The Tree Endowment

Contributions to Friends of Clark Park provide a great way to celebrate a wedding or commitment ceremony, to welcomve the birth of a new baby, or to commemorate the life of a loved one.

Contribute to our "Commemorative Tree Program" to plant a tree in someone's honor. Or, make a donation to the FOCP "Tree Endowment Fund," established to grow and fund tree care and planting in the years ahead.

Make your check payable to "Friends of Clark Park" and be sure to write "Tree Endowment" or "Commemorative Tree" on the memo line.

Mail contributions to:
FOCP, PO Box 31908, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

2007:Tree Map/Inventory Available for Download

Chris Leswing's provided a PDF of his fabulous Tree Map. Download it and print it for yourself.

2006: Tree Planting in Clark Park

Well be putting up photos of our planting on December 2nd. But in the meantime, here's the video link again:

2004 Update: Park Entrance Flowers

During our latest Volunteer Day, Andy Cole snapped this picture of the flowers Chris Leswing planted during the 2003 tree planting.

Pruning pays off

Our hard-working core corps of volunteers spent a bunch of Saturdays pruning dead, crossing and descending branches. The results? More light reaches the ground and sightlines have improved throughout the park.

Much appreciation to Mark Jenson, Joe Shapiro, Chris Leswing; board members Ann Dixon and Andy Cole; the UCD's John Fenton, Kaz, and others who helped prune & mulch.

This winter, the Fairmount Park Commission removed damaged street trees along Chester Ave, 45th and 43rd streets. They plan on grinding the stumps too! It's sad to lose trees, but they were in bad shape and the removals now create planting opportunities.

Pruning was done for both the health of trees and of humans. Along the way, the team identified trees in need of an arborist's attention. If you want to help plant or prune, contact Chris Leswing.

Storms strike park, volunteers strike back

A fierce October windstorm toppled a large, mature plane tree near the new tot lot, and it also split a pear tree alongside Chester Avenue (now removed) and badly battered limbs of a nearby Norway maple. In June, lightning struck one of the park's magnificent oaks; the tree probably will die. 

That's why we plant.

Volunteers from FOCP and the South Asia Society and Muslim Students Association planted five trees in August: a yellowwood, a tulip poplar, a pin oak and two tree lilacs. Thanks to Philadelphia Green for a $1,500 grant covering cost of the trees and consultation with a professional arborist.

2001 Clark Park Tree Report

The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania did an extensive survey of Clark Park's trees during summer 2001.

Results: Over 75% of the park's trees are in good health (expected to live 15+ years). The report documented 41 different species of trees in the park, although 55% are of just one species: London plane (often called sycamore). This concentration leaves the park vulnerable to major losses if a disease struck the London planes, and FOCP is following the report's recommendation to diversify future plantings. The $8,500 survey was funded by the University City District.

Contact Us