A Tour of Little Crum Creek Park
Andrew Bunting points out invasive species at Little Crum Creek Park. Photo: Morgan McErlean
On Saturday morning, August 14, Andrew Bunting led a tour of Little Crum Creek Park, accompanied by several fellow board members of the Friends of Little Crum Creek Park and residents of Swarthmore and Rutledge. The purpose of the tour was to provide information about the park, and highlight the achievements and future plans of the Friends.
The tour began at the gazebo on the Cresson Lane entrance to the park and continued along the edge of the creek. Andrew discussed some of the work that Friends and their volunteer group, known as Park Pals, have been engaged in over the past several months, including cutting back Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii, and other invasive plants.
Friends have been actively working in the park for the past year, on the Second Saturday of each month. Residents of Swarthmore and nearby communities come to work on the removal of invasive species, weeding and mulching trees, spreading wood chips for the path, and cleaning the creeks of debris. Another volunteer group, the Greenagers, which was formed this summer, is composed of Girl Scouts, and meets regularly on Friday mornings for one hour to work at various tasks within the park.
One of the primary goals of the Friends is to restore native species throughout the park. During the tour, Andrew pointed out some of the invasive species present that pose a threat to the ecosystem. For example, the Norway maple, Acer platanoides, is a tree that grows rapidly and provides shade but is allelopathic, a phenomenon that produces biochemicals that threaten the survival of other species. Invasive species such as Amur honeysuckle and the Norway maple, both found throughout the park, not only harm the native plants but, additionally, harm wildlife. Wildlife relies on the native plants for sustenance often not provided by invasive species. Work is actively being carried out by Friends and Park Pals to lessen the damage done by invasive species, and they hope to restore native plants throughout the park. Hopefully, these efforts will encourage a return of many forms of wildlife.
Another goal of the tour was to explain and promote future projects that Friends hope to take on, some of which are outlined in their three-year strategic plan. For example, on the Cresson Lane side of the park, which is primarily used for picnicking, playing, and events such as story hours sponsored by the Swarthmore Public Library, Andrew suggested that the stone benches could be replaced due to impracticality and danger.
Another hope of Friends is to increase accessibility for all park visitors, including those with disabilities. They hope to explore the installation of a new path to the Cresson Lane entrance because of its access to parking and somewhat level ground. Also mentioned as additions were signs with QR codes to provide information about the park, routing those interested to the Friends’ website (www.friendsoflittlecrumcreekpark.org).
On the main lawn in the center of the park, the meadow, Andrew pointed out an unusable fireplace that may be removed. Along the back of the meadow, edging the backyards of neighboring properties on Swarthmore Ave., Friends would like to replace the current fencing with a new fence. The Friends hope to work with the neighbors to discuss their desires for screening, and if they would like native vines and native trees and shrubs planted along the fence. The group then walked up a path near the wetland to the Yale Ave. side of the park, where Andrew highlighted plans to refurbish the path, which lies in the northern section of the park, and plant more native plants.
The tour concluded at the corner of Yale and Swarthmore aves., an entrance to the park and to the borough. Andrew used this location to outline plans to build a new sign (potentially surrounding it with annual plants) and plant native plants along the edge of the neighboring property that adjoins the park at this location.
The hour-long tour provided insight into the accomplishments of the Friends thus far. Little Crum Creek Park is one of Swarthmore’s most valuable assets as its largest park, at about five acres, and the Friends and volunteers are helping to restore the park and situate it as a community gathering place. If you are interested in helping, please join the Friends and Park Pals on any Second Saturday of each month, or watch for future events on their website or on Facebook. Or, just take a walk and enjoy the park’s natural—and increasingly native—beauty.
