The year 2023 was Friends of the Wissahickon’s (FOW) biggest year yet, with our largest budget and most ambitious scope of work to date. It featured a full slate of projects, all focused on keeping Wissahickon Valley Park healthy, accessible and beautiful.

It takes a lot of work and people to make this happen. Every day of the week, FOW’s field staff and indispensable volunteer base, which is more than 1,300 strong, are out stewarding the park through habitat restoration, trail improvements, environmental education and outreach to the park-visiting community. 

Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished:

• More than 27,905 pounds of litter removed at the November Lincoln Drive Cleanup
• More than 1,045 native trees and shrubs planted 
• Improved more than 33 miles of trails
• Replaced more than 400 fence rails and fixed more than 300 fence posts
• Led 55 free guided walks and talks for park visitors
• Welcomed more than 450 runners for the 14th Wissahickon Trail Classic

We continued work on some major capital investments like the Germantown Neighborhood Connection Project, the East Falls Reroute, the Habitat Restoration and the Restroom Facilities Master Plan. We also released our new strategic blueprint for 2023 to 2025, which affirms FOW’s commitment to conserving the Wissahickon and outlines the work plan for the park over the next three years. 

In 2024, we are celebrating 100 years of FOW’s founding by a handful of local citizens who recognized what a jewel of a green space the Wissahickon and its watershed is. Over the last century we’ve grown into a robust network of more than 3,000 members, neighbors, volunteers, and corporate and civic partners all committed to FOW’s enduring mission.

Here are three essential projects we plan to undertake in our centennial year:

• The necessary restoration of the Rex Avenue Bridge’s arch and the wing walls of the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, two essential historical touchstones of the park. We want to ensure these iconic points of interest are protected and remain functional and picturesque for generations to come.
• The further development of our Junior Steward program, an internship that our field team offers to School District of Philadelphia high school students. We also plan to further develop our Little Friends of the Wissahickon program, which features fully funded field trips and classroom visits for Philadelphia elementary school students in coordination with our partners at Let’s Go Outdoors. These opportunities to interact with nature and receive environmental education encourage children and teens to feel confident and welcome in the great outdoors. 
• Lastly, we will embark on our largest capital project to date, the Valley Green Run Restoration and Pedestrian Bridge Project, which was postponed from 2023 and is set to begin in the spring. This project exemplifies our longstanding commitment to balancing the health of the Wissahickon watershed with the experience of the park-visiting community.

We hope you’ll join us in our mission to conserve this important community resource and become a friend of the Wissahickon, or consider volunteering, at fow.org/membership. 

Learn more about last year’s improvements, the status of ongoing projects, and our upcoming plans and projects for 2024 at our Annual Public Projects Meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m. at Doran Hall, located on the campus of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. Register at fow.org/event/public-projects-meeting/.