Archive for April, 2010
Working With SEPTA to Keep Ivy Ridge Clean & Safe
Manayunk is shot through with land owned by public agencies and private agencies like SEPTA: think of Germany Hill (Fairmount Park), Fountain Street Steps (City of Philadelphia, Water Department), and Ivy Ridge Trail (SEPTA) — just to name a few of that pieces that we care an awful lot about. This “in between” land makes up a lot of the character of Ivy Ridge, and maintaining it is an expensive hassle no matter which agency is trying to keep up with the trash & vines.
So let’s take a minute to just acknowledge the work SEPTA has done, over the years, to keep both the old and active R6 lines in shape and to partner with groups like Ivy Ridge Green who work with them to continue the effort.
Thanks to SEPTA’s team downtown — Lydia Gross, Joseph Devanney, and Enjoli Edwards — for getting us credentials every time we host volunteer cleanups. Thanks to Wendy Green-Harvey, in Government Affairs, for walking the line with us and helping to coordinate SEPTA’s maintenance with the neighbors. And thanks to Ed Wallace, the engineers, and the maintenance staff who have worked so hard to secure the safety of the bridges over Leverington and the Schuylkill River.
It’s my hope that eventually the old R6 can be leased to the City and the neighborhood as “Ivy Ridge Trail” and improved so that it is a safe, clean amenity for ‘Yunkers and a river-spanning connection to our friends in Lower Merion. But in the meantime, take a minute to send SEPTA your appreciation and remind your neighbors that we’re all pulling in the same direction here:
Please: if you see anyone dumping trash or tires, throwing rocks off any of the SEPTA bridges, or destroying SEPTA’s fencing, notify the Friends of Ivy Ridge Trail (chris@ivyridgetrail.org) and Ed Wallace (edallace@septa.org). Thanks in advance!
– Chris
Filed under The Trail : Comments (0) : Apr 25th, 2010
Manayunk Celebrates Earth Day
Join us!
This coming Sunday, noon to 5pm, at Cotton and Main Street, there will be a boat load of activities for kids and cheap eats, haircuts, manicures, etc., for the rest of us.
Ivy Ridge Green will be there, honoring the spirit of the day and all of the work ‘Yunkers are doing to reclaim their riverfront. Come say “hi”, will you?
Poster linked here and check Destination Schuylkill River for more.
Filed under Destination Schuylkill River : Comments (0) : Apr 15th, 2010
Mitzvah to Cynwyd Heritage Trail
Ivy Ridge Green had the great pleasure of joining our friends in Lower Merion for an ambitious session of tree planting this weekend. (Apparently both sides of the river are pulling long hours this spring.) The Cynwyd Heritage Trail — Ivy Ridge by another name, just across the Manayunk Bridge — has 270 new trees, courtesy of PHS, the Township, and hundreds of volunteers.
The good people at Penn Mitzvah planted five bare-root crab apple trees along the Barmouth entrance to the station; a lot of fun and new experience for all of us.
Thanks to Penn Mitzvah for the great work, to the Friends of Cynwyd Heritage Trail for the hospitality and tree planting lessons, and to Bruce Reed and the Township for leading the way on what we hope will be a trail that will better-link our two communities. We hope to see a lot more of you on both sides of the river.
Filed under Cynwyd Heritage Trail : Comments (0) : Apr 11th, 2010
“Mayor’s Cleanup” a success
Check that field preparation! Blaise Syrnick and Annie Scott flagged every single plant they needed volunteers to protect while they weeded. No kidding.
Ivy Ridge Green kicked off its spring season today with the Mayor’s 3rd annual cleanup, “Keep Up the Sweep Up.”
Big thanks to the several dozen volunteers who joined us, to City Year, to the great folks in the City Streets & Sanitation Departments who supported the effort. And thanks to all of the project partners, of whom there are too many to name at this point — you know who you are.
We tackled projects spread out over nearly a mile today, working all the way from the Manayunk Bridge — where volunteers hung a sign, discouraging dumping and vandalism to SEPTA’s fencing — to the banks of Germany Hill. But the main action was along the Fountain Street Steps & the Tow Path where volunteers hauled debris and weeded in preparation for Philly “Spring Into Your Park” day in May.
Join us then: Saturday, May 8th. Check back here for details in a couple of weeks.
Filed under Cleanups, Fountain Street Steps : Comments (0) : Apr 10th, 2010