09/02/24 - 146 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/yck6vkb4
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Friends Of Wissahickon Receives $150,000 Grant
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The Friends of the Wissahickon has been awarded a grant of $150,000 from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or capital improvements to the Andorra Natural Area.
According to FOW Executive Director Maura McCarthy, the trails in this area are severely degraded, the habitat is marred by invasive plants, and educational wayfinding signage is dilapidated.
FOW will rehabilitate and redesign 18,000 linear feet of trail to benefit the natural environment and user experience, install signage, and a public, ADA accessible composting restroom. This project is considered Stage 4 of FOW's Sustainable Trails Initiative, a project to restore 50 miles of natural surface trails in Wissahickon Valley Park.
The Andorra Natural Area of Wissahickon Valley Park serves as the outdoor classroom of the Wissahickon Environmental Center, also known as the Tree House, the most visited center within the Philadelphia park system. FOW’s work will make the trails a more suitable educational facility for visitors to the WEC.
DCNR funding for these types of projects comes from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund and federal funding sources. “We are gratified to be the recipient of these DCNR funds,” says McCarthy. “It is a very competitive funding process and we are proud to have the state of Pennsylvania place its trust in FOW to make these improvements on behalf of the public on park land.”
Key partnering organizations for this project are: the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation; Commission on Parks and Recreation; and the Philadelphia Water Department, Office of Watersheds.
“FOW would not be able to complete this project without the support of our partners,” says McCarthy, “particularly the Department of Parks and Recreation.”
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2/13/2012 |
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