What better way to honor and celebrate Earth Day and the 80th Anniversary year of Glen Providence Park than by planting trees? Yesterday we did just that with Delaware County Parks & Recreation, 2nd and 3rd grade students from Media-Providence Friends School (MPFS), and so many groups who help care for Glen Providence Park!

Long before the first Earth Day, in 1935 George and Eleanor Butler donated most of the land for Glen Providence Park to Delaware County as the county’s first park. The Butlers dedicated the park as a bird sanctuary and arboretum, and specified in the deed that the land be “kept in as natural a condition as possible.”

Yesterday’s Earth Day Celebration honored that spirit as we planted two native trees: a White Oak by the historical concert stage to replace the 110-year-old White Ash that fell in a storm last year, and a Pagoda Dogwood to add an understory tree. Michael Culp of Delaware County Council presented us with thoughtful a resolution honoring the 80th Anniversary of Glen Providence Park, which you can see in the photo gallery below.

A highlight of the celebration was the poetry read by the 2nd and 3rd grade science students of MPFS. Their poems written for Earth Day added meaning and inspiration to the event. You can read all of them in our link below – here are just two examples:

Trees   by MPFS 2nd grade student

The trees we plant thank us by giving oxygen and they also produce food like apples, oranges, tangerines and more!

My Evergreen Tree by MPFS 3rd grade student                        

Spiky as a porcupine and
Hard as a turtle shell
Green as a turtle
Brown as mud!

The MPFS students helped plant the two trees, and their water bucket brigade carried water uphill from Broomall’s Run to the stage to water them! After installing deer fencing to protect the trees, we ended it all with a pizza lunch in the picnic area by the stage.

Thank you to everyone who shared in the celebration, and all that they do to support Glen Providence and the other Delaware County Parks:

• Delaware County Parks & Recreation for providing the inspiration, native trees, supplies, digging(!), and pizza – and maintaining this lovely park for 80 years!
• Delaware County Park Board for all it does to support Delaware County Parks & Recreation.
• Delaware County Council for the resolution honoring the 80th Anniversary of Glen Providence Park, for making all of the County’s parks possible, and for approving the emergency streambank repairs last summer!
• Delaware County Planning for its thoughtful work on the Delaware County Open Space Plan, which was officially approved yesterday!
• Delaware County Conservation District for its guidance and Mini-Grants for two of our planting projects.
• Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association for its stewardship of all of our local creeks, and for donating deer fencing for the trees.
• Friends of Glen Providence Park volunteers for their ongoing work removing invasive plants and helping with 12 volunteer days since 2011 – this weekend’s cleanup will be our 13th!
• And a very warm thank you to the lovely students, parents, and teachers of Media Providence Friends School, led by science teacher Holly Hoffmann – your words were inspiring, and your enthusiasm contagious!

Photos & links:

Read all of the wonderful MPFS 2nd grade poems and 3rd grade poems! You can see more photographs on Delaware County Council’s Facebook page, watch a short news clip on CBS3 (which does not mention Glen Providence Park by name, but does include footage of the students!), and nice articles on the Delaware County website and in the Daily Times.

Thank you to George Tate for the fabulous photos – scroll through them all, or click on any for a closer look!

The Earth Day celebration was a collaborative effort between Delaware County Parks & Recreation, Friends of Glen Providence Park, and Media Providence Friends School.

Public input is needed for Delaware County’s draft proposals for Glen Providence Park! Delaware County Planning has put a lot of work into its Open Space, Recreation, and Greenway Plan, and is nearing the end of its 3-year planning process. You can provide input in written comments until April 19, or at a March 30 public meeting (details below).

You read the complete (and detailed!) plan, including reports on other County parks, on the Delaware County website. We link here to the 62-page report on Glen Providence Park, which includes sections on current conditions, recommendations, soils, engineering, and an environmental survey. You can also view a pdf of the Site Development Plan. We will review the current report and provide our feedback to the County, and we encourage you to add your voice!

This final public meeting and written comment period will be the last in a line of opportunities for input into this project. For background, read our January 2012 summary of the project. In 2012, we attended a public meeting in February, and publicized the online survey that summer. We attended an additional public forum in March 2013, and shared the Concept Sketch Plan for Glen Providence Park – you can read our thoughts about that plan in our May 2013 feedback to the County. The current Site Development Plan appears to be an updated version of that 2013 Concept Sketch Plan.

Final opportunities for public input:

Monday, March 30 at 6:00 pm
Final public meeting
Council Meeting Room, 2nd floor, County Government Center Building, Media
An overview of the Plan will be presented

Sunday, April 19
Deadline to submit written comments to the County Planning Department
Email comments to: Planning_Department@co.delaware.pa.us

Thank you for sharing your ideas and vision for Glen Providence Park!

Throughout November, we have been counting down to Thanksgiving by posting daily thanks on Facebook. There is some overlap with our list from Thanksgiving 2012, and so much more to add – it is amazing how much there is to be grateful for! Here are those daily posts – these were in no particular order, and it is by no means a complete list!

27 Days of Thanks in Glen Providence Park
We are thankful for…

Day 1: … 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, Penncrest High School – and homeschoolers!

Day 2: … Clifford Butler Lewis, the grandson of park donors George and Eleanor Butler – for his generosity in sharing his grandparents’ photo albums with us and donating their golf clubs to Springhaven Country Club (which they founded!), and for sharing his recollections from his childhood in Glen Providence Park.

Day 3: … Delaware County Parks & Recreation, for repairing the concert stage (damaged in July from a fallen 110-year-old tree) in time for our August concert this summer, for their support of our events and activities, and for their many years of caretaking and managing their 11 parks with over 600 acres(!) of open space for the public.

Day 4: … Taylor Memorial Arboretum in Wallingford, for generously growing and donating 75 native trees and shrubs this year for habitat restoration plantings by Friends of Heinz Refuge, CRC Watersheds, and Friends of Glen Providence Park.

Day 5: … our wonderfully generous Concert Sponsors: Media Recreation Board, Media Rotary Foundation, Diego’s Cantina, Seven Stones Café, and Shere-e-Punjab Indian Restaurant, who made it possible for us to revive the decades-long tradition of free summer concerts in Glen Providence Park!

Day 6: … Samuel L. 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 7: … all that Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association has done for 44 years to protect, conserve, and restore the watersheds throughout its 132 square mile stewardship area! Its initiatives include annual streams cleanups, riparian reforestation, advocacy, education, and stream monitoring.

Day 8: … our Nature Walk guides who volunteered their time to lead our walks this year: the ever-helpful Al Guarente of the Birding Club of Delaware County, John Wenderoth, Ted Cavey, Stephanie Gaboriault, Marcia Tate, Aura Lester, Kyle Loucks, Holly Hoffmann, Chris McNichol, and Charles Randall.

Day 9: … our donors, whose generous support enables us to continue our work to improve the park and plan future concerts, events, and activities!

Day 10: … the Delaware County Conservation District for their guidance, mini-grants, donations, and support for our native plantings over the past 3 years – helping us to combat streamside erosion, restore habitat, provide food for wildlife, and  beautify the park.

Day 11: … 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 community service. In the last 2 years, Brownie Troop #5248 and Minquas District Boy Scouts have volunteered in the park!

Day 12: … the wonderful bands who have performed at our Summer Concert Series the past 3 years: Philadelphia Brass, Springfield Clarinet Quartet, the Obsoleets, Me3, Ken Delmar & the Cheers Big Band, Perseverance Jazz Band, Sonoma Sound, and ViVaCe Strings!

Day 13: … T. Chalkley Palmer, 1860-1934, for writing in loving detail about Scroggie Valley in 1889, enabling us all these years later to read about the geology, landscape, flora, and fauna of Glen Providence Park as it was in the 1800′s! He also had remarkable environmental insights for his time. What a gift!

Day 14: … our Invasive Plant Removal volunteers, who meet most weeks to work in the park. In the past 2 years, they have cleared 179 packed contractor bags (and counting!) of invasive plants – keeping trails clear, liberating native plants from strangling vines, improving habitat, and beautifying the park.

Day 15: … the Delaware County Institute of Science, an amazing organization that has been all volunteer since 1833!  Its members have been studying Glen Providence Park since long before it was a park – 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 16: … Delaware County Planning for their thoughtful work 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 17: … Transition Town Media, for all they do to build community and resilience, from their FreeStore, to workshops, to their lovely Annual Candlelight Gratitude Banquet for local nonprofits.

Day 18: … long-time park supervisor James Stokes, Jr. for his years of care for the park. He started work on October 31, 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 building picnic tables, preparing for concerts, planting trees & flowers, teaching visitors about the plants & wildlife, and creating the 1941 Nature Guide to Glen Providence Park!

Day 19:  … all of the volunteers who have spent their free time working for Glen Providence Park through the years – our dedicated committee members, the dozens of people who have helped at our 11 volunteer days, and all those who volunteered in the park before us!

Day 20: … those who have made our historical research possible, including the Media Historic Archives, the Delaware County Historical Society, and the Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library – and Delaware County, PA History for sharing our history-related facebook posts.

Day 21: … the American Chestnut Foundation, for their work to restore this majestic native tree! Chestnuts were called the Sequoias of the east, and they were once the dominant tree species in Glen Providence Park. We have found two surviving trees so far!

Day 22: … the Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey (PARS), for their work to gather data for the study and conservation of our amphibians and reptiles! We are glad to have chosen PARS for our 2014 citizen science project.

Day 23: … Media Lions Club and McCarrin Chiropractic, for continuing Glen Providence Park’s longest-running tradition – the Great Media Easter Egg Hunt started in 1954! The Lions have worked since 1917 to fight blindness, and on many other community projects.

Day 24: … the Academy of Natural Sciences, for preserving and researching a wondrous amount of natural history, including early 1900’s microscope slides from Scroggie Run (now Broomall’s Run), and for their generosity and hospitality in showing us those slides.

Day 25: … the array of wildlife, native plants, and other living things in the park, which with the changing seasons provide something new to discover on every walk in Glen Providence Park!

Day 26: … all of those who appreciate our efforts to preserve and enhance Glen Providence Park – our Facebook fans, those who read our newsletter and website, and those who have attended our concerts and history & nature walks!

Thanksgiving Day: We are so thankful for George and Eleanor Butler, who with great generosity and foresight in 1935 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 incredibly grateful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Individuals from the Friends of Glen Providence Park attended the second public meeting for Delaware County’s Open Space Plan on Tuesday March 12, 2013.  Delaware County Planning recently posted the meeting’s presentation files on its website, giving those who did not attend the Public Forum the opportunity to review and comment on the long range concept plans for six County parks, including Glen Providence Park.

Public feedback is an important element in the Open Space Plan process, and County Planning, County Parks & Recreation, and the consultants are thoughtfully considering comments and feedback.

There is a significant change proposed for the Glen Providence Park pond and Broomall’s Run, outlined below- please take the time to review the Concept Sketch for Glen Providence Park, and provide your feedback to County Planning. While there is no specific deadline, we recommend replying no later than Friday, May 3.

We have included a guide and links to the three sections of the presentation that are posted on the County website.  If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions regarding the County parks plans, please email them to Senior Planner, Steven R. Beckley, AICP at BeckleyS@co.delaware.pa.us, or print and fill out the evaluation form used at the Forum and return it to the address, fax, or e-mail listed at the bottom.

The 3 Presentation sections are as follows:

– Timing & Objectives: the list of objectives is thoughtful and excellent.  There are additional Public Meetings planned for Fall 2013 and January 2014 to review Final Drawings and Draft Recommendations, then a Final Public Meeting to present the Plan.

– Needs Assessment, Survey Findings, Values & Philosophy, The Big Picture and Trends: All of the public feedback so far emphasizes the need to preserve natural open spaces in Delaware County, and prioritizes passive use such as hiking trails.

– Specific Park Proposals include Concept Sketches for Glen Providence Park and other parks
 

There are some significant proposals made for Glen Providence Park:

Please refer to the PDF of the Concept Sketch for Glen Providence Park, and give the County feedback on the following proposed changes to the park:

– Divert Broomall’s Run through the pond: This is proposed to address ecological and erosion problems at the pond, as we outlined in Upcoming Changes: Pond & Wetlands. Would you want to see the stream adjacent to the pond filled in, and relocated to run through the pond? Do you have any environmental expertise to know whether this would be helpful or harmful to the pond and stream ecology?

– Additional parking lot built at Kirk Lane: Have you ever found the Kirk Lane parking lot to be full? Do you see a need for more parking spaces?  What do you think of the proposed location?

– ADA accessible terrace below the main entrance overlook: Do you feel this would be used? Do you think it would positively or negatively impact the main entrance?

– Children’s Natural Play Area, using natural materials to make features such as stepping stones, walkways, and balance beams near the picnic pavilion: How do your children use the park? Is this a feature you would like to see, or that your children would use?

* May 2, 2013 Update: Please see the comments below for an explanation of why we do not support the first two proposals.
 

Other identified Park Needs & Long Range Ideas include:

– Structure repairs & maintenance
– Trail maintenance standards
– Repair restrooms
– Erosion control
– They are considering our idea to re-establish the Eleanor Reed Butler Waterfall as a recirculating waterfall from the pond!
– Improve signage

Please make any specific comments on County Planning’s evaluation form, and reply to Steven R. Beckley by email, mail, fax or phone.
 
Thank you!

There is an exciting and important upcoming meeting that impacts future plans for Glen Providence Park.  Last year, we told you about Delaware County’s proposed Open Space, Recreation, and Greenway Plan, also known as the Open Space Plan.  This is a joint project of Delaware County Council, the County Planning Department (DCPD), and the County Parks Department.

As part of this effort, DCPD will complete site development drawings for six of our major parks, including Glen Providence Park.  A vital piece of the process is public input.  So gather your thoughts and ideas about this lovely park, and please join us at the next meeting:

Open Space Plan Public Forum

Tuesday, March 12
7-8:30 p.m.
County Council Meeting Room, Court House, Media
(entrance is from Orange Street)

The County has solicited input through public meetings in February 2012, and through an online survey last summer.  This forum on March 12 will focus on the results of that survey, and will provide the public with an opportunity to preview and comment on drafts of long-term site development drawings prepared for Glen Providence Park and five of the County’s other major parks.

We believe those site drawings will include a proposal for what to do about the erosion and sustainability issues around Glen Providence Park’s pond.  In 2011, we wrote about the issues with the pond in Upcoming Changes: Pond & Wetlands.

You can read more about the Open Space Plan and read the full details about the Public Forum on the County’s website.

The County has put a lot of work and thoughtful planning into this process.  Please join us and participate in this important meeting!

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!

We did it!  On April 28, the Friends of Glen Providence Park planted elegant native trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, and perennials along Broomall’s Run near the pond, to stabilize the streambank in an area of serious erosion.  This also creates a riparian buffer, improves wildlife habitat, and beautifies the park!

Thank you to the 23 volunteers who answered our call to bring shovels, pickaxes and wheelbarrows. They didn’t just help us carry materials, dig, install fencing, and cut matting… without exception, they did it with smiles, laughter and fun!  People quickly found their specialty, from preparing the plants or cutting deer fencing, to driving in fence posts or adorning the new plant beds with attractive rocks.  And 9 children carried buckets from the stream to water the newly planted beauties!

Of course our moods were buoyed by the delicious coffee donated by Seven Stones Cafe, and the yummy sandwiches donated by Planet Hoagie.   And we were lucky to have delightfully cool and dry weather – having rescheduled our planting from April 22 due to heavy rain.

Volunteers worked for an average of 4.5 hours on Saturday, with some working over 8 hours… and that’s just the day of the event!  Check out our fun-while-working photos below.

We have so many to thank for planning and funding:

– Delaware County’s Parks & Recreation, Environmental Planning, and Conservation District: for their guidance in selecting and planning this project

– Parks & Recreation: for the donation and early delivery of the bench, the pick up and delivery of the plants (on a weekend morning!), and the donation and delivery of woodchips

– Conservation District: for their Mini-Grant, their loan of their post driver and other supplies, and their patience with our numerous questions about deer fencing!

– The Reformation Lutheran Church of Media: for their remarkable generosity. After Pastor Larry Smoose saw our presentation at Media Rotary about the nature and history of this lovely park, his church voted to donate the matching funds for our Mini-Grant!

– Media Providence Friends School, Redbud Native Plant Nursery, and Garden Coach Marcia Tate: for their invaluable guidance and assistance

The next time you visit the park, we hope you enjoy sitting on the bench to appreciate these beautiful native trees, shrubs and perennials:

Trees:
3 Riverbirch, 2 Serviceberry & 1 Fringetree

Shrubs:
4 Winterberry, 3 Red-osier Dogwood & 3 Arrowwood Viburnum

Perennials:
Sensitive Fern, Switch Grass, Pennsylvania Sedge, Echinacea, Blue Wood Aster & Golden Ragwort

Photos by George Tate.  Click on any photo below for a closer look.  

Our next volunteer day will be exciting- we were approved for a Delaware County Conservation District Mini-Grant for streamside buffer plantings in Glen Providence Park!  This park bench is at the site of the plantings near the pond- in fact the bench was part of the design, and was provided by County Parks & Recreation.

Streamside Buffer Plantings for Earth Day!

Saturday, April 28
10:00am-2:00pm
Main entrance on State Street in Media
Lunch provided for registered volunteers
More volunteer info below!

DATE CHANGE: The forecast was for wind and lots of rain on our originally scheduled date of Earth Day on Sunday, April 22- so we rescheduled our planting to Saturday, April 28.

The Friends of Glen Providence Park will plant native trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses and perennials, with the primary objective of streambank stabilization in an area of serious erosion.  This project will also create a riparian buffer, improve wildlife habitat, and beautify the park!

We thank Delaware County’s Parks & Recreation, Environmental Planning, and Conservation District for their guidance in selecting and planning this project, Parks & Recreation for surprising us with the early delivery of the bench, and of course the Conservation District for their Mini-Grant!

We are grateful for the kindness of the Reformation Lutheran Church.  In a remarkable display of generosity, after Pastor Larry Smoose saw our presentation at Media Rotary about the nature and history of this lovely park, his church voted to donate the matching funds for our Mini-Grant!

We had invaluable guidance and assistance from garden coach Marcia Tate, Media Providence Friends School, and Redbud Native Plant Nursery.

Volunteering details:

We will update this description as we identify other relevant details for volunteers.

Estimated time: 10:00am-2:00pm
Lunch and drinks will be provided for registered volunteers

Activities will include:
– digging holes for 6 trees and 10 shrubs, and if time allows, 24 perennials
– spreading woodchips
– installing deer protection around trees and shrubs
– water bucket line from Broomall’s Run (great for kids!)
– sitting back and admiring the new plants!

Items that would be helpful to bring, if you have them:
– gloves
– shovels and spades
– pickaxe
– rake
– wheelbarrow

To help us plan our time effectively, and to plan for refreshments, we ask that you rsvp for this event at FriendsoftheGlenATgmail.com– please let us know the number of volunteers in your party, and what hours you can be there.

Thank you, we hope to see you on Earth Day!

To add this event to your favorite calendar program (iCal, Outlook, Google, etc.), view the event listing on our calendar.

We’ve published a few posts about great greenways, both in Pennsylvania and nationally. Overall, governments and citizens are realizing the benefits of open space, greenways and alternative forms of transportation.

Benefits of Greenways:

• safe, family-friendly transportation
• improved air and water quality
• floodplain protection
• healthy transportation
• better habitats for plants and animals
• protection for historic and natural resources
• improved recreational opportunities

Greenways have been shown to have positive economic impacts as well, from improving home values to increasing local economic activity. Delaware County is working on a master plan for the western part of the county, and just held its first public forum on the subject. It is already implementing its Greenway and Open Space Plan for Eastern Delaware County. Philadelphia and partners along the Brandywine River are also creating major greenways.

Glen Providence Park Greenway

We’d like to see Glen Providence Park included into a larger county-wide greenway plan, with the 3rd Street Bridge becoming a pedestrian and bicycle “green bridge.” We think a greenway would be an extension of the park and the natural area of Broomall’s Lake Country Club. Right now, with the bridge currently closed to automotive traffic, it is easy to envision the serenity and beauty of a real greenway, and how it would become a part of the park while connecting Upper Providence and Media.

Regardless of the decision on the dam, a greenway would improve the park and create a beautiful, family-friendly gateway to Media.

Some people worry about the restricted access to Media from Upper Providence. The truth is, for most locations in Upper Providence, taking a state-maintained road such as Orange Street or Baltimore Pike to and from Media is the most efficient choice. According to online maps, going across a 3rd Street bridge by car would reduce the trip for only about 150 households. And for those houses in Upper Providence that are closest to 3rd Street, the most efficient trip is actually a walk into Media. Some Upper Providence residents have expressed a preference for a pedestrian greenway, because it makes their walk into Media safer.

Smart Transportation

Pennsylvania’s Smart Transportation Guide articulates many themes that support the construction of a greenway in Media:

• Accomodate all modes of travel
• Enhance local network
• Build towns not sprawl
• Understand the context; plan and design within the context.

A greenway would be a smart, family-friendly choice for Media and Upper Providence, as well as Glen Providence Park.

More resources: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/conservation/greenways/index.htm http://www.americantrails.org/resources/economics/GreenwaySumEcon.html http://www.americantrails.org/resources/benefits/BenefitsGrnwy.html http://www.enhancements.org/misc/TEGuide2002.pdf http://www.maine.gov/mdot/opt/pdf/biketourismexecsumm.pdf http://www.smart-transportation.com/themes.html

In 2002, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission determined that Glen Providence Park is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places!  This is the official list of the Nation’s historic places determined worthy of preservation.  As Friends of Glen Providence Park, we could not agree more that this park is worthy of preservation!

In 2001, a Historic Resource Survey of Glen Providence Park was conducted, including a map of the proposed National Register Boundary.  The report recounts George and Eleanor Butler’s donation of the land as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum, and discusses recreation, culture and landscaping, including the trails, fishing, night-time skating, outdoor concerts and the park’s historic setting.

The report concludes: “The park is a good example of a community park, created from donated land, and then improved upon by the WPA… Glen Providence Park embodies the characteristics of an early twentieth-century community park…  The park has retained its integrity of design, and is recommended eligible for listing in the National Register.”  The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission agreed, and determined Glen Providence Park to be eligible.  We linked the report, the proposed National Registry Boundary, and the determination letter below.

What is the next step?  It seems that Delaware County (the owner of the park) was never notified back in 2002 when this determination was made, so getting listed on the National Register of Historic Places was never pursued.  We came across the determination letter when we reviewed the Bridge/Dam documents on the Media Borough website last year, and we have been sharing this information ever since.  And we are happy to say that we are now working with the County to investigate attaining National Historic Register status!

What else around Media is on the National Register of Historic Places?  Here is what is listed on the National Park Service website:

Dr. Samuel D. Risley House (in Media!)
Media Armory
Old Rose Tree Tavern
Ridley Creek State Park

Intriguingly, a little further away, the Okehocking Indian Land Grant Historic District in Willistown is also listed- of course we are researching the history of the Okehocking in our area!

We would be proud to have Glen Providence Park join the company of these historic places on the National Register!

You can look at these Glen Providence Park documents yourself:

– Historic Resource Survey of Glen Providence Park

– map of the proposed National Register Boundary within Glen Providence Park

– National Historic Register eligibility – determined by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

Each of these documents is also posted on the Media Borough website, under the PA Dept of Transportation Section 2002 Evaluation.