Earth Day Volunteer Event - Wissahickon Site

This is a project we are putting together with my Adventure Club. We will bring this group to the wissahickon site . There are other locations with other groups if Wissahickon is not convenient for you. If you want a different date or location, register for one of the other ones at www.terramaradventures.com

Event : Earth Day Volunteer clean-up
Date: 04-26-2009 (I know the real Earth day is 4-22 but its a Wednesday!)
Time: 10:00 AM
Price: Free of Course
Skill Level: 3 - Mostly easy stuff. There will be opportunities for everyone to help.

Description: Here at TerraMar we believe very strongly in both giving back to our community and in being excellent stewards of our environment. So, for Earth Day, we are teaming up with Fairmont Park Commission, Wisahickon Restoration Volunteers, the Philadelphia Rock Gym and the US Fish and Wildlife Commission and getting together to take care of our environment. And, what better way to do it than to help clean up and maintain the environment and trail systems that we love so much.

This year we are very excited to announce that we will have three locations. The first location is in our favorite hiking area of Fairmont Park, the Wissahickon Valley. We will be working with the Fairmont Park Commission on various projects like trail reconstruction, removing invasives, litter removal and clearing vines. For anyone who has not been there before, Wissahickon is truely an oasis of nature in this big busy city of ours. If you hike in just a short ways, you will be astounded at how truly wild it feels with the tall forest canopy above and the creek running through below. We are very proud to be organizing our sixth cleanup here.

As you know, last year we had such a great turnout, we needed to expand to a second project site. So, we ventured out to the West of Center City and the The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. We will be going back and we will be working with the Department of Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with projects aimed at marsh restoration and to clean up the area of the Darby Creek. The refuge is also a very special place. It was established by an act of Congress in 1972 to protect the last 200 acres of freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. When acquisition is complete, it will consist of 1200 acres of varied habitats. Over the years, the refuge has become a resting and feeding area for more than 280 species of birds, 80 of which nest here. Fox, deer, muskrat, turtles, fish, frogs and a wide variety of wildflowers and plants call the refuge "home".

This year we are expanding again, this time to Ralph Stover State Park. I am excited about this one because it is a place that is near and dear to my heart. Anyone who rock climbs in Philly knows this is a special place. So, please come and help out. I am offering special Earth Day T-Shirts and/or reusable grocery bags to participants (while supplies last). So, tell me your shirt size when you sign up.

Clothing and Equipment: Wear layers of clothing that you can get dirty. Be prepared for a little rain (April showers . . .)

Hey everyone:

Here are the details for our Earth Day project on Sunday. We opted to go with reusable grocery bags this year. We will likely run out. So, the first people to get there get the goods.

As you know, we have two projects. 50 of us will be working on Sunday we will be joining Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers, Friends of the Wissahickon and the Fairmont Park Commission for tree planting, invasive plant removal, and trash and recycling removal in the Wissahickon Section of Fairmont Park.

We will be preparing the Kitchen's Lane site for planting. Activities will include invasive-exotic plant removal.

Meet at the parking lot just past Scotforth road on Kitchen's Lane.

Be prepared for muddy conditions. Wear sturdy shoes or boots and dress warmly for two hours of outdoor work. Bring plenty of water. WRV supplies the tools and work gloves.

If you have any trouble finding it, call:

Carl Ewald [masked]

Amanda Hymansmith: (954) 560-2968

Susannah Beckett: (267) 269-7545

The Kitchen's Lane site is near the intersection of Wissahickon Avenue and Kitchen's Lane in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia

Here are the directions:

Take 76 to the Lincoln Drive/Kelly Drive Exit
Go across bridge and stay in center lane.
Follow signs to merge onto Lincoln Drive
Follow Lincoln for about 2 miles.
Turn Left on Cliveden Street
Go .2 miles and Turn Right on Wissahickon Ave
Go .5 miles and Turn Left on Kitchens Lane
Parking will be on the left.

I will be providing water. Thanks so much for your help.

Please try to get there around 9:45. We will start at 10:00.

See you Sunday,

Carl