle if you have one.

Remember to wear a mask. Stay home if you experience COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days. 

This event will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain or thunder! Email ryan@ttfwatershed.org to register.