Thanksgiving

Nov 22, 2012 by Stephanie

Following the example of some of our friends, throughout November we have been counting down to Thanksgiving by posting daily thanks on facebook.  It is amazing how much there is to be thankful for! Here are those daily thanks- these were in no particular order, and it is by no means a complete list!

22 Days of Thanks in Glen Providence Park

We are thankful for…

 

Day 1: … all that Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association has done for 42 years to protect, conserve and restore the watersheds throughout its 132 square mile stewardship area.

Day 2: … the local schools who use Glen Providence Park as an outdoor classroom, teaching their students a love of nature, science, art and more. Thank you Media Elementary School, Springton Lake Middle School, Media Providence Friends School, and Penncrest High School- and homeschoolers!

Day 3: … the wonderful restaurants in Media that donated delicious refreshments for our park events and fundraiser: 320 Market Cafe, Desert Rose, Diego’s Cantina And Tequila Bar, Media Pizza & Grill, Planet Hoagie, Seven Stones Cafe, Shere-E-Punjab Indian Restaurant, & Sinfully Delicious Gourmet Pastries!

Day 4: … the Birding Club of Delaware County and its members who have helped us so much with our Park Bird List this year: by leading bird walks, birding in the park, and even identifying species from photographs we email!  Thank you, Dave Eberly, Tom Reeves, Nick Pulcinella, Nick Crocetto, and the ever-helpful Al Guarente.

Day 5:  … all of the volunteers who have spent time working in Glen Providence Park through the years– both the dozens of people who have helped at our 5 volunteer days, and the countless who volunteered in the park before us.

Day 6: … our wonderfully generous Concert Sponsors, Media Recreation Board and Blueberry Bog Vintage & Handmade, who made possible the magical performance by Philadelphia Brass in September, reviving the decades-long tradition of concerts in Glen Providence Park!

Day 7: … the Delaware County Conservation District for their Mini-Grant and help planning our 2012 Earth Day Plantings, and for their guidance planning plantings for 2013.

Day 8: … the Media Historic Archives and its volunteers who preserve so many important pieces of Media history, including historical maps, documents, newspapers, and even wonderful early photographs of Glen Providence Park.

Day 9: … Delaware County Parks & Recreation, for its many years of caretaking and managing its 11 parks with over 600 acres(!) of open space for the public… now that is a daunting job!

Day 10: … the Delaware County Institute of Science, an amazing organization that has been all volunteer since 1833!  It has wonderful scientific and historical collections, and is well worth a visit! Its members have been studying Glen Providence Park since long before it was a park–  40(!)-year DCIS President T. Chalkley Palmer wrote in detail about Scroggie Valley in 1889, and a 1928 Chester Times article about the valley indicated that “Naturalists, from all over the country, attending the Delaware County Institute of Science, make a study of it.”

Day 11: … the Reformation Lutheran Church of Media, for its unsolicited generosity in donating matching funds for our Earth Day Plantings in April! This seems to just be representative of its ongoing environmental stewardship- it even received a national Energy Star award in 2010!

Day 12: … the Delaware County Library System, for its fantastic online archives of historic newspapers that enabled us to learn so much about the history of Glen Providence Park. And even more online archives are accessible with a library card.

Day 13: … our Founding Funders, whose generous support enables us to continue our work to improve the park and plan future concerts, events and activities- and for our Anonymous Donor who matched those gifts!

Day 14: … Delaware County Planning for their thoughtful work, and soliciting public opinion, on the Delaware County Open Space, Recreation & Greenway Plan and on our neighboring Mineral Hill Area Master Plan. Glen Providence Park and future generations will be better for it!

Day 15: … T. Chalkley Palmer, 1860-1934, for writing in loving detail about Scroggie Valley in 1889, enabling us 123 years later to read about the landscape, flora and fauna of Glen Providence Park in the 1800’s! He also had remarkable environmental insights for his time. What a gift!

Day 16: … Samuel Smedley, who with great foresight and wisdom in 1927 urged regional planning for open space, and spearheaded the creation of Delaware County Parks & Recreation, which was used as a model nationally for its excellent planning.  He personally helped create and plan Glen Providence Park.

Day 17: … our Nature Walk guides and other experts who have generously shared their knowledge and helped us identify (non-bird) species in the park (turtles, frogs, insects, fungi, trees and more!)– including Dr. Mac Given, the PA Fish & Boat Commission, Dr. Anne Bower, John Wenderoth, the American Chestnut Foundation, Tom Reeves, Aura Lester, Dr. David Hewitt, Marcia Tate- and our knowledgeable facebook fans!

Day 18: … the array of wildlife, native plants, and fungi in the park, which with the changing seasons provide something new to discover on every walk in Glen Providence Park!

Day 19: … long-time park supervisor James Stokes, Jr. for his years of care for the park. He started work in 1935 and continued for at least 25 years, and by all accounts really loved Glen Providence Park. He served as park guard, care taker, supervisor and park ranger- personally making picnic tables, preparing for concerts, planting trees & flowers, and teaching visitors about the plants & wildlife.

Day 20: … all of those who appreciate our efforts to preserve & enhance Glen Providence Park- our facebook fans, those who read our newsletter and website, and those who have attended our history & nature walks, events and concert!

Day 21: … the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts for their years of involvement in Glen Providence Park going back to at least 1939- with hikes, cookouts, award ceremonies, meetings, and volunteer projects. And a Brownie troop meeting just this fall!

Thanksgiving Day: We are thankful for George and Eleanor Butler, who with great generosity and foresight donated most of the land for Glen Providence Park as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum, to be preserved for future generations.  There would be no park without them- we are so grateful!

Happy Thanksgiving!