Calendar
Plenty to do in the Wissahickon...
The Wissahickon Valley provides the perfect venue for a wide variety of activities to suit everyone! Many of the activities occur regularly and details can be found below. Volunteer events are also included in the calendar and your help is always needed to keep the Wissahickon Valley beautiful.
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See details of activities for:
Wissahickon Events
An Equine Experience. Last Sunday of Every Month. 1 pm at Valley Green Inn.
An “up close & personal experience." Ask questions, meet & greet the horses & their riders. Learn about safe & proper horse etiquette when encountering a horse on the trail or Forbidden Drive, and how to safely approach a horse. Come celebrate the Horse! For more information, click here.
Hikes, Walks, & Runs in the Wissahickon
TUESDAYS IN THE WISSAHICKON
Casual social hike through the hills of the Wissahickon Gorge. Bring water and flashlight. Always an option for dinner following the hike. Meet at Bruno's, corner of Germantown and Northwestern Aves. 6:30 PM. Nasty weather will cancel the hike.Leaders: Pat Naismith at hikerbabepat@gmail.com.
Next hikes: 15, 22, 22, 29.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Friday Nite Wissahickon Hike. Meet at 6 pm at the intersections of Germantown and Northwestern Aves. every Friday night for a 4 mile moderate paced hike along scenic Wissahickon Creek. Optional dinner after hike at local eatery. Heavy Rain cancels. Leader: Cliff Hence, 215-247-3559, CWHencell@aol.com. Registration is not required for this trip. However, you may wish to contact us if you have any questions.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Wissahickon and West Mt. Airy. Depart from Germantown and Rex Avenues at 9 am. Come out and scale “Mount Airy.” We will wander quiet streets and trails not familiar to many. Part of our hike will be in the Wissahickon. Snow or ice cancels. 10 to 12 miles. Cost: $0.75. Leader: Paul Piechoski at 215-844-6190.
Trail Ambassador Walks
Trail Ambassador Walks last up to two hours. Unless otherwise specified, these hikes use rocky, rugged trails that may be wet, slippery, or steep. Please bring water and snacks if desired. Children over six are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Walks are cancelled in heavy rain or icy conditions. Please visit www.fow.org for updated information.
Sunday, March 14
Late Winter Geology Hike with Sarah West. Meet at Valley Green Inn at 2 pm. This rock talk and field trip is suitable for children over 10 accompanied by an adult. We will discuss the possible Precambrian formation of Wissahickon rocks, learn to identify five different rock types, and then look at the rocks on the east side of the creek between Valley Green Rd. and the Megargee Dam. For more info. e-mail WestSarah@aol.com.
SUNDAYS
Gay/Lesbian/TG Wissahickon Walk. Departs outside Borders on Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill at 2 pm every Sunday. Return: approx. 5 pm. Walk at a focused pace, 3 hours, some ups and downs, over uneven paths. Exit at midway break, if desired. A fun, talkative group of gay/lesbian/TG people who like fresh air and hidden exercise. Free cookies included! Contact: Bert G.;
ALS12345@comcast.net or 215-271-8822.
EVERY SATURDAY
WIssahickon Walk. Starts 8:00 a.m. at the end of Forbidden Drive/Northwestern Ave. Distances ar at the discretion of runners. All levels. Emphasis is on fun! Info: www.shawmontrunningclub.com.
SATURDAYS
Hike on Trails Not Often Trodden. The Sierra Club & Hiking Around Philly regularly sponsors a hike on the last Saturday of each month, hiking different trails. Meet at 9:45 a.m. in Chestnut Hill. For more information visit hikingaroundphilly.com or email Sidney Goldstein at sg@mrbasketball.net.
EVERY THURSDAY
Wissahickon Wanderers Trail Run. 4-5 miles. Starts 6:30 p.m. at Valley Green Inn. For details call 215-849-9080 or visit www.wanderersrunningclub.org.
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Volunteer Opportunites in the Wissahickon
Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers (WRV) will lead a service project from 10 a.m. – noon as part of their on-going reforestation activities. Details and directions to the worksite posted on the WRV website (http://wissahickonrestorationvolunteers.org) at least one week prior to the event. For information and to RSVP contact WRV at 215-951-0330 x2101 or wrv.info@rhd.org.
Friends of the Wissahickon volunteers repair and build structures in the Wissahickon from 9:00 am to 1 pm. If you are handy with tools and like to build, call Ed Stainton at 215-247-2763.
Friends of the Wissahickon volunteers rebuild dry stone wall in the Wissahickon from 9:00 am to 1 pm. If you like to work with stones, call Dan Mercer at 215-280-0441
Friends of the Wissahickon volunteers do repairs within the Wissahickon from 9:00 am to 1 pm. If you would like to help, call Ed Stainton at 215-247-2763.
Sierra Club and Hiking Around Philly sponsors a monthly trail work party from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. For details and place to meet, email Sidney Goldstein at sg@mrbasketball.net or call 215-247- 4459.
Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers (WRV) will lead a service project from 10 a.m. to noon as part of their on-going reforestation activities. Project details and directions to the worksite will be posted on the WRV website (http://wissahickonrestorationvolunteers.org) at least one week prior to the event. For information and to RSVP, contact WRV at 215-951-0330 x201 or wrv.info@rhd.org.
Philadelphia Mountain Biking Association leads a work day sponsored by FOW. This work day focuses on sustainable trail restoration at various locations throughout the park from 9 amto 2 pm. For more information, visit www.phillymtb.com or contact Kevin Groves at 215-247-0417 or groves@fow.org. Click here for more information about the next workday.
Friends of the Wissahickon leads a service project at various locations in the Park from 10 am to 2 pm. Projects include trail maintenance, invasive weed removal, planting and clean-ups. April through October volunteer days are typically held 3 to 4 Saturday per month. November thru March volunteer days are typically held 1-2 Saturdays per month. For information on particular dates, check the volunteer calendar or contact Kevin Groves at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.
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Activities at Historic RittenhouseTown
Historic RittenhouseTown (HRT) offers classes, workshops and events for individuals and families to learn about the craft of hand papermaking and other spects of Colonial life at the original Rittenhouse Family Homestead. HRT is located on Lincoln Drive at Rittenhouse Street . For information, call 215-438-5711; e-mail HistRitTwn@aol.com , or visit www.rittenhousetown.org.
Activities at Valley Green Inn
Yappy Hour. Benefits Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). 5-8PM. 20% of Inn sales for the evening will be donated to PAWS.
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Activities at the Wissahickon Environmental Center
The Wissahickon Environmental Center (WEC) at Andorra Natural Area (Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Ave.) offers the following activities to teach individuals about the natural world. Pre-registration is required for all programs.Space is limited, so register early! Unless otherwise noted, all programs are FREE, meet atthe Tree House, and last approximately 90 minutes. For information and registration, phone 215-685-9285 or email patricia.fries@phila.gov. Your registration must be confirmed by our staff.
Open House at the Tree House
Come explore the Tree House on the first Saturday of each month! See our native fish aquarium, naturalistic mural, birdfeeders, and discover our children’s activity center. 10AM to 4PM. All ages. No registration necessary. FREE
Mom & Tot Tea Party. 9 am - 12 pm. Drop by the Tree House with your little one for a morning of maple sap tea and socializing. Visit maple trees to see where the sap comes from. Your child will discover how maple sap can become a sweet natural treat to enjoy. $3.00 per adult. Children FREE.
Tea Time at the Tree House. 1 - 4 pm. Bring a friend to enjoy an afternoon tea party at the Tree House. Unwind as you try some specialty teas brewed with hot maple sap straight from the maple trees of the Wissahickon. Adults only. $3.00.
Maple Sugar Day. 11 am - 3 pm. Join us on Forbidden Drive (near Northwestern Ave.) for our annual Maple Sugar Day.There will be ongoing maple sugaring demonstrations, pancakes served with real maple syrup, a taste test of many different pancake toppings, as well as freshly made maple candy to taste. Pennsylvania maple syrup products will be available for purchase. All ages welcome.
As part of FOW’s Protect Our Watershed series, The Wissahickon Environmental Center staff is available to deliver a FREE presentation about watershed issues to your organization. Learn how you can play a role in cleaning up the waterways near your home. Call for information.
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