Since the early twentieth century Southwest Philadelphia has been a touchdown point for Philadelphia International Airport and other industrial activities. Commerce often overshadowed the needs of the neighborhood residents in Eastwick, Kingsessing, and Elmwood Park, and often blocked their access to natural spaces. But Southwest Philadelphia is marked by the flow of the tidal Schuylkill River and outdoor landmarks such as Bartram’s Garden and John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Southwest Philly is at a time of transformational investment. Local and regional leaders are establishing community-driven, world-class opportunities for learning, creating, and sharing. Working closely with local residents and partners, we will ensure equitable access to the trails, riverfronts, and recreation opportunities that shape the region.
Our Southwest Philly Lead Partner:
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum and Bartram’s Garden
We chose to have dual leads in Southwest Philly in order to leverage the great networks already engaging in the conversation regarding equitable access. America’s first urban refuge, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum was established for the purposes of preserving, restoring, and developing the natural area known as Tinicum Marsh. In addition, the refuge was established to provide environmental education and an opportunity to study nature.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
Today, the refuge leads by example in providing environmental education and recreational programming in Philadelphia and Delaware Counties. John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System, a network of lands set aside for the benefit of native wildlife and plants. Established in 1972 through local activism, the refuge protects habitat for the benefit of both people and wildlife. Visitors to the refuge may observe hundreds of species of plants, trees, birds, insects and mammals.
To join our effort to make the outdoors more accessible contact:
Bartram’s Garden
Located on 50 riverfront acres on the Tidal Schuylkill River in Southwest Philadelphia, Bartram’s Garden is a free public park and National Historic Landmark. The site is operated by the non-profit John Bartram Association, called by a mission to create equitable relationships among people and nature through immersive, community-driven experiences that activate the Bartram legacy, Garden, and House, on land and on the Schuylkill River, in Southwest Philadelphia. The Garden welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually and is many things to many people: a home for horticulture, the first nationally landmarked landscape, and the oldest surviving botanic garden in North America. It is Sankofa Community Farm, an ancient riverfront, a conversation on food sovereignty, high school internship programs, and a place of untold histories. At its core, it is a public park in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Southwest Philadelphia, offering peace, rest, and connection.
To join our effort to make the outdoors more accessible contact:
To plan your visit to Bartram’s Garden, start at https://www.bartramsgarden.org/today/
To support Bartram’s Garden as a volunteer, visit https://www.bartramsgarden.org/volunteer/
To give to Bartram’s Garden, visit https://www.bartramsgarden.org/give/