For Friends of the Wissahickon, 2024 was a year like no other. We celebrated 100 years of stewarding Wissahickon Valley Park and welcoming all who seek the solace and adventure our beloved park provides. Our centennial year featured a full slate of events to commemorate past achievements while not only looking forward to the next century of conservation and prosperity but also implementing projects focused on keeping the Wissahickon sustainable, accessible, and beautiful.

At the Super Mega Earth Day of Service in April, more than 300 volunteers showed up at five different park locations to clean, plant, and more. The following month, over 100 individuals, friends, and families helped us celebrate at the Backyard Bash at Valley Green Inn, where we received a citation acknowledging FOW’s 100 years of service from Josh Cohen, chief of staff for City Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr.

More than 200 friends joined us in November at the Pump House at the Ironworks at Pencoyd Landing for the 100 Years of Wild Gala, where we honored some special individuals whose support has been critical to the growth of FOW’s capacity. We also toasted all those whose ongoing support has contributed to FOW’s longevity and sustained positive impact on the park. Mayor Cherelle Parker congratulated FOW on its centennial anniversary as “good and faithful stewards of the park,” while State Rep. Tarik Khan presented a citation commemorating FOW’s century of stewardship on behalf of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives.

But the pinnacle of this unparalleled year was the completion of the $3.5 million Valley Green Run Restoration and Pedestrian Bridge project—our largest capital investment to date—which we marked with a ribbon-cutting in December. Now a signature feature at the unofficial “front door” of the most visited area of the park, this pivotal project combines environmental conservation with visitor accessibility and enjoyment. It embodies the mission our original friends established in 1924, a calling from which we have never wavered.

As the stewards of 2,000 acres of beautiful parkland, our list of priorities is always extensive. Here are some of the projects we’ll be working on in 2025:

Germantown Neighborhood Connection Project(aka Harvey Street Project)In our ongoing trail and beautification enhancements to this area, we aim to improve access for neighbors to the gathering area around the Henry Houston statue, adding new sidewalks and a crosswalk with traffic-calming elements. To complete a larger park-wide connection to link the Harvey Street trail entrance to the main stem of the park, the next phase of this project will involve planning for a new trail that would begin behind the Henry Houston statue and exit across from Saylor Grove.

Pachella Gully Restoration and Sedimentation Reduction ProjectIn partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, FOW is restoring an actively eroding 500-foot gully along an access trail behind Pachella Ball Field. Installing a forested infiltration basin and native trees and shrubs will improve stormwater conveyance and landscape resiliency as well as reduce pollution entering Wissahickon Creek. We’ll continue to work on bringing this project to full funding, with construction anticipated to begin in late 2025 or early 2026.

East Falls Reroute and Habitat Restoration ProjectThe mixed-use trails in this area have long been identified as unsustainable. This ongoing project will close a rapidly eroding, steep trail, reroute it along the contour by adding a stone staircase, and reclaim the habitat with native plantings to mitigate stormwater runoff. We will move forward on planning and site preparation, with construction dependent on contractor availability.

We’re looking forward to another year of inspiring future environmental stewards with the School District of Philadelphia. Through our partnership with Let’s Go Outdoors, we welcomed more than 3,500 K-2nd grade students last year to experience the wonders of nature. Our Junior Stewards internship program will continue in 2025. Currently, we have three interns from WB Saul and Lankenau High Schools who spend one day a week during the school year working with our field staff to learn valuable environmental conservation skills.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our centennial year our most impactful yet and for your ongoing support to keep the Wissahickon healthy and vibrant for the next 100 years.

We hope you’ll join us in our mission to conserve this important community resource and become a friend of the Wissahickon at fow.org. To learn more about our plans and projects for 2025, join us at our Annual Public Projects Meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m.