Out on the Trail Update
Maintenance Efforts
Happy Spring! The forsythia is blooming and spring is in the air. The warm winter has resulted in much more trash pickup during the last quarter, as well as an increase in graffiti compared to previous winters- an uptick which also appears to be connected to the political climate. SRDC remains committed to prompt trash pickup and prompt removal of graffiti along the trail.
Landscape maintenance by All Seasons, under contract by Parks and Recreation in partnership with SRDC, will begin in April. Weekly lawn mowing service (under contract with PPR) will begin in mid-May and irrigation systems will resume operations after Memorial Day weekend unless conditions require them to be turned on earlier.
Philadelphia Police Department bicycle patrols have begun to return to daily patrols after Daylight Savings Time. Plans are also underway to expand the emergency mile marker program into the new Bartram’s Mile trail segment.
Grays Ferry Crescent continues to be well-used by the community for fishing, walking, skateboarding and picnics. Graffiti is a persistent problem due to the remote location, as well as blown trash from the Waste Management recycling facility. Elliot Jennings continues to be an excellent caretaker for SRDC, removing graffiti, picking up trash and monitoring the activities of park users.
Volunteer Program
The winter quarter is usually light on volunteer projects, but we already had two groups before mid-March this year. We are expecting a very busy volunteer season this year!
Blaise organized a gravel spreading event through our newsletter list and then led a group from Youth Volunteer Corps of over 30 students to begin cleaning out our planting beds for spring mulching. Zoe has been scheduling one group after another since mid-February with an unprecedented 14 volunteer groups signed up already between now and mid-June. Congratulations to Zoe and Blaise for their efforts that have led to this accomplishment.
The 10th Annual City-wide Philly Spring Cleanup is happening on Saturday, April 8th! Please consider registering to help out with spring mulching, painting and other clean-up tasks on Schuylkill Banks at www.phillycleanup.com. Thousands of volunteers have helped clean up at the Center City segment of trail over the last ten years- you can be a part of it!
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 movie nights, kayak tours, boat tours, or maintenance projects during the upcoming 2017 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.
