Wissahickon Trails

This willow flycatcher would like to wish you a very happy National Bird Day!

For humans, winter is a time to bundle up, enjoy warm drinks, and sit by the firebut how do other animals manage to survive the coldest season? Nature is full of impressive methods of winter survival, join us for a virtual program on 1/19 at 7pm to learn more about how different animals cope with the cold.

Huddling together and fluffing up are some of the ways that birds protect themselves from the chills of winter.

Wandering at Willow Lake Farm today. The entrance to this preserve is behind the CVS at the intersection of Butler & Skippack Pike in Ambler, PA. https://wissahickontrails.org//find-your-/willow-lake-farm

Wherever the trails may take us, we wish you a happy and safe new year.

First snow of the season.

Thank you to all #GivingTuesday donors for your amazing support. 47 donors raised $6,010! Your gifts support the installation of a much needed stepping stone crossing at Briar Hill Preserve and Prophecy Creek Park. We're excited to start this project with Whitpain Township Parks and Recreation.

What did you write in your journal? Nature means happiness to me. Help the earth, don’t hurt it. Today is your last chance to make an impact in 2020! https://wissahickontrails.org/support

We're excited to share that after more than five years of planning, the $1.4 million Wissahickon Headwaters Stream and Riparian Restoration Project in Upper Gwynedd Township has been completed! This project restored and stabilized the stream channel and reconnected it with its floodplain along 1,775 linear feet of the Wissahickon Creek. Funding and support for this project was made possible through public and private partnerships, including Merck, Upper Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PECO, William Penn Foundation, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

"Short answerreal! Real trees help fight climate change, and even though your Christmas tree is cut down, you’re actually supporting forests." Check out this article from The Nature Conservancy about real vs. fake Christmas trees.

Join our team! We are looking for a Water Programs Manager. This role collaborates with a variety of stakeholders to improve the overall health of the Wissahickon Creek and its tributaries. Visit our website to learn more and apply. Please share this exciting opportunity with your networks! https://wissahickontrails.org/job-opportunities

Here comes the sun do do do do

Green Ribbon Trail update: recent storms damaged three stones at the Plymouth Road stepping stone crossing near Gwynedd Valley train station. Two stones that shifted downstream were next to each other - the gap between steps is now difficult to cross without walking in the creek. Please exercise caution if using the trail, and cross at your own risk. We are working to make repairs as soon as possible. https://wissahickontrails.org//find-y/green-ribbon-trail-2

Staff spotlight: This cedar waxwing was drawn by Conservation Manager, Margaret Rohde. Waxwings get their name from the brightly colored waxy secretions at the tips of their secondary wings.

It's a beautiful weekend to hit the trails and see fall foliage! If you're looking to avoid crowds, try to go earlier in the day or check out our website to explore lesser known preserves.

Ew, what's on my tree? Chances are, it's a #SpottedLanternfly egg mass! Help limit next year’s lanternfly population by following the guidance from Penn State Extension here. http://ow.ly/Xvzz50BZHIh

Early this month, hundreds of migrating birds were found dead at the bottom of buildings in Center City Philadelphia, demonstrating an ongoing and widespread issue. Our partners, Wyncote Audubon Society, are an active player in helping to prevent these kinds of catastrophic events through their Bird Safe Philly initiative, along with Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, Valley Forge Audubon Society, Audubon Pennsylvania, National Audubon Society, and The Academy of Natural Sciences. You can read more about what caused this tragedy and some solutions that might help in the article below.

We are so excited to have completed new preserve maps that show all of our 24 miles of trails. Part of creating new maps included naming the trails and assigning colors to each of them. Right now, our staff are working on blazing (and re-blazing) all our trails, and installing posts with wayfinding markers. We were a bit delayed in this work (...2020) but please know we are working on it as fast as we can!

We'll take it October, we'll take it.

We're thrilled to share that the new preserve maps are completed! Preserve maps can be found on individual preserve pages in the Find Your Trail section of our website. Simply select the preserve you wish to visit, then click on the bright green "Download Trail Map" button. Many thanks to 88 generous community members and Merck for funding this project. Because of their investment in a more walkable Wissahickon, we were able to create these trail maps.

Near the headwaters of the Wissahickon Creek sits a monument to the industrial revolution in America. The Evans-Mumbower mill is a wonderful example of an 18th century automated water mill. Learn more about our restored and operational mill on our blog. https://wissahickontrails.org//evans-mumbower-mill-nearly-

Puddles on forest floors (vernal pools) provide a unique ecosystem for a variety of amphibians and invertebrates. On 10/20 at 7pm join us for a virtual program about these pools and how you can help monitor them as part of our Citizen Science program. https://wissahickontrails.org/events/vernal-pool-exploration

Check out this article from Grid Magazine! Bernard Brown and Milton Lindsay stopped by our bird banding station at Crossways Preserve to see the action firsthand and talk about bird conservation and habitat restoration. https://www.gridphilly.com//conservation-managers-use-bird

Staff & Board were delighted to see so many friendly faces this past weekend at the Green Ribbon Gala To-Go. Guests stopped by on Saturday, 10/10, to pick-up Gala To-Go Boxes, and joined in a Virtual Gala Program on Sunday, 10/11, via Zoom. Thank you to everyone who supported this event, especially our sponsors - BLBB Charitable, Merrill Lynch-Walters Bailey Associates, Penn Creative, PWPvideo, Timoney Knox LLP, The Haverford Trust Co., Caddick Utilities, The Hill at Whitemarsh, Kilkenny Law, Wisler Pearlstine, LLP, Lower Gwynedd Township, Biohabitats, Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller. And a shout out to the vendors who provided the Gala To-Go Box items - Infinity Caterers, Inc., Moore Brothers Wine Company, Better. by BlueStar

Hot off the press! We just published our fall newsletter. What's inside: Project Updates Letter from Executive Director Gail Farmer In the Milkweed Patch Wissahickon Headwaters Stream & Riparian Restoration Project... Fall on our Preserves - Plants & Wildlife You Might See Our Community in the Face of COVID-19 https://wissahickontrails.org/news/fall-2020-newslett See more

Vote for the People's Choice winner! All of these photos were submitted as part of the Biennial Wissahickon Photo Contest presented by Friends of the Wissahickon, Woodmere Art Museum, and Wissahickon Trails. Check out all the submissions in this photo album and vote for as many photos as you like and share with your friends and family. Remember: 1 Like = 1 Vote The winner will be determined by the amount of likes a photo receives. Votes on both FOW & Wissahickon Trails' pages will be combined.