As most of us Pennsylvanians probably learned in high school, the Delaware River is the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey (always a head scratcher that the Delaware River is a river for only a short run through its eponymous state; the river broadens to become the Delaware Bay shortly after it enters the state of Delaware.) The river actually starts in New York state, flowing more than 300 miles southward to the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
I've lived in the Delaware River watershed my entire life, and have only recently learned to appreciate what a treasure it is. Sixteen million people — five percent of the country's population — get their drinking water from this river.
I am lucky to live just a quarter mile, as the blue heron flies, from the Wissahickon Creek, which flows into the Schuylkill River, which then flows into the Delaware River near the Philadelphia airport. My dog and I hike along the beautiful Wissahickon almost every day, so I get more benefits from the watershed than just clean drinking water.
PennFuture is a founding member of the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed. We're proud to be working with our coalition partners to host the Delaware River Watershed Forum on Monday, October 28, and Tuesday, October 29. Visionaries from NGOs, government agencies, foundations, and other organizations working across the region will gather at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia for facilitated discussions on critical issues affecting conservation and restoration work in the Delaware and its tributaries.
There's no charge to participate, so come one, come all! And bring a friend. Space is limited, so act soon!
Hope to see you there. — Joy Bergey
