Natural Lands - the magazine of Natural Lands spring-summer 2020 issue | Page 5

NATURAL LANDS . SPRING/SUMMER 2020
3
park partnership.
Tacony Creek Park is a 300-acre urban
park that runs the length of Tacony
Creek—more than three miles—
through Cheltenham, Lawncrest, and
Olney until it becomes Frankford Creek
in Northeast Philadelphia.
The name Tacony is derived from
the Lenape word “tekene,” meaning
“woods” or “an uninhabited place.”
Indeed, the park feels a world apart
from the bustling communities around
it. In fact, many of Tacony Creek Park’s
neighbors don’t know it’s there or don’t
take advantage of its proximity. Working
with partners at the Tookany/Tacony-
Frankford Watershed Association
(TTF) and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation,
Natural Lands is engaging the
community to address these concerns
and to create a master plan for Tacony
Creek Park.
The master plan will address
long-standing barriers to usage and
park engagement and make recommendations
for improvements that
balance the needs of both people and
ecology.
The area surrounding Tacony Creek
Park is a collection of neighborhoods.
The communities within each neighborhood
are diverse, speak different
languages, and may use recreation
spaces differently. The master plan
development process takes these cultural
assets into account and focuses
on inclusion and enhanced access for
everyone.
TTF works to connect neighbors with
Tacony Creek Park both to improve
their health and well-being and to
foster a sense of park pride, encouraging
care of the park and its ecological
health. Says TTF Executive Director
Julie Slavet, “Through our relationships
with community members, we know
that there are chronic challenges that
discourage them from embracing the
park. The park has such potential to be
a valued asset in a part of Philadelphia
that lacks green space.”
“Our conservation services team has
consulted with more than 140 municipalities
to achieve their own open
space goals,” said Peter Williamson,
Natural Lands’ vice president of conservation
services. “We’re excited to
reengage with the City of Philadelphia
as a partner in this important project.”
Funding support for the Tacony
Creek Park master plan is being
provided by the PA Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources,
the William Penn Foundation, and the
Scattergood Foundation. W
West Oak
Lane
Tacony Creek Park
N B R O A D S T R E E T
Hunting
Park
M O N T G O M E R Y
C O U N T Y
East Oak
Lane
Olney
R O O S E V E L T B L V D
Cheltenham
Lawncrest
C O T T M A N A V E
P H I L A D E L P H I A
Feltonville
Frankford
Northeast
Philadelphia
95
top: Karen Clancy, map: Holly Harper