Client Spotlight: Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area

Welcome to the latest edition of our Client Spotlight series, which provides an inside look at our collaboration and accomplishments with a specific client.

For this Client Spotlight, we spoke with Tim Fenchel, Deputy Director of Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area (SRG). The mission of SRG is to connect residents, visitors, and communities to the Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Trail by serving as a catalyst for civic engagement and economic development in order to foster stewardship of the watershed and its heritage. The boundaries of the Heritage Area cover the Schuylkill River watershed in Schuylkill, Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.

Let’s dive in!

1. Tell us a little about SRG and what makes it unique?

2. What does SRG value?

We value our heritage and the deeply-rooted culture of this region. We also look ahead to how we can continue to engage our communities with that heritage and create future generations of stewards for the Schuylkill River and Schuylkill River Trail.

We value vibrant and revitalized communities, and it’s rewarding to see how SRG has contributed to sustainable revitalization of river-town communities, including Phoenixville, Manayunk, and Pottstown. We really value helping to maintain a strong connection between the river and its surrounding neighborhoods. By enabling and encouraging communities to enjoy the river and trail, we create lifelong stewards of these important resources.

Another core value is making outdoor recreation accessible for everyone. The trail is a public recreational resource that anyone can enjoy, and we really try to promote it as a means for health and wellness, all kinds of recreation experiences, family-friendly outings, arts and culture, and much more.

Collaboration is also very valuable to SRG. Every single project and program that we do, we do it in partnership with at least one other organization if not multiple other organizations. The Schuylkill River Water Quality project, which we’ll talk more about today, is a great example of that.

3. What is your primary role within SRG?

As Deputy Director, I get to be involved in just about everything that we do here. I assist with the day-to-day operations of the organization; I pitch in with trail issues when they arise; I’m involved, in some way shape or form, with our various community events throughout the year; and I also have several projects and programs that I personally oversee. The Schuylkill River Water Quality project is one, which we’ll discuss in more detail shortly.

Another unique project I oversee is the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund. Essentially, SRG receives funding from both private and public entities, and we then regrant those funds to local government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations to implement on-the-ground projects for the improvement of water quality throughout the Schuylkill River Watershed. The grants focus on three major sources of pollution: stormwater run-off, agricultural pollution, and abandoned mine drainage.

There is a lot of variety in my role here, which I really enjoy.

4. What excites you about going to work every day?

5. Can you talk a little bit about the partnership between SRG and Princeton Hydro, and the Schuylkill River Water Quality project?

An important aspect of our mission is to connect communities to the Schuylkill River through recreational and educational activities. To fully achieve the Schuylkill River’s potential, we must help the public understand the current health status and what they can do to continue to improve its quality for this generation and generations to come. In 2019, we received a grant from the William Penn Foundation to fund the Schuylkill River Water Quality project, which aimed to document the current ecological status and health of the river, and engage and educate a diverse set of river users and residents.

Through an RFP process, we selected Princeton Hydro as one of the main project advisors. From the start, we hit it off with Michael Hartshorne, Director of Aquatics, and Dana Patterson, Director of Marketing & Communications. The strength of what they brought as a team and their scientific water quality and engagement expertise impressed us from the start and it really carried on throughout the entirety of the project. We had a truly tremendous team of partners, including Berks Nature, Bartram’s Garden, The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, and Stroud Water Research Center.

The project, which focused on the main stem of the river from Reading to Southwest Philadelphia, included four key components:

1. User Opinion and Perceptions Survey
2. Community Science Visual Assessment Trash Survey
3. Water Quality Monitoring
4. Educational Outreach

The yearlong data collection and community science initiative culminated with the launch of  an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap webpage that reveals the local perceptions of the Schuylkill River and aims to connect residents with and encourage engagement with this special resource.

Click here to explore the interactive ArcGIS StoryMap:

6. Do you have a favorite or most memorable moment from the project?

7. The Schuylkill River StoryMap is part of a larger project to foster positive perceptions of the Schuylkill River. Can you talk a little more about your goals moving forward and how you plan to use the StoryMap?

8. What are some of SRG’s initiatives and upcoming activities that you’d like to share?

We have so many wonderful events throughout the year that provide an opportunity for community members to learn about and engage with the Schuylkill River and the Trail.

We just held the Ride for the River outing, which is a one-day bike ride and fundraising event. The ride began at the Pottstown River Front Park and followed about 20-miles of the Schuylkill River Trail to Reading. It’s always a ton of fun.

Every June we have our Annual Schuylkill River Sojourn, which consists of a 7-day, 112-mile guided canoe/kayak trip on the Schuylkill River that begins in rural Schuylkill Haven and ends in Philadelphia. The event combines kayaking/canoeing, camping, education, and games into one exciting adventure.

In November, we’re hosting our 18th annual “Scenes of the Schuylkill” Art Show. Throughout the year, we host several free educational programs, do guided tours at locations within the Heritage Area, and so much more.

Click here to learn more about SRG’s Programs and Events.

A big thanks to Tim and SRG for taking part in our Client Spotlight Series!

Schuylkill River Greenways relies on help from volunteers, who provide valued assistance with trail maintenance, special events, environmental education, water quality monitoring and more. To learn more about how to get involved, visit SRG’s volunteer portal for a full rundown of opportunities.

Click below to read the previous edition of our Client Spotlight Series featuring Seatuck Environmental Association Conservation Policy Advocate Emily Hall:

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