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Member volunteers from the Rotary Club Of Chestnut Hill joined forces with the Friends of Pastorius Park and The Friends of Cresheim Trail on Saturday morning, October 18 for two separate environmental service initiatives.
After the Department of Streets of Philadelphia blocked off Cresheim Valley Road, several dozen volunteers and picked up and bagged trash along the Cresheim Valley Drive including bottles, cans, food wrappers, car parts, and other assorted trash.
The volunteers first gathered at the Pergola at Germantown Avenue and Cresheim Valley Drive for instructions from Brad Maule, Executive Director, The Friends of Cresheim Trail. The Pergola was adopted and has been maintained by Chestnut Hill Rotary since 2005 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Rotary International. The intersection is the “gateway” to the Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy neighborhoods of Philadelphia.
Cleanup of Cresheim Valley Drive.
On the second project that day, other Rotary volunteers joined with the Friends of Pastorius Park and planted new trees as part of a long-term restoration project.
The Friends of Pastorius Park partnered with volunteers from the Chestnut Hill Rotary Club and others to plant 40 understory trees, bushes, grasses and ferns in the northeast section of the park. These native plants, once established, will protect the sloping ground in this section from storm runoff into the park's pond and hence Cresheim creek.
In addition to providing ongoing hands-on service to Pastorius Park, Chestnut Hill Rotary recently presented a $1,000 check to Fabrizio Franco, Treasurer of the Friends of Pastorius Park to help support their restoration project.
Fabrizio Franco thanks Chestnut Hill Rotary for ongoing support.
“I want to thank Chestnut Hill Rotary for the volunteers, this wonderful check, and the letter of support that will be helping us make the case for grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as other foundations,” said Franco.
Chestnut Hill Rotary is looking into leveraging additional Rotary funds to support the park’s resosration project.
