MLK Day volunteer picking up creekside litter.

TTF is proud to have participated in the 18th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service with a clean up of Tacony Creek Park (TCP) behind Friends Hospital. Over 60 volunteers came from across the region, representing One Brick, ASPIRA, Community Academy in Juniata and Abington Junior High School. 

Here are two very cool rain barrel opportunities from across the TTF watershed.

From Philadelphia! 

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), Mural Arts Program and Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center have teamed up with students from Laura W. Waring School and YESPhilly to beautify stormwater management! Students have created original works of art to adorn PWD big blue rain barrels, employing the same technology used on colorful Big Belly trash compactor-recycle bins and recycling trucks.

Vote For Your Favorite Rain Barrel Design by February 13 here. PWD needs your help to choose the top three works of art that will brighten select neighborhood corners, stoops and other community landscapes in Philadelphia! 

From Abington! 

The Abington EAC's "Rain Barrel the Town" project offers rain barrels for $35 each, with customized barrels in 28 colors for an additional $10. Your purchase support Township parks. For more information, visit the Abington EAC. 

The benefits of rain barrels are: 

• By collecting and using rain-water, you can save money on water and sewer bills. 
• You can use the rain-water to water lawns, gardens and landscaping, fill fountains and ponds, and wash cars and other items.
• With less rain-water running-off the land, less pollution will flow into our creeks and rivers.

For more information, visit our rain barrel page. 

This new column is a place for us to feature kind words from our watershed partners about our efforts. Here's a letter from Jenkintown resident Alyson Lester, AL Engineering & Design, LLC:

Jenkintown Borough Manager Carolyn Hanel thanks volunteers for their work.

On behalf of the Jenkintown School District,

thank you for your support of our Growing Greener Grant application. 

It's hard to know where to begin in thanking you for your efforts. You have been an invaluable ally -- I never dreamed that it would have been possible to leverage the support of the Philadelphia Water Department in such a limited time-frame. 

It has been such a pleasure getting to know you better through this process. I hope for many more opportunities to work with you again in the future.

TTF completed marking all of Jenkintown's storm drains this past summer through a number of volunteer days including the one shown in this photo. Thank you, Alyson and the Jenkintown School District for your commitment to stormwater best management practices! We look forward to working with you as well as Jenkintown Borough on efforts to protect our watershed!

We'd like to recognize these donors for making our first Annual Fund Drive a success:

Please note: TTF's outdoor events are canceled in the case of heavy rain. Please check the TTF Events calendar for updated information. 

COMMUNITY SERVICE NETWORKING BREAKFAST 

Please join us for our second annual Community Service Networking Breakfast! We'll share coffee and breakfast, network with volunteer coordinators and community leaders, and learn about upcoming projects and service opportunities provided by TTF and the Awbury Arboretum. There will also be an optional arboretum tour.   

DATE: Tuesday, February 12 

TIME:  8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

PLACE: Awbury Arboretum, 1 Awbury Rd., Philadelphia 19138

CONTACT: Abby Grosslein at abby@ttfwatershed.org or 215.844.8100

Partner Events 

SCIENCE SATURDAY AT FAIRMOUNT WATER WORKS INTERPRETIVE CENTER (FWWIC) 

"Fish Over Winter" looks at 48 species of fish that call the Schuylkill their home and where they go in the winter. Check out FWWIC's lab and study living fish! 

DATE: Saturdays, February 2, 9, 16, 23 

TIME: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. starting every half hour

PLACE: FWWIC, 640 Waterworks Drive, Philadelphia 19130

CONTACT: Visitor Services, 215-685-0723

 
PROJECT FLOW SUMMER 2013 INFORMATION SESSION, FWWIC 

A fantastic opportunity for rising ninth graders, this is an experiential, interdisciplinary program focused on the study of water. Applications and sample projects will be available at these sessions. 

DATE: Wednesday, February 13

TIME: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

PLACE: FWWIC, 640 Waterworks Drive, Philadelphia 19130

CONTACT: fwwiceducate@comcast.net

FINAL DESIGN REVIEW  FOR ROCK PARK GREENWAY

The Cheltenham Township Parks and Recreation Committee will review the final design concepts generated by Temple University Master of Landscape Architecture students for the Rock Creek Park Greenway. 

DATE: Wednesday, February 13

TIME: 7:30 p.m.

PLACE: Curtis Hall, 1250 W. Church Road, Wyncote 19095 

CONTACT: Cheltenham Township, 215-887-1000

RAIN CHECK  DEADLINE, PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT (PWD) 

Rain Check is a pilot program started by PWD to help local residents pay for landscape improvements that manage stormwater runoff. Through this program, PWD will pay for most of the cost of installing Green Tools that reduce the amount of rainwater entering the sewer system during storms. It's an opportunity for residents to participate in greening the City and to install landscape improvements at a fraction of typical costs. The deadline to respond to schedule a property assessment is February 15.

DATE: Friday, February 15

CONTACT: For more information, visit here. 

Learn about preventing stormwater pollution and protecting your watershed. The program will review stormwater best management practices related to: Stormwater Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping, Stormwater Facility Inspection and Maintenance, Illicit Discharge, Detection and Elimination.

TIME: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.