Philadelphia Service: Restore Land Health, History & Cultural Riches in the Birthplace of Independence

The Trip

Join the park service in the birthplace of liberty. We’ll improve public lands, stay in a former mansion, now a comfortable hostel, visit historic and cultural sites, and enjoy international cuisine.

Combine park service and sightseeing in Philadelphia, America’s birthplace, Lonely Planet’s #1 must-see destination for 2016, and a 2024 addition to the Michelin Green Guides. Improve public lands while experiencing all this first World Heritage City in North America offers. This trip features rewarding work in a modern urban mecca that aspires to be the greenest city in America, incorporating sustainability, water management, and climate resiliency while rebuilding its aging infrastructure. We’ll visit both world-renowned and off-the-beaten-track attractions that most tourists don’t see.

The Project

We will work in sections of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the largest landscaped park in the United States, under the direction of local conservation and community organizations, on ecological restoration and land health initiatives. Our organizational partners will choose sites that need loving care in different sections of the city and direct us in a variety of tasks that might include clearing or maintaining trails, removing invasive plants and planting native species, preparing nursery or planting beds, and helping reduce erosion and improve stormwater management. Working side by side with dedicated urban land health specialists, we’ll see how grassroots organizations are improving stressed urban lands and expanding access for residents to protect and enjoy nature.

Fairmount Park and the City of Philadelphia stand on Indigenous territory known as “Lenapehoking,” the traditional homelands of the Lenape, also called Lenni-Lenape or Delaware Indians. During the 1680s, their negotiations with William Penn led to the founding of the colony of Pennsylvania. Their living descendants today include the Delaware Tribe and Delaware Nation of Oklahoma; the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape, Ramapough Lenape, and Powhatan Lenape of New Jersey; and the Munsee Delaware of Ontario.

From Drexel University’s Land Acknowledgement Statement

The land on which Drexel University stands is part of the traditional territory of the Lenape called “Lenapehokink” (pronunciation: Lun-nah-pay-ho-king). It is here that the people called the 'grandfather tribe' and the 'peacemakers' have lived their lives, spoken their language, and held their ceremonies for thousands of years. Indeed, Lenape is translated as “real or original person.” During the colonial and early federal period, many were removed west and north, but some also remain in their homeland. The Lenape were subjected to 250 years of colonization that included cultural suppression and erasure, forced removal from this land and continue to experience systemic discrimination and marginalization.

Our itinerary is tentative and subject to change depending on weather, pacing, the group, safety, and other conditions. Participants need to be flexible and adapt as circumstances change. Good humor and a positive attitude make for a convivial, supportive atmosphere. To get the most out of the outing, be ready for the unexpected. For the safety and enjoyment of all, participants are expected to stay together during group activities and notify the trip leaders or guide of any issue or concern or if they opt out of a planned program. The leaders reserve the right to make changes as necessary, both before and during the trip. Please be aware Sierra Club empowers the leaders to exclude individuals from a trip activity in the interest of everyone’s safety and health.

The trip leaders will send more detailed information, including travel instructions, packing suggestions, and an itinerary to confirmed participants before the trip.

Approximate Daily Schedule: 
7:15-8:15 a.m. Breakfast at the hostel. We’ll rotate preparation and cleanup tasks and pack our lunches from an assortment of delectable fixings.

8:30 a.m.  Assemble and carpool to the day’s work site. Most sites are under 10 miles or 15 to 20 minutes from the hostel.

9:00-12 noon  Work, with breaks as needed.

12-12:45 p.m. – On full workdays, eat a packed lunch at the work site. On half days, return to the hostel or other site for lunch.

12:45 – 3:15 p.m. On full workdays, continue service, then carpool back to the hostel to relax or go out for the evening’s activity.

On half days of work, following lunch, we’ll clean up and leave for afternoon or evening excursions.

For transportation to scheduled excursions around the city, we will use a combination of walking, public transport, and carpooling, with participants sharing rides, or group taxis or rideshare services. The trip cost includes parking for participants who drive others for scheduled excursions.

Carpooling: While we strive to minimize our ecological and climate footprints, the logistics of this outing require us to drive to and from our work sites and some of our excursions. Participants will drive or ride in carpools in participant’s vehicles to our off-site activities, so we will need volunteers willing to drive others. Driving distances are five to ten miles each way. Typically, passengers contribute to cover gas/mileage expenses for those who volunteer to drive. See Sierra Club carpooling policy.

Afternoon and evening excursions will include guided walking tours of neighborhoods rich in history and character and visits to attractions such as:

• Independence Hall, Independence Visitors Center, and the Historic District

• The National Constitution Center

• Chinatown

• Ben Franklin Parkway (Philadelphia’s grand boulevard, modeled on the Champs–Élysées in Paris) and Museum District

• Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

• Reading Terminal Market

• Philadelphia Museum of Art

Trip costs include admission fees for three major sites, to be determined based on schedules and guide availability. You may opt to visit and pay admissions to other sites on your own.

Meals are included in the trip price unless specified otherwise.

Preliminary daily schedule:

Day 1: Check-in at Chamounix Mansion Hostel by 5:00 p.m. Unpack and settle in your comfortable shared rooms. We’ll enjoy a welcome dinner from a local restaurant/caterer and orientation to the week and your host city before resting up for the days ahead.

Day 2: Full workday, guided walk/hike, dinner in the hostel from a local restaurant.

Day 3: Half-day service work. Lunch at the work site or hostel. Afternoon/evening: Visit city attractions, a group dinner in Chinatown, or another featured restaurant.

Day 4: Day “off” -- choose your activities. Leaders will provide a list of recommendations and can accompany groups. Meals: from hostel provisions or on your own.

Day 5: Full workday, visit city sites, choose your spot for dinner (pay your own).

Day 6:

• Morning: Half-day service work.

• Lunch at Reading Terminal Market (pay your own).

• Afternoon: More city sights.

• Dinner: Group dinner at a restaurant.

Day 7: Free day to enjoy the city and region. Lunch on your own. Meet for our last group dinner.

Day 8: Breakfast at the hostel, clean up, and check out for departure by 11:00 a.m. You are free to pack leftovers to go. Make arrangements for your next Sierra Club Outing!

Getting There

We encourage participants to minimize their ecological footprints by using the most efficient means of transport possible. The leaders can help participants contact one another to arrange carpooling.

While Zipcar share and other commercial vehicle rentals are available locally, you do not need a vehicle during the week, except perhaps on our free day if you’d like to visit someplace outside the city.

Philadelphia has frequent bus and train service, through Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor service and SEPTA Regional Rail, from points north (Boston and New York), south (Baltimore and Washington D.C.), and west (Pittsburgh).

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is a major transit point for many airlines. The city is also accessible by rail from Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) and Newark (EWR) airports.

Taxis or rideshare from the airport directly to the hostel average $35 to $45 and should take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

SEPTA Regional Rail has frequent service from the Philadelphia airport to the main William H Gray III 30th Street Station (about 20 minutes) for less than $10 each way. From there, taxi or rideshare to the hostel takes 10 to 15 minutes and costs about $15.

SEPTA also runs the city and regional bus, trolley and subway routes, but the service to the hostel is infrequent and not very convenient. Philadelphia’s bike share program has stations near the hostel and in many locations around the city and close to all main attractions. 

Philadelphia is considered a walking city and is rated by PeopleforBikes as the fourth best large city in the United States for cycling. The city center is largely flat, and sidewalks abound. Still, caution is advised when walking, cycling and crossing streets.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Helpful sites for overland travel planning:

• Rome2Rio: discover how to get anywhere

• Wanderu: Search & Compare Cheap Bus and Train Tickets

• Amtrak rail

• SEPTA (Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority)

• RideGuru - Fare Estimates, Uber, Lyft, Taxis, Limos, and more

Accommodations and Food

We’ll stay in Hostelling International’s Chamounix Mansion, a dwelling of former grandeur, now a group lodging and conference center. It is close to the city center, yet in a peaceful country-like setting away from the noise, hustle and bustle of the city center.

Nestled in the heart of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, Chamounix Mansion was originally built in 1802 as a country home. It rests on a scenic bluff above the Schuylkill River and is convenient to Philadelphia's cultural and historic attractions, sporting events, and restaurants.

Our group will be the only guests in our hostel building. We’ll have our own space in dormitory-style rooms, each with four to eight bunk beds, that are simple but clean and comfortable. There are gender specific and all-gender rooms and bathrooms nearby. There is sufficient space for all participants to have a lower bunk, so there’s no need to climb up and down. We want to conserve your energy for work!

We cannot offer private rooms for individuals or couples.

The hostel has a fully equipped kitchen and lounge area for our group’s exclusive use, ample free parking, limited storage space in small lockers for personal belongings as well as coin-operated laundry facilities.

Nearby, there are walking and cycling trails, an equestrian center and public tennis courts, all part of Fairmount Park.

Food:

We’ll share light meal preparation and clean up duties using proper food handling hygiene practices. Breakfasts will include bagels and toast with spreads, muffins or other baked goods, yogurts, fresh fruit, hot and cold cereal, hard boiled or scrambled eggs, and coffee and tea.

On most days, we’ll pack our own lunches and snacks from provisions set out after dinner or at breakfast time. For dinners at the hostel, participants will help set and clean up and do light prep such as assembling salads or desserts and making coffee and tea. We’ll have delicious dinners delivered to the hostel by a local caterer/restaurants, or we will eat out and sample a variety of international local cuisine.

All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners are included in the trip fee. On your free day, you are welcome to dine on any leftovers or graze on group provisions, and at the end of the week, you may pack a to-go container for the trip home.

As part of our effort to reduce the trip’s ecological footprint and climate impact, the meals included in the trip price are plant-based, with some eggs and dairy. During our meals out, there will be ample opportunities to choose animal products if you so desire. We can accommodate most dietary needs such as gluten or dairy-free, provided participants notify the trip leaders by the dates specified. Our meals will be varied, nutritious and tasty. Of course, you are welcome to enjoy whatever dishes fit your dietary needs. We know that some participants, for medical, nutritional, religious, or other reasons, prefer to bring some of your own food, and we are happy to support that option. You’ll have access to refrigerator space for labeled personal items and shelves for non-refrigerated foods in closed storage containers. Participants with strict dietary requirements must discuss their needs with the trip leaders well in advance of the trip to determine how best to accommodate them.

Sierra Club policy prohibits purchasing alcohol with trip funds. However, the hostel permits guests to supply their own.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is moderately physically demanding. We will walk several miles a day during our workdays, on mostly graded trails with minimal elevation and on city tours on level sidewalks. Our work involves bending, digging, carrying and using hand tools, removing brush, some lifting and other physical exertion. Participants should be in reasonably good physical condition, able to walk on both flat and uneven terrain, slopes and unpaved trails, and be comfortable doing the tasks described for several hours a day. At the same time, we realize that this is your vacation, so we encourage everyone to work according to their ability and take breaks as needed.

Leaders will send pre-trip materials with safety and health information and suggestions for fitness preparation.

Trip leaders and our host organizations on site will instruct the group about safe tool use, injury prevention and other safety precautions.

If you have any concerns about your ability to participate fully and enjoy the trip, please contact the leaders.

Service outings are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world better for all.

Trip members are expected to participate in scheduled group activities. We have built in some free time to spend as you please. We ask you to be punctual, considerate of fellow Sierra Club travelers, and willing to help out to keep things pleasant for all. We request that all participants be understanding about differences in views, comfort levels, fitness, speed, experience, and skill in outdoor activities. We are not in a competition or race. We look out for one another, try to be welcoming and respectful, supportive, encouraging, sensitive and responsive to individual differences, views, and needs. Please discuss with the trip leader any issues or concerns that would affect your and others’ participation and enjoyment.

Equipment and Clothing

Tools and equipment needed for the fieldwork will be supplied. For hygienic reasons and for better fit and comfort, we recommend bringing your own work gloves. The leaders will provide a detailed packing list to confirmed participants. In addition to regular clothing suitable for the season and our excursions, you should include long work pants and shirts, sturdy closed-toed shoes or boots, a protective sun hat, sunglasses, and a full rain suit, top and bottom. Also, you’ll need a daypack, reusable beverage and lunch container, any utensils needed for lunch, insect repellent, sunscreen, personal medications, toiletries and a personal first-aid kit.

References

Books:

• McClelland, James and Lynn Miller, City in a Park: A History of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park System. 

• Fairmount Philadelphia's Park: A History

• Lonely Planet: Philadelphia

• Towne, Chari, A River Again: The Story of the Schuylkill River Project (2012).

• Kephart, Beth, Flow: The Life and Times of Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River and Love: A Philadelphia Affair. 

Online Resources:

• YouTube Video interview with James McClelland and Lynn Miller, authors of City in a Park. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zup_IwtAODk

• Lonely Planet: Philadelphiahttps://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/pennsylvania/philadelphia

• 10 Parks That Changed America http://www.pbs.org/video/2365686351/

• 10 That Changed America: Towns http://www.pbs.org/video/2365708904/

• Edens Lost and Found, Episode 2. Philadelphia: The Holy Experiment (2006) 1 hour http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0946162/

• Ben Franklin Parkway, Museum without Walls

Conservation

In most places in the United States, public funding and support for parks has not kept pace with their growing popularity. Philadelphia’s dense population places high demand on Fairmount Park and its public lands, and the system struggles to balance the need to maintain open access for multiple recreational uses while protecting ecological integrity and biodiversity. Through our work and during presentations, we will learn about the history of the Fairmount Park system, the Schuylkill and Delaware River watersheds, and plans for protecting them, especially in light of stresses from urban development and climate change. 

We will learn about the cultural and natural history of the region, including about indigenous peoples, first European arrivals, resource extraction, and impacts of human development. We'll also learn about ecology, local habitats and biodiversity, current conservation concerns and issues in the region, and the efforts to restore, protect, and preserve its ecological richness. We encourage participants to share information about environmental issues in their localities and strive to follow Leave No Trace principles.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.