This week, Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection announced the 2026 recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence. Fairmount Park Conservancy is excited to share that the FDR Park Tidal Wetland, built in partnership with Philadelphia International Airport and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, is one of the projects recognized this year for “building healthier, more sustainable communities throughout Pennsylvania.”

First breaking ground in 2022, the 33-acre tidal wetland project converted an illegal dumping site overrun with invasive plants  into a native habitat featuring 7,000 new trees and thousands of shrubs and grasses. 

The wetland project is part of the broader FDR Park Plan, which envisions a balance of nature, activity, and water across 348 acres of public park land. During the community engagement process that guided the long-term FDR Park Plan, the community identified the ability to connect with nature through restored habitats, access to water and hiking/nature trails as a high priority.

After the construction of tidal channels and the planting of coastal zone vegetation, this functional wetland naturally absorbs and filters pollutants, traps sediment, stores carbon, provides wildlife habitat, and enhances biodiversity.

Now part of the park’s growing “ecological core,” the new wetlands in FDR Park will collect water and mitigate flooding, enabling other parts of the park to remain dry and accessible. 

As the wetland ecosystem matures, it is growing more resilient and more welcoming to wildlife – including ducks, shorebirds and songbirds, herons, osprey, bald eagles, fishes, beaver, fox, red bellied turtles, and white-tailed deer. 

Learn more about this transformative project from our 2024 blog.