Part of our mission is to support the ecological needs and natural habitats along the Trail. Thanks to our volunteers, the replanting of the meadow as a no-mow zone was winter prepped and readied for the 2024 spring growing season.

Learn more about our Trail conservation & stewardship

Creating a Native Meadow to Improve Storm Water Management and Restore Wildlife

In 2022, The Friends partnered with the Lower Merion Conservancy to improve the quality of the landscape along the trail, funded through a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant from the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund. During heavy rain, water rips down the Trail, forcing gravel, sediment, and other pollutants over the Trail before flowing into Vine Creek and the Schuylkill River. 

This project, designed by landscape design Bob Gray, uses green strategies to capture and filter stormwater. The plan converted lawn to meadow and hundreds of tress, shrubs, and other plants were added to the landscape. Not only do these plantings enhance the habitat for insects and wildlife and will contribute to year-round beauty for trail users, they also filter harmful sediments from stormwater runoff, resulting in cleaner water going into the waterways. 

Informative walks and interpretive signage educate the publish about the importance of maintaining quality watersheds. 

You can view the plan as designed by landscape designer Bob Gray and learn more in the Stewardship section of our website.  

In August 2022, lighting was installed along the Manayunk Bridge that connects Lower Merion to Philadelphia, allowing the gates at both ends of the bridge to be open at all times. The Friends continue to explore efforts to add additional lighting along the trail from the bridge to the Barmouth Trailhead.