Abington Junior High School “Green Thumbs Club” and Others Recognized at Riparian Buffer Ceremony
Abington School District students, staff members, and representatives from community groups celebrate implementation of the riparian buffer at Abington Junior High School
Abington School District students and staff, community residents, and watershed stewards celebrated awards and recognition received for the newly blooming riparian buffer planted at this critical headwater of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Creek adjacent to Abington Junior High School. Accolades include National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat certification, the National Audubon Society Bird Habitat Recognition, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Community Greening Award.
Rainwater carries chemicals, trash, and other materials over land and into storm drains and creeks, adversely impacting waterways, plants, and wildlife. Riparian buffers help absorb and filter rainwater before it reaches these creeks.
This buffer is improving the health of the creek and providing a permanent outdoor classroom. It has already provided opportunities for students, as well as neighbors to learn how the creek impacts the health of this 30 square mile watershed and the Delaware River, one of the sources of drinking water for Philadelphia.
Planted in two phases in the fall of 2012 and 2013 with over 200 volunteers from across the watershed, this buffer along the headwaters of East Baeder Creek on the playing fields at Abington Junior High School, is home to over 500 native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. This project was led by the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership, Inc. in collaboration with school clubs, the Abington Environmental Advisory Commission, and Briar Bush Nature Center.
This project was funded through a Treevitalize Watershed grant made possible by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) through funding from the Department of Environmental Protection and Aqua Pennsylvania and an anonymous donor.
In addition to beautifying our watershed, buffers play a key role in improving water quality in streams and rivers, providing these benefits:
- Increased on-site stormwater infiltration
- Decreased non-point source pollution
- Prevention of excessive downstream flows
- Decreased water temperature through shading
- Improved habitat for wildlife
- Increased opportunity for watershed education