Friends of Pastorius Park has secured all the funds for a significant ecological rehabilitation project, thanks to local donors and a recently awarded state grant.

The group recently received two grants totaling $270,000 for its Paul W. Meyer Northeast Woods Restoration Project, which focuses on revitalizing a two-acre section of Pastorius Park in honor of the renowned horticulturalist who died in 2023.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection awarded the Friends group a $170,042 reimbursement grant through its environmental funding initiative, the Growing Greener Plus grant program, the state announced in January. The project was one of the two recipients in Philadelphia.

“To be able to win that kind of state funding on that level is something that is entirely new for the organization,” said Stephanie McNabb, a board member and the communications manager for Friends of Pastorius Park (FoPP). “It speaks volumes to the amount of expertise that we’ve cultivated around this project, the importance of the project and just how special from an ecological standpoint is what we’re doing here in Chestnut Hill and for the community.”

In addition, the group collected public donations and received a $100,000 matching grant late last year from a park neighbor and the Wyncote Foundation, a grantmaking organization founded by late philanthropist and Wyncote resident John C. Haas.

McNabb attributed the success of the funding phase to community support. Elected officials and local groups made financial pledges and submitted 15 letters to the state on behalf of the group’s Growing Greener Plus grant application, McNabb said.

“This grant is a real achievement for Pastorius Park and for Chestnut Hill,” FoPP president Tracy Gardner said in the group’s February news release. “Growing Greener grants are very competitive and we are honored to be selected and to have the strong support of community leaders behind our application and this restoration of a critical wildlife habitat within the park.”

Supporters included Councilmember Cindy Bass, Rep. Tarik Khan (D.,194th), Sen. Art Haywood (D., 4th), Parks and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson, the Chestnut Hill Community Association, the Chestnut Hill Conservancy, the Chestnut Hill Business Association, the Chestnut Hill Community Fund, the Chestnut Hill Rotary Club and the John S. Jenks Academy in Chestnut Hill.

“Pastorius Park is a centerpiece of our Chestnut Hill community and a green space so many neighbors cherish,” Khan said in a statement to the Local. “This investment in native trees and watershed protection will strengthen our park’s health, improve accessibility, and ensure it remains vibrant for future generations.”

Haywood said he was proud of the FoPP. “I will continue to advocate for dollars coming into the district for all neighbors,” Haywood said in a statement.

Friends of Pastorius Park plans to finish the project implementation by fall 2026 and will continue to maintain the grounds in the following years. The group likely will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the initiative this spring, McNabb said.

The project aims to revitalize wildlife populations and habitat health in the northeast section of the park. The plan — developed by landscape designer Bob Gray and landscape architect Rob Fleming — involves installing around 100 plant species and removing invasives. The improved area will have new pedestrian pathways and climate-resilient plants. The plants will stabilize the soil and reduce stormwater runoff that’s impacting the pond and Cresheim Creek.

Supporters and members of Friends of Pastorius Park planted more than 50 trees in October, with financial support from the Philadelphia Committee of the Garden Club of America and the Peg Dilks Awards.

McNabb said the project reflects the work and values of longtime Chestnut Hill resident Paul. W Meyer, who started Pastorius Park’s 100-year restoration plan and served as the F. Otto Haas executive director of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Through his work, Meyer discussed a phenomenon called “plant blindness,” meaning people tend to underappreciate the flora around them. The area will have signage displaying facts about the park’s history, species and value.

In the coming months, Friends of Pastorius Park will focus on selecting contractors and vendors for the project.

McNabb said the park is a “living landscape” that requires continuous work from people to stay healthy. Restoration projects help green spaces remain resilient, enjoyable for future visitors and beneficial to the natural world.

“I love the park, and I enjoy what other people did in the work that was put in generations before me,” McNabb said. “Now I’m passing it forward by the work that I do to future generations. My neighbors’ little girls will enjoy the park the way that I enjoy it as an adult now.”

Those looking to get involved with the project can sign up for Friends of Pastorius Park’s newsletter and check out the event calendar on its website. The volunteer spring clean-up will be March 21 from 9 a.m. to noon.

“We are so grateful for our community members, who support not only this project but the park day to day,” McNabb said.