Out on the Trail

It has been a long, hot summer on the Banks. The last month and a half has been especially dry, with almost no meaningful rain - the lawns have gotten a bit brown and the river has been low. However, trail usage has been very strong, with our “beach” between Locust and Walnut Streets seeing hundreds of sunbathers and picnickers almost every day.

SRDC’s seasonal staff at Grays Ferry continues to do a great job keeping this segment of the Banks free of trash and graffiti. The skate park at Grays Ferry Crescent continues to be a success, with graffiti and trash under control and consistent positive use by both youth and adults. Landscape work for the 2016 season at Grays Ferry saw the cutting back of the meadows, regular lawn mowing, restarting the irrigation system, and cutting back invasive plants from the fence line, the dock areas and along the trail. Schuylkill Banks Movie Nights at GFC were a huge success with over one thousand attendees over the four movie nights!

While much of the landscaping along the trail over the last few months has been by lawn mowing, weeding, and landscape services contracted in partnership with the City; a huge amount of work has been accomplished by volunteers. Multiple volunteer groups from the neighborhood, schools, and local businesses completed dozens of cleanup and volunteer projects over the last three months.

Volunteers continue to be a vital part of the successful operations of Schuylkill Banks; assisting with programs like movie nights and kayak tours, participating in cleanup and maintenance opportunities, and assisting with special events. Please consider volunteering for maintenance projects during the fall season! For more information about individual or group volunteer opportunities at Schuylkill Banks, contact Zoe Axelrod at [email protected] or 215-309-5523 x105 or visit our website.