PENNSYLVANIA - The Trust for Public Land in Action: 2018

The Trust for Public Land in Action: 2018 C E L E B R AT I N G W HAT YO U M A D E P O S S I B L E IN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY

Introduction Thanks to your involvement and support, today more than 8 million people across the country live within a 10-minute walk of a place created or protected by The Trust for Public Land—and countless more visit these sites each year.

Here at home, even though many Pennsylvanians live within a 10-minute walk of a park we’ve created or helped to conserve, wildlands continue to be threatened by economic development and thousands of urban residents lack access to high quality outdoor public spaces. We still have a lot of work to do.

Visitors along the Appalachian Trail are enjoying time outside together thanks to the natural

landscapes we’ve recently helped to protect.

Communities in Philadelphia and Camden are making their voices heard as they help shape the design of future outdoor spaces that will increase park equity for residents throughout the region.

Schoolchildren and neighbors now have beautiful places to play thanks to new state-of-the-art green schoolyards that capture stormwater runoff.

In the following pages, we share stories about recent successes—like the reopening of Lanier Playground, the preservation of pristine land at South Mountain, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts for our efforts in Camden, NJ. Thanks to you, neighbors are better connected to each other, school students have safe and vibrant learning playgrounds, and communities are more environmentally resilient because of the acres of open space we helped to conserve, and the new public green spaces we helped to make.

ELYSE LEYENBERGER

Taggart Elementary School Yard

Philadelphia, PA

Opening day at Lanier Playground ELYSE LEYENBERGER

Transforming Lanier Playground Neighbors in Grays Ferry are once again enjoying Philadelphia’s Lanier Playground. This public space plays an important role in a diverse community of committed neighbors. Their support made the 4-acre park a vibrant destination for thousands of residents living with a 10-minute walk.

“The renovations that have taken place at Lanier show us the remarkable power of community engagement and participation,” said Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Deputy Commissioner Orlando Rendon. “Transforming Lanier has been a process and thanks to the leadership of neighborhood residents, this redeveloped space is exactly what the community wants and needs.”

Local residents, along with the office of Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the Philadelphia Water Department, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and The Trust for Public Land came together to renovate the site. The community shared its vision for the revived public space; the public and nonprofit partners secured the funding needed for design and construction.

“Our kids need safe, quality places to play, and adults want to get outside too. Lanier Playground serves a diverse neighborhood, and is an example of what we can do when we listen and work together with residents to address the needs of the community,” said Councilman Kenyatta Johnson.

ELYSE LEYENBERGER

Lanier Playground

Philadelphia, PA

ELYSE LEYENBERGER

Lanier Playground

Philadelphia, PA

The community engagement process was pivotal because in the past Lanier Playground served as a barrier, dividing the Grays Ferry neighborhood.

During one meeting, local resident Meeka Outlaw shared, “I want my son to have the chance to play in a neighborhood park that is safe and inclusive.”

Residents prioritized a park that would unite the neighborhood. Underscoring this idea, they dubbed the tree-lined walking path looping Lanier the “Unity Trail.”

“Working with so many agencies and community members, we’ve been able to do something special here at Lanier that wouldn’t have been possible without all of the long hours neighbors spent with us,” said Gretchen Trefny, The Trust for Public Land’s lead project manager at the site.

“The park will promote fun, fitness, a healthy environment, and clean water. DCNR is delighted

to be able to assist with this project by investing Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Funds” said Lauren Imgrund, Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

For Grays Ferry residents, the multiuse, multigenerational playground is a welcomed addition to their community. People are gathering to walk three mornings a week and kids are cooling off in the sprayground. The work to create the park brought people together, and members of the recently-formed Friends of Lanier community group believe that the new energy around the park will last far into the future.

Look for a full feature on Lanier Playground in a future issue of Land+People !

Raising community voices in Camden Whose line is it anyway? Dialogue among residents is a key to developing a shared community vision. When people come together for authentic conversations about the issues in their neighborhood, they become actors in their own narrative, shaping the outcome for positive changes.

In Camden, NJ, The Trust for Public Land is working in partnership with The Theatre of the Oppressed, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, to bring Camden’s issues to center stage. Through forum theatre approach, audience members will insert themselves as characters in a skit that doesn’t initially end well, acting out alternative endings. Our goal is for these community-generated solutions to build the foundation and connections needed to support stewardship at North Camden’s new parks.

This is one innovative way we’re working to engage communities in a holistic approach to park design and development in Camden. The city, once considered to be the most violent community in America, is at the epicenter of environmental, social, and economic justice reform. Our Parks for People—Camden program seeks to use parks to address broad challenges around community cohesion and environmental justice.

In partnership with The City of Camden, Camden City School District and multiple non-profits, we are pairing park creation efforts with existing city investments, helping to meet multiple community priorities.

Currently focused on North Camden, our four projects include two green schoolyards, one park renovation and one walking and biking path under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, providing green, healthy community spaces for nearly 8,000 residents. Each space will reflect our strategic approaches to equity and inclusion, community health, climate resilience, education, and stewardship. For example, we’re using parks to reduce the combined sewage flooding that inundates Camden’s streams, streets, and even homes. With the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, we’re using rain gardens and other landscape features to manage stormwater, while also promoting community health, education, recreation, and cohesion.

We seek to expand our program beyond North Camden, to uplift the voice of residents and contribute to Camden’s resurgence. We look to support Camden Rising!

TEND LANDSCAPE INC.

Dominick Andujar Park rendering

Parks for People—Philadelphia and Camden CO M P L E T E D A N D C U R R E N T P R OJ E CT S

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Completed project Current project Pennsylvania / New Jersey border County boundary Parks and open space

Poquessing Creek Park

Pennypack Creek Park

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Lowell Elementary Schoolyard

Lingelbach Schoolyard

Tacony Creek Park

AMY Northwest Middle Schoolyard

Benjamin Franklin Academics Plus Schoolyard

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William Dick Hank Gathers Elementary Recreation Center Schoolyard Conestoga Playground

West Park East Park

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AB Anderson Edwin M Schoolyard Stanton Schoolyard Lanier Playground John M Patterson Schoolyard

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Alexander Adaire Elementary Schoolyard 37th & Mt. Vernon Playground

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Fishtown Playground

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Dominick Andujar Park Cooper's Poynt Schoolyard

Molina Schoolyard George W. Benjamin Franklin Nebinger Bridge Underpass Schoolyard Southwark Schoolyard Taggart Elementary Schoolyard

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Parks for People - Philadelphia and Camden CO M PL E TE D A N D C U R R E N T PR OJ EC T S

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The Philadelphia Stewardship Endowment supports the community We believe that every person deserves great outdoor experiences. City residents often find these experiences in their nearest neighborhood park. In cities, neighborhood parks often serve the fundamental need people have to connect with one another. When our children play together after school, when our dogs share a game of chase at the dog park, or when we meet friends for a picnic at the park, the act of sharing our public spaces strengthens our sense of belonging and community.

The Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People— Philadelphia Program is all about communities.

Our signature participatory design process engages park users and neighbors in envisioning a space that reflects community character. The design process itself can be transformative as it builds relationships between neighbors who

learn they have priorities in common. Thanks to our generous supporters, we have established a Philadelphia Stewardship Endowment to further support these community bonds and provide resources that residents need to maintain the public spaces that we help to create and redevelop.

“Friends of” groups, community associations, parent/teacher groups, and neighborhood organizations will soon have the opportunity to apply for grants that help them in their important work. Groups can apply for grants and we will provide awards to promote their objectives for their outdoor spaces. Whether they seek support for volunteer recruitment, community programming, community organizing, or neighborhood events, grants recipients will be working to create great outdoor experiences and better connected neighbors.

JENNA STAMM

William Dick Elementary Schoolyard Philadelphia, PA

A Celebration and a Commitment The Philadelphia staff and Advisory Council were honored in April to host The Trust for Public Land Board of Directors and President and CEO Diane Regas in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Trust for Public Land launched the Philadelphia office in 2012, and now has a public space redevelopment portfolio of 12 completed projects and 12 projects underway. The National Board and Executive Team were joined by donors, friends, and partners for a tour that highlighted three renewed parks and schoolyards in south Philadelphia.

Community leaders spoke about how these transformed public spaces support important priorities including community cohesion, education, and health. Principal Kenneth Jessup at John M. Patterson School, who once dragged temporary basketball hoops onto his schoolyard every day, shared of how school suspensions have

decreased now that students can enjoy healthy and creative play during recess.

Residents of the Grays Ferry neighborhood spoke of how the redevelopment of Lanier Playground can help bridge neighborhood divides.

Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner, Debra McCarty described how the raingarden at E.M. Stanton School protects water quality, while Principal Stacey Burnley described how it provides a new learning environment for teachers to take their classes outside.

Later in the evening, guests enjoyed a rooftop reception at the Stratus Lounge. Mayor Jim Kenney welcomed guests and expressed his commitment to continued partnership with The Trust for Public Land. CEO Diane Regas thanked Mayor Kenney for being an early signer of the 10-Minute Walk campaign and lauded the partners in Philadelphia for their commitment to equity.

ELYSE LEYENBERGER

National Board of Directors meeting in Philadelphia April 2018

Protecting South Mountain – The Appalachian Trail for local residents, conserve critical habitat for aquatic species and fishing, and preserve the rural character of Cumberland County.

At the heart of our work is our belief in access to the outdoors for all. We believe that every person should have access to a great outdoor experience.

The Trust for Public Land, with the help of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the South Mountain Partnership, and donors like you, protected 118 acres of forested land adjacent to the Appalachian Trail in Cumberland County. Completed in January 2018, the South Mountain open space addition to the popular Michaux State Forest preserves scenic views for trail hikers and has the potential to enhance access to the trail through opportunities for a new trailhead and parking area.

Located within a few hours’ drive of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, South Mountain provides access to parks, open spaces, and waterways, and enhances recreational trails for thousands of residents and tourists. This open space also helps to safeguard drinking water

JERRY AND MARCY MONKMAN

Intrepid hikers often venture to Pennsylvania’s 230-mile portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail for a sense of adventure and taste of our state’s scenic vistas and rural character. While the trail’s historic footpath is well-established and is almost entirely protected, the surrounding lands, including those in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are at risk for residential development and other pressures.

The South Mountain land protection project is part of The Trust for Public Land’s strategic vision for the Appalachian Trail. South Mountain is one of 12 vulnerable properties we identified as priorities for preserving scenic views and protecting the quality and character of the small towns touched by the trail. Stretching 2,190 miles from Georgia to Maine—and hosting 3 million visitors per year— the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is America’s most iconic long-distance hiking trail and a unit of the National Park system. But while its place in American history may be firmly established, its future is less secure. The Trust for Public Land is joining with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service to protect the trail at its weakest and most vulnerable sections.

Appalachian Trail

Pennsylvania Advisory Board We are so grateful for the support of our exceptional leaders!

James Adamson, Philadelphia Kimberly Allen, Chair, Philadelphia Leonard Bernstein, Merion Station Richard Binswanger, West Chester John Chin, Philadelphia

Ryan Coleman, Swedesboro Beverly Harper, Philadelphia Gary Lozoff, Wynnewood Stuart Margulies, Penn Valley Patrick Morgan, Philadelphia

JENNA STAMM

William Cramp Elementary School Philadelphia, PA

T H A N K Y O U for your generous support of The Trust for Public Land. Your contributions have propelled us forward, delivering a multitude of benefits to residents in communities throughout the region.

Together we’ve served hundreds of thousands of people locally and many more throughout the United States, building stronger places and citizens. We look forward to all that we will do together next year, and for many years to come.

JENNA STAMM

Thank you

for supporting The Trust for Public Land as we work to protect land and create parks for people.

We couldn’t do it without you.

Join us.

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.

tpl.org

Owen Franklin Pennsylvania State Director 215.240.7685 | owen.franklin@tpl.org Samantha Piccolo Director of Philanthropy 215.240.7682 | samantha.piccolo@tpl.org 1608 Walnut Street, Suite 302 Philadelphia, PA 19103

COVER: TOP ROW, JENNA STAMM; MIDDLE ROW, TPL STAFF; BOTTOM, JENNA STAMM.