Want to do some good for your community? Show your neighborhood park some love! Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation are excited to announce that volunteer registration for Love Your Park Fall Service Day is now OPEN.
This fall, there are over 70 parks hosting clean-up service days on Saturday, November 12th for Love Your Park Fall Service Day. To lend a hand at one of the clean-ups, please register here today!
Love Your Park is a program of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Fairmount Park Conservancy, in partnership with Philadelphia’s incredible Park Friends Network, made up of volunteer groups who steward their neighborhood parks. Every fall, thousands of volunteers come out to clean and green their parks, plant trees, clean up litter, and more to help prepare parks for the winter.
This year, FDR Park in South Philadelphia is the signature site on Love Your Park Fall Service Day, joining more than 70 other neighborhood parks across the city.
Questions? Here is everything you need to know about this year’s Love Your Park Fall Service Day.
What is Love Your Park Fall Service Day?
It’s one day in the fall dedicated to service and celebration in Philly’s parks. Volunteers are encouraged to come out to their neighborhood park and lend a hand, helping prep our public spaces for winter by raking leaves, mulching, planting trees and flower bulbs, cleaning litter, and more.
Who runs Love Your Park?
Love Your Park is a joint program of Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, and is a collaboration with more than 130 neighborhood-based volunteer groups in the Park Friends Network.
Most Love Your Park events are organized by the Park Friends Network. Park Friends Groups are community-based groups of neighbors who volunteer their time to host park clean-ups, plan events and activities in their park, and advocate for improvements.
How can I volunteer?
First things first: Register to volunteer. Check out the full list of participating parks at loveyourpark.org.
Why should I volunteer?
Two big reasons to lend a hand:
- It’s a great way to give back to our parks that have given us so much. Many of us know firsthand just how critical parks and open spaces are for our mental health and wellbeing. With 10,200 acres of parkland in Philadelphia, including hundreds of neighborhood parks, there’s a lot to maintain!
- You’ll be contributing to a healthier environment: At Love Your Park Fall Service Day, volunteers will be planting trees and flower bulbs, collecting leaves, mulching, and more. Planting trees not only beautifies your community, but trees are also natural air purifiers – they help absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. Composting leaves ensures they are kept out of our landfills and also creates a nutrient rich material that can be used to sustain plants and trees at local gardens and parks. Cleaning up litter helps keep trash out of our waterways which helps fish, wildlife and the quality of our local drinking water.
What if I can’t volunteer on November 12th?
Don’t worry, there are other opportunities throughout the year to volunteer for Philly’s parks:
- Our amazing Park Friends Groups across the city host volunteer clean-ups and events all throughout the year. Click here to find your local Park Friends Group.
- Show your support by making a donation to Fairmount Park Conservancy. Funds raised will be used to support programs and projects like Love Your Park throughout Philly’s park system.
What is the best place to stay up to date?
Once you’ve registered to volunteer, you will be connected to your respective Park Friends Group via email with more information. For regular updates, follow Fairmount Park Conservancy on social media at @myphillypark on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Love Your Park is made possible with the support of the Knight Foundation, PECO, and TD Bank
