Wissahickon Trails

06/06/2026

Just a few years ago, this corner of the Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve looked very different.

Today, an accessible observation platform welcomes more people to experience birds, wildlife, and the changing seasons, while native Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) and other indigenous perennial plants are beginning to fill the landscape. As these plants mature, they'll provide food and habitat for the insects and birds that keep this ecosystem thriving.

This is what Life in the Wissahickon looks like.

If you're in Ambler, stop by the Waterfowl Preserve and see how much has changed! And if you'd like to help more places like this continue to grow, consider making a gift to support Life in the Wissahickon: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/wissahickon-trails/wissahickon-trails-general-donation-form

Photos by Erin Landis

06/04/2026

Not every hike has to take up your whole day. Sometimes, 60 minutes is all it takes!

Join us Sunday morning for for our monthly One-Hour Power Hike happening at Briar Hill Preserve. We'll keep a steady pace and tackle some hills along the way, so come ready for a good workout and a rewarding morning on the trail!

The group will do a total of 60 minutes on the trail and will start and end back at the parking lot of Prophecy Creek Park.

📅 Sunday, June 7 at 8:00am

Register here: https://wissahickontrails.org/events/one-hour-power-hike-june

Photo by Jay Wismer

06/03/2026

The plants around us do more than fill the landscape. They can connect us to generations of knowledge.

Join Alison Rohde of Brigid Rising this Saturday, June 6th, at 10:00am at Four Mills Nature Reserve for Plants of the Wissahickon. Together, you'll learn about some of our most common indigenous and invasive plants, their ecosystem impacts, and how they have traditionally been used for food and medicine. Come discover a whole new way of seeing the landscape beneath your feet. 🌿

Register here: https://wissahickontrails.org/events/plants-of-the-wissahickon

Photos by Margaret Rohde and Kristy Morley

06/02/2026

Every day, people experience the Wissahickon in their own way. Some come to hike. Some walk their dogs. Some volunteer, attend programs, or simply spend time outside.

What many don't see is the work that makes those experiences possible. Caring for the Wissahickon requires ongoing stewardship, restoration, monitoring, and community support.

For nearly 70 years, supporters like you have helped protect the land, water, and wildlife that make this region special. Today, that work continues across more than 1,300 acres of preserved open space.

This summer, we're inviting our community to continue supporting this work.

Visit our website today and help keep life in the Wissahickon growing: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/wissahickon-trails/wissahickon-trails-general-donation-form

05/28/2026

Join us for this Sunday’s Open House at the Evans-Mumbower Mill (May 31st from 1-4pm). See firsthand how the power of water and gravity transformed food production and helped establish the surrounding community.

We'll be joined by local blacksmith John Bangor of Riddle of Steel Blacksmithing, who will give a 30-minute demonstration at 1:00pm. Afterward, guided tours will be offered every 30 minutes at 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm and 3:30pm.

Learn more and register today: https://wissahickontrails.org/events/mill-open-house-6

Photos by Alex McWhorter

05/27/2026

Every spring and summer, wildlife stories unfold across our watershed.

Birds migrate through our forests. Monarch butterflies begin their long flight south. Salamanders emerge beneath damp leaves after rain. Nestlings grow quietly inside monitored boxes tucked throughout our preserves.

Now, you can have a front-row seat to these remarkable journeys.

Our wildlife adoption program supports hands-on conservation and community science happening right here in the Wissahickon. Each adoption helps us monitor the species that live here and better understand how our local environment is changing over time.

You can follow the season through:
🐦 Birds
🦋 Monarchs
🦎 Salamanders
🏡 Nest Boxes

Adoptions are limited based on field monitoring capacity.

Support wildlife research in the Wissahickon by making your adoption today! https://wissahickontrails.org/support/adoption-programs

05/22/2026

The 36th Annual Tex Mex 5K Race for Open Space is coming up on June 24, and we’re grateful to once again to Tex Mex Connection for this beloved community event supporting local open space preservation.

Every runner and volunteer helps protect the trails, forests, and waterways of the Wissahickon watershed, all while enjoying a night of tacos, margaritas, live music, and community under the stars!

🏃‍♀️🍹 Registration is NOW OPEN for the 36th Annual Tex Mex 5K Race for Open Space!

Join us on Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 at 7pm for the region’s favorite midweek Margarita Run! 🌮🎶

Your registration includes:
✅ Race entry
✅ Meal after the race
✅ Margarita or beer
✅ Access to our Party Under the Stars with live music & an outdoor bar!

Race spots fill quickly every year, so don’t wait to sign up! Register individually or gather your friends and create a Green Ribbon Team while helping preserve local green space 💚

(215) 699 - 9552
texmexconnection.com
https://runtheday.com/register/view_participants/344836/?source=upcomingraces

05/21/2026

Community Canopy Project recently joined our staff in the field to help tackle invasive Norway maple at one of our preserves. We’re grateful to Community Canopy Project and Andrew The Arborist for lending their expertise and helping share the ecology behind these efforts. Check out this closer look at the why behind this restoration work and what it means for native forests. 🌲

05/21/2026

If you visit Four Mills Nature Reserve this Memorial Day weekend, you may notice a change at the Rose Rubenstein stepping stone crossing. The ladder previously installed at the crossing has been removed.

The trail remains open with a long-term solution expected to be completed by the end of this year. Thank you for your patience as we continue enhancing trail experiences across our preserves!

Photos by Margaret Rohde, Associate Conservation Director

05/15/2026

This spring, 346 incredible volunteers rolled up their sleeves and showed up for their local watershed. Together, they collected 174 bags of trash and 11 tires from the Wissahickon Creek and its tributaries!

A heartfelt thank you to all of our volunteers for all of their hard work. Thank you to our corporate sponsors and partners: Athletic Brewing Company, Aqua, B Gone Waste, Kulicke & Soffa, North Penn Water Authority, Russell Roofing & Exteriors, The Philadelphia Cricket Club, Ally, Mid Penn Bank, and Horseways for helping make this day possible.

📸 View the full album and add your photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sCVcShDNEN6pP2kL8