August, 2013

Fun Safe Philly Summer Pop-up Events

On July 2, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that the City of Philadelphia will host the second year of fun, free events, called “Pop Up” events, for Philadelphia youth. This is a part of the Fun Safe Philly Summer campaign, a one-stop information and summer planning resource for Philadelphia youth and families.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is hosting three of the six pop-up events. On July 10, PPR held an after-hours pool party at Mander Recreation Center, and on July 17 Tarken Ice Rink welcomed youth to its ice skating party. On July 31, Myers Recreation Center will hold a soccer clinic with the Philadelphia Union.

View additional events presented by our partners at the Mayor’s Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

Ingredients for The Oval

On July 11, Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Council President Darrell Clarke, Deputy Mayor Michael DiBerardinis and other City officials introduced The Oval, a new initiative of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, in partnership with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and with the support of the William Penn Foundation and the City of Philadelphia. Eakins Oval has been transformed from a surface parking lot into “The Oval: The New Shape of Fun,” which includes community programming and activities for people of all ages to enjoy this summer.

What went into creating The Oval? Here’s a partial ingredient list from the secret recipe:

• 50 orange feather banners
• Two sand boxes (13 tons of white sand!)
• Four misters
• Two lifeguard chairs
• Two ping-pong tables
• 30 café tables
• 60 café chairs
• 26 food trucks throughout the month
• Six buoys-turned-beach balls
• 41 Adirondack chairs
• 100 colorful vinyl globes
• Approximately 446 gallons of paint
• Cornhole, Twister, life-sized chess pieces
• A dedicated work team
• Countless events and programs!

Choose your event(s) and join us at The Oval to see this magic mix in person!

2013 Summer Meals Program Launch

On June 27, First Deputy Commissioner of Recreation and Programs Susan Slawson and other City officials kicked off the 2013 Summer Meals Program, which serves free, healthy meals and snacks to Philadelphia youth, 18 years old and younger, at more than 1,000 locations across the City. The program provides breakfast, lunch and snacks, Monday through Friday until August 30, 2013.

“From summer 2011 to summer 2012, the Summer Meals Program increased participation by 25%, serving more than 3.8 million meals to young people in our great City. Proper nutrition is vital to helping kids grow up healthy and strong. The Summer Meal Program is a great way to ensure kids have free, healthy meals in a fun and safe environment,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “I want to thank all of the partners who work together to make this program a success and make ending childhood hunger a priority.”

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation works in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, Philadelphia Housing Authority, Archdiocese of Philadelphia Nutritional Development Service and the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger to provide Summer Meals at recreation centers, parks, churches, community centers and other locations, including more than 800 Playstreets, designated blocks that are closed to traffic and offer fun, free programming for young people.

Learn more about our Summer Meals program

Greenworks Progress Report

On June 20, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability released its latest Greenworks Progress Report. The report details progress to date on more than 160 initiatives in the five sustainability target areas of energy, environment, equity, economy and engagement.

PPR accomplishments highlighted in the progress report include:

• Nearly 90,000 trees planted since 2008
• 11.6 new miles of trails completed since 2011
• 18.4 tons of recycling diverted from the landfill through PPR’s pilot program with the Philadelphia Streets Department, collecting recycling in outdoor spaces throughout PPR properties in Northwest Philadelphia
• More than 133 acres of new park space
• The More Park, Less Way action plan for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• The launch of FarmPhilly, our urban agriculture program, at 13 recreation centers
• The TreeKeepers’ visits to 35 park facilities, pruning and mulching 2,220 trees, maintaining 20,054 linear feet of trail, and managing 116,184 square feet of stormwater bioswale area
• And more!

Download the full report for more information.

Emerald Ash Borer Survey

Urban Forestry and Ecosystem Management is currently conducting an inventory of ash trees located within Philadelphia Parks & Recreation properties, including our large watershed parks and our smaller developed parks and recreation centers. The inventory is being performed prior to the arrival of the emerald ash borer, an insect introduced from China. This insect was recently (March 2012) found in Warrington PA, about 20 miles north of Center City, and it typically kills 99% of the ash trees that it encounters. Pennsylvania's forests include about 6% ash, and their loss will have a dramatic impact on the forest canopy, resulting in habitat loss and vegetation community disruption.

PPR interns are armed with Apple iPads to collect data including tree location, size and health status. Each tree is being individually identified with a numbered aluminum tag. The inventory will allow PPR to prioritize management options of our ash tree resource, which may include as many as 150,000 ash trees within the City of Philadelphia limits. To date PPR interns have inventoried about 4,000 ash trees. Photo shows Meg O'Donnell, a University of Pennsylvania grad, with iPad, and Niki Throne, from Drexel University, installing the tag.

PPR KEYSPOTs (Public Access Computing Centers) Alive and Thriving!

After many nail-biting City Council budget sessions, full funding for all 19 PPR KEYSPOTs was included in the City’s 2014 budget and in the five-year plan. Strong support from Deputy Mayor DiBerardinis, PPR Chief of Staff Patrick Morgan, and Office of Innovation & Technology Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid played a part, as did Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s long-term commitment to addressing the “digital divide” in Philadelphia. Cheers went up from Computer Instructors, after-school teachers, kids and adults throughout Philadelphia as the KEYSPOT project moved from three-year American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, which expired June 30, to a full-fledged, ongoing City supported program. Said Kevin Heller, Program Services Coordinator for the project, “I am ecstatic that we are able to continue providing such an essential service to Philadelphians. The KEYSPOT program has impacted so many lives and I am proud to be a part of that initiative.” The budget also funds four Free Library of Philadelphia KEYSPOTs.

Leo Dignam, Deputy Commissioner of Programming, said, “The only complaint I ever hear about the KEYSPOTs is that they should be open more!” The PPR KEYSPOTs will continue to be open a minimum of 15 hours/week, and efforts to stay open longer will include recruiting and training volunteers and searching for additional funding. The PPR KEYSPOTs will carry on formal classes (on everything from Internet Basics to Website Development), informal one-to-one trainings on whatever visitors request (how to do a job search and write a resume, how to Skype with relatives in Ghana, how to put together a family Remembrance Book), and open access times, when visitors can do whatever they want (write a paper, fill out their taxes online, or just Facebook chat with old friends).

Continue reading about KEYSPOT

TreeKeepers Update

It was a real honor to be asked by Sarah Wu at Greenworks to prepare a short presentation about the TreeKeepers program for the Urban Sustainability Forum held at the Academy of Natural Sciences a few weeks ago. At one of those forums many years ago, I befriended Erica Smith Fichman, who of course is now our TreePhilly Campaign Manager. So good things happen at these events!

At the event, I explained the basics of our TreeKeepers program: how we have two seasonal crews, working 6 months at a time, that are tasked with maintaining the green spaces and green elements of our city parks and rec centers. The crew positions are filled through word-of-mouth from PPR employees, and also garnered from PHS's Roots 2 Re-entry program, which trains ex-offenders in horticulture and arboriculture, and then helps place them into jobs. Our crews use only hand tools such as pole saws, hand saws, loppers, machetes, rakes, and shovels to elevate trees, remove invasive species, and thin out unruly branches from trees that in many cases haven’t been maintained in decades. They interact with volunteer groups, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, and the public on a daily basis, representing our department in the best way possible, as an active, enthusiastic group of workers who take pride in what they do and push themselves every day.

Continue reading about TreeKeepers

Outdoor Discovery Day

After a stop in LOVE Park on July 12, the L.L. Bean Bootmobile headed to Pleasant Hill Park on July 13 to join Philadelphia Parks & Recreation for a day of outdoor fun. PPR staff led geocaching treasure hunts, assisted youth as they fished in the ponds and facilitated fish and frog-themed crafts for kids of all ages. Our own Patty-Pat Kozlowski DJed the event, and our food truck partners Dapper Dog, Mac Mart Cart and the Tot Cart sold snacks.

Philadelphia Trail Master Plan

At its July 16 meeting, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission adopted the Philadelphia Trail Master Plan, which defines priorities for future trail development in Philadelphia and was a recommendation of Philadelphia2035, the City's comprehensive plan. The City of Philadelphia and its nonprofit partners are expanding the existing trail network on an on-going basis along the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, within watershed parks, and through neighborhoods. The plan identifies future projects and highlights those that are of the highest priority to the City based on an analysis of priority committments, demand, connectivity, feasibility, and cost.

The Citywide Trail Master Plan process began in the spring of 2011 as a joint effort of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Transportation & Utilities and other City agencies. Due to limited funding for trail and park projects, the City recognized the need for prioritizing proposed trail projects to best use competitive planning, design, and construction funding to serve Philadelphians citywide.

There is great need and momentum for trail development in Philadelphia. In the past two years, several miles of trails were renovated or completed and 7 miles are currently under construction. An additional 8.5 miles of trail are in design and 13.2 miles are in the planning and feasibility stages. These projects are led by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, the Delaware River City Corporation, the Manayunk Development Corporation, and other nonprofit partners.

Trails increase the quality of life for residents of surrounding neighborhoods and have significant recreation, transportation, health, and economic value. A key goal of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Green2015 is uniform proximity to green space within a 10-minute walk of all Philadelphia residents to encourage active recreation and community greening, and the plan details several trails that will close gaps in walkable access to green space.

The implementation of the plan will be led by the Philadelphia Trail Committee, which includes representatives from the Planning Commission, Parks & Recreation, Mayor's Office of Transportation & Utilities, Commerce, Water Department, and other agencies that impact trail development citywide.

Wises Mill Planting

PPR Urban Forestry and Ecosystem Management staff have been working closely with the Philadelphia Water Dept's Ecological Restoration Group on a planting project at the Wises Mill stormwater retention basins, located near the intersection of Wises Mill Rd and Henry Avenue. The series of retention basins were constructed by PWD during 2011/2012 to capture and retain uncontrolled stormwater from the adjacent upslope Roxborough watershed. The uncontrolled stormwater had caused the formation of large gullies and erosion of sediment into the nearby Wissahickon. PPR staff recently designed an emergent wetland fringe that includes seven native herbaceous species, for planting along the wetted perimeter of the uppermost basin. Once established, these native plants will provide water quality and aesthetic improvements. Photo shows subcontractor All Seasons installing plants along pond perimeter in June 2013. Goose fencing was also installed to protect the plants during the establishment period.

Summer Programming at Sister Cities Park

For the second year in a row, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is partnering with Center City District to provide free weekly summer programming for youth at Sister Cities Park. The four programs began on June 17, run through August 12 and focus on aspects of both nature and health & wellness.

• Story Art (Mondays, 10:30 a.m.)
  Debbie Carr and the Environmental Education staff, in collaboration with the Free Library of Philadelphia, present nature-inspired stories and crafts featuring a new theme--frogs, flowers, fish and more--each week. For ages 4 to 6.
• Park Poets (Mondays, 1 p.m.)
  In this workshop, Pat McLean uses creative poetry activities to connect children, ages 8 – 12, to nature and the world around us.
• Grow Up Green (Wednesdays, 10 a.m.)
  Outdoor play inspires a greater connection with the outdoor world. Coordinated by Mary Grace Gorman, each week a different activity is introduced for children 3 to 6.
• Fit Kids! (Wednesdays, 11 a.m.)
  Staci Stills brings physical activities to 3-6 year olds in a fun and friendly environment.

Attendance has reached up to forty plus kids and we are always welcoming more! Please share this information with anyone you believe may be interested.

District 7 Fun Day at FDR Park

On July 10, over 900 campers, counselors and staff converged on FDR Park in South Philly for the 2nd Annual District 7 Summer Camp FDR Fun Day. What was born as a simple idea last year by one of the facility supervisors to create an opportunity for all the camps in South Philadelphia to do something together and take full advantage of PPR’s park system bloomed into a full-fledged festival this year. Campers had the opportunity to get physical in a kickball tournament or tug of war contest, express their creative side at the crafts table or on the dance stage, commemorate the day with a tattoo (at least until it washed off!), cool off with an ice cream treat and be amazed at the magic show. In between activities, campers and counselors could be found hanging out in the picnic area with their friends and exploring the great playground and field areas around the park.

Thanks to the hard work of the District 7 Facility Supervisors, headed up by Tony Tomassetti , RLIII, and Debbie Darroyo, RLII, the event was a unanimous success. Campers from 17 different camps had a great day and the staff had the opportunity to display what it means to be a recreation professional. It’s no small feat to put on an event of this magnitude without a hitch, but they did it. And they did it at a time of year when they’re already juggling their own summer camps and pools. It was also a great opportunity to cross those division boundaries. Special thanks go out to Joe Scarpello and his crew for all the behind-the-scenes work that ensured the event would happen and PPR’s own house DJ Patty-Pat Kozlowski who insisted that the music would play on.

Summer Art Camp Updates

“Like” Summer Art Camp at Wissinoming Park on Facebook to get a glimpse of the activities enjoyed by children in our summer art camps.

Beekeeping at Wissahickon Environmental Center

Beekeeping is popular here in Philly, even among the younger set. Ninety first graders, teachers and parents from Penn Alexander Elementary School in Philadelphia visited Wissahickon Environmental Center on May 6, 2013 for a hands-on lesson about honeybees, pollination and beekeeping. The children tried on a beekeeper’s outfit, learned how bees collect nectar from flowers to make honey, and discovered the many roles of bees in honeybee society. They even tried the “bee dance,” an intricate pattern of motions that honeybees use to communicate.

Parks and Recreation Commission Member Profile

Name: Andy Denison

PaRC Committees: Communications and Public Engagement

Professional Background: Marketing and Communications

Community: Fairmount. A real thrill is riding.

Favorite Philadelphia Event: It has to be the annual Philly Cycling Classic (including the infamous “Manayunk Wall”). Organizers let you ride the course just before the official start of the race and hundreds of local cyclists take advantage of the opportunity. I don’t know how the pro riders do the course 10 times! Once around is plenty for me. It’s a great event because you can experience the sport, the city neighborhoods, the people and the parks all in one day.

Best Parks or Recreation Experience: It’s always been rewarding to be involved with the Fairmount Sports Association as a coach, a board member and umpire. I stayed involved even after our kids outgrew the baseball and basketball leagues. Wonderful kids, parents and volunteers make this community recreation activity fun and fulfilling all year round.

Commission Insight: I’ve been really impressed by the dedication of everyone I’ve met that works in the Parks and Recreation Department. They’re always looking for ways to add value to one of the biggest benefits of living in Philadelphia--our parks and recreation facilities. It’s cool to learn about what’s in the early planning stages, but, honestly, anyone can get the same “insiders” view by attending one of our regular public meetings held at PPR facilities around the city. By the way, the next Commission meeting is at the Finley Rec Center on September 11th.

Employee Profile: Felicia Parker-Cox

Felicia Parker-Cox joined Philadelphia Parks & Recreation as our Community Organizer on May 28, 2013. And though Felicia is new to the department as an employee, she grew up using our facilities. Raised in Mount Airy, she went to Ada Lewis Junior High School, next to the pool and tennis courts at Awbury Recreation Center.

Felicia’s primary tasks are to directly support the creation and development of Park Friends organizations in Cobbs Creek and Tacony Creek Parks. Felicia will provide on-the-ground community work to build support for these watershed parks as well as for specific neighborhood parks and recreation facilities in response to strategic and specific objectives. Felicia will also be generating community support for PPR’s 5K runs in those same watershed parks by organizing community groups for volunteer recruitment, sponsorship and outreach/publicity.

Continue reading about Felicia Parker-Cox

How I “Park & Recreate”

I live in West Philly, and Clark Park is my "front stoop." At Clark Park I can sit all day on a blanket and have everyone in the neighborhood come by to say hello. I've learned that I should budget my time appropriately if I'm going to the park, since I end up seeing and chatting with at least five people I know every time I go. In fact, when my husband and I want to swing by the Clark Park farmer's market on our way out of town for the weekend, our motto is "head down, grab and go" because otherwise we will be there for hours!

I also love all of the activities that happen at Clark Park. Some of them are official community events, done in partnership with the Department; Love Your Park cleanups, Shakespeare in the Park, flea markets and craft fairs. But others are impromptu gatherings that really show the character of our neighborhood: soccer games and doggie meet-ups in the Bowl, the West Philly cowboys bringing their horses over to give rides to kids, and sledding in the winter where everyone brings a trash can lid or a plastic bag to slide down the hill.

So if you're looking for me this summer, you'll know where to find me. I'll see you at the park!

Learn more about Clark Park.

Editor’s Note: In addition to Erica enjoying Clark Park and other Parks & Recreation amenities throughout Philadelphia, she has been training for an upcoming triathlon. Erica will be one of many competitors participating in the Stone Harbor Triathlon on Sunday, July 21. Good luck, Erica, we're pulling for you!

PPR Staff Among First PHL Welcomes U! Graduates

On July 9, the City of Philadelphia launched PHL Welcomes U! and honored its first batch of graduates, including more than a dozen staff members from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

PHL Welcomes U! is a free educational program empowering Philadelphians on the front lines of service and interaction in public-facing roles with the tools they need to create meaningful, positive experiences for visitors to the city.

Through this free program, divided into six courses, participants can learn active listening and communication skills, how to connect with customers, and how to embrace, manage and celebrate diversity.

Register for the PHL Welcomes U! program.