December 2017

Holiday Events with Philly Parks & Rec

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the holiday season in Philly! Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) staff, volunteers, partners, and Park Friends have planned plenty of winter celebrations, from holiday markets and greens sales, to festive tours and performances. Here’s just a few:

See a full list of PPR holiday events.

Boathouse Row Holiday Lightings

Boathouse Row will brighten up the winter nights with holiday-themed lights this December! Mark your calendar for colorful light displays, starting at 6pm each night:

Job Opportunity

PPR Ice Rinks Now Open

It’s time to lace up those skates… Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s ice rinks are now open! Operated in partnership with Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, each location offers a variety of programs, including ice hockey, figure skating, and skating lessons. You can also drop in for free public skating times: just bring your own skates, or rent a pair on-site for a small fee. Fight off winter cabin fever with a trip around the rink at:

Check out the public skate schedules for PPR ice rinks.

Unity Cup Tournament Recap: Liberia Wins the Cup

After weeks of tough competition, last year’s Unity Cup runner-up is this year’s champion: on November 11 at Lincoln Financial Field, Team Liberia won out over Sierra Leone to take this year’s cup! Earlier in the day, Jamaica bested Puerto Rico to earn third place. In addition to the action-packed matches, game day highlights included a naturalization ceremony welcoming 27 new US citizens, and the Parade of Nations, representing the 48 teams in this year’s tournament. Congratulations to all of the participating teams – and thanks to our sponsors, partners, staff, volunteers, and fans, who helped make the second-ever Unity Cup fun and friendly for all.

Read a recap of the 2017 Unity Cup Tournament and check out our championship day photos.

LOVE Your Park Fall Service Day by the Numbers

Thank you x 2,300+: that’s the number of volunteers who came out to clean, green, and celebrate Philly parks for this year’s LOVE Your Park Fall Service Day! This annual event, coordinated by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Fairmount Park Conservancy, and the Park Friends Network, gets our green spaces prepped for winter weather. Working in 93 parks citywide, this year’s volunteers collected 1,082 bags of trash, planted 83 trees and 9,000 flower bulbs, and gathered 2.96 tons of leaves and other organic materials, which will be converted into compost at the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center. Thanks to all of our Park Friends and volunteers for showing our park system some LOVE this fall!

Learn more about other opportunities to volunteer with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

TreePhilly Fall Updates

What’s new with TreePhilly this fall? The program continues to make Philly the “City of Arborly Love” with tree plantings and giveaways:

Meet Civic Engagement Manager Naomi Roberson Reid

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation welcomes new Civic Engagement Manager Naomi Roberson Reid! Naomi will be working with Recreation Advisory Councils, recreation leaders, and other community partners to support our rec centers’ operations and outreach. Naomi previously served as Coordinator of Community Programs for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, building relationships and community arts strategies in Brewerytown, Fairmount, and Mantua. Before that, she was Program Manager at Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, advocating for the power of play.

Get involved with your local Recreation Advisory Council.

Recent Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings

The weather may be cooling down, but at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, we’re warming up with big plans and projects: from playground renovations, to trail connections, to brand-new parks! A few of our recent announcements:

Learn more about our recent ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings.

East Park Canoe House Wins Preservation Award

After eight years of preservation efforts – and 103 years in existence! – the East Park Canoe House reopened this past spring. Serving Temple University’s rowing team, the Philadelphia Police Marine Unit, and the general public, the Spanish Mission Revival structure has earned praise for its successful restoration. Most recently, the East Park Canoe House received a Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Construction Project Award from Preservation Pennsylvania. The award recognizes Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, SMP Architects, and Heritage Design Collaborative for their work on the rehab of this one-of-a-kind recreational structure, which balances the building’s historic identity with its modern use.

Learn more about the East Park Canoe House.

Philly Wildlife: The Swans of Philadelphia

In the 1950s, swans were intentionally released into the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. I was asked recently if the swans seen in Philadelphia today were the descendants of these swans. To begin to answer the question, I need to know which species of swan they were referring to, as there are three species of swan seen in Philadelphia.

Learn more about Philly swans – and where you can spot them!

Forest Restoration at Fairmount Park Horticulture Center

The Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Ecosystem Management team has recently awarded a major forest restoration project to All Seasons Landscaping to perform restoration work throughout the forested areas surrounding the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center. The project area totals approximately 30 acres and includes three distinct project sites, identified as Lansdowne Glen (13 acres), Montgomery Creek (11 acres) and Michaux Grove (6 acres).

Learn more about upcoming forest restoration work near the Horticulture Center, due to kick off in mid-December.

Staff Profile: Recreation Leader 3 Gina Batavick

If you’ve visited a Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) playground or rec center, you’ve probably met a Recreation Leader. These staffers are on the front lines of PPR: planning and coordinating activities, working with youth, and identifying how our rec centers can better serve their communities. The role includes a variety of responsibilities, but for Rec Leader 3 Gina Batavick, it’s all about the kids: “My favorite part of the job is interacting with the kids. I’ll have ten kids in my office at any given time, coloring or playing. I’d rather be with the kids than doing anything else; of course, I can’t always do that, but that’s what I like.”

Learn more about Gina – and what it takes to be a great rec leader – in this month’s staff profile!

Philadelphia Parks & Playgrounds: Neighborhood News

With Philadelphia Parks & Recreation programs, events, and activities going on in every corner of the city, it can be hard to keep up with all of the fun! Check out our “Neighborhood News” round-up for a sampling of stories from sites near you.

South Philly

• Photo above: From Capitolo Playground, we’ve got a volunteer shout-out… a big PPR thank you to Graham Bailer! Recreation Leader Gerard Walsh shares how Graham has made an impact through his leadership with the Capitolo Youth Soccer Club.

Northeast Philly

• Photo above: On October 15, Philly Open Soccer’s World Philadelphia Soccer Festival at Tarken Recreation Center hosted dozens of families for warm-ups, clinics, and games, followed by a picnic and distribution of jerseys and medals. The event was geared toward (but not limited to) the refugee and immigrant community in Northeast Philadelphia.

North Philly

Center City