The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties is now sharing a series of five online, interactive Virtual Tours that will explore Tacony Creek Park and other natural areas within the TTF Watershed.

The Bring Us Along! series encourages people to get outside on their own or with their families to discover natural features of local parks, trails, creeks, and the creatures who live there, and will enhance that experience, while delivering key messages about stewardship, the value of nature, water issues and solutions, and our connection to the Delaware River.

 “The Bring Us Along virtual tour series will enhance the experience of being outside in nature. Families and individuals will use their smartphone to access a story map and video guide, as they walk along our creeks and trails,” said Julie Slavet, Executive Director, Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership, Inc.,

“At a time when we can't lead groups, we will virtually accompany our neighbors, many of whom are Spanish speaking, and share wildlife facts as well as messages about water and stewardship,” said Slavet.  “Across our watershed, people will also be able to view the story map and videos on a computer from the safety of their homes. We are thrilled to have the resources to create this innovative tool, which will be of value long after the pandemic.”

Along each tour, a guide will stop to point out fascinating plants, wildlife, and other interesting features.

For those that are not familiar with the park, the story map will provide a visual guide with interactive points where certain items can be found.

Each item will be categorized as Easy, Medium or Expert to encourage people of all different comfort levels to explore the same route to find the wildlife and see it in person.

Users can turn the tour into a challenge, to see how many creatures and plants they can find. Tacony Creek Park maps -- in English or Spanish – can be found at the Circuit Trail signs located at each gateway.

Click Here for an online interactive map.

Here are links to more TTF resources:

-- Bring Us Along! Virtual Nature Tour

-- ¡Tráenos contigo! Gira virtual de la naturaleza (Spanish Virtual Nature Tour)

-- Bilingual blog about the Spanish/English Bird Guides

-- Spanish Bird Guide

-- English Bird Guide

For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership website.

Environment Ed Resources In Delaware Watershed

Many of the environmental education centers that are a part of the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River have made lemonade out of the bitter turn of the pandemic, creating virtual and distance educational programming for constituents who would ordinarily be participating in summer programs at the centers and out and about exploring nature in the watershed.

Visit the Virtual Environmental Ed Program Resources webpage from Alliance member centers to learn more.

Participating environmental ed centers in Pennsylvania include: Bartram’s Garden, Berks Nature, Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, Discover Center in Philadelphia, Fairmount Water Works, Heritage Conservancy at Bristol Marsh, Independence Seaport Museum, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, the Pocono Environmental Education Center, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, and the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area.

How Clean Is Your Stream?

DEP’s Interactive Report Viewer allows you to zoom in on your own stream or watershed to find out how clean your stream is or if it has impaired water quality using the latest information in the draft 2020 Report.

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-- DEP Our Common Wealth Blog: What Are Harmful Algal Blooms And What Should You Do About Them?

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[Posted: July 13, 2020]

7/20/2020