Philadelphia Parks & Recreation manages over 5,600 acres of natural lands. These include lush forests, colorful meadows, and shady creeks. In recent years these spaces have faced threats from invasive species including:
Now, our forests are getting help from a new and skilled volunteer force: Philly Forest Stewards. Parks & Rec launched the program this summer. The goal is to engage long-term volunteers to adopt sections of our natural lands. The stewards:
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Gain forest management experience.
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Explore a variety of Parks & Rec sites around the city.
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Help Parks & Rec staff:
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Save young trees from invasive vines and weeds.
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Watch restoration sites
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Keep areas clean, green, and thriving.
This summer’s pilot program grew out of Parks & Rec’s monthly Second Saturdays. These events helped acquaint volunteers with the work required to improve our forests. As a Forest Steward, volunteers can make a long-term commitment to continue this work.
Andrew Conboy started as a Second Saturday volunteer in 2019. He enjoys the events because they bring together a diverse group of volunteers. “It’s always amazing to see how much we all accomplish in just the few hours that we’re there,” he observed.
Recently Andrew was asked to become a Forest Steward. He enjoys the chance to improve Philadelphia’s urban forests by adding native plants. He’s also learning a lot. “It is fulfilling to contribute to the betterment of our urban forests,” he said. “Forests provide countless benefits and ultimately make people happy.”
If you see someone with a shiny green vest in the woods, that’s likely one of our stewards. Please say hello and thank them for helping preserve our much-loved forests!
