On 11/14, give back to the parks that gave us so much this year, at Love Your Park Fall Service Day

2020 has been a challenging and turbulent year. Many of us realized firsthand just how critical parks and open spaces are for our mental health and wellbeing and how lucky we are in Philly to have 10,200 acres of parkland, including hundreds of neighborhood parks. 

As we reflect back on how much parks have nourished us through this difficult year, we are excited to offer a great opportunity to give some love back to parks on November 14th.  

Volunteer registration is now open for the annual Love Your Park Fall Service Day on Saturday, November 14th*!

Every fall (and normally in the spring as well), thousands of volunteers come out to clean and green their parks, plant trees, remove litter, and more, to help prepare parks for the winter. Love Your Park is a program of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Fairmount Park Conservancy, in partnership with more than 100 volunteer groups who steward their neighborhood parks. 

Why should you Love Your Park on November 14th? We’ve got three simple reasons.

1. Time spent outside can help relieve stress.
We are living in a stressful time. A recent study found that spending just 20 minutes in a park is enough to improve your well-being.2. Philly’s parks need your help to be prepped for winter.
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.3. You’re helping to make a difference in your neighborhood. 
Whether you live in South Philly, the River Wards, the Northwest, or the Northeast, or in another Philly neighborhood, Love Your Park presents you with an opportunity to make a tangible, lasting difference in your community – and that’s an opportunity worth taking.

Ready to volunteer? Find your park and then register to lend a hand on November 14th!

This program is made possible with the support of the Albert Lofgren-Antoinette Farrar Seymour Donor-Advised Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation, The Gordon Charter Foundation, Knight Foundation, PECO and TD Bank. 

*Please note that for everyone’s safety we will be limiting participation at each park to 25 people, requiring masks, practicing social distancing, and following the most up-to-date guidance from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.