Save The Meadows - Philadelphia

FDR Park Meadows Walk ❄️ POSTPONED ❄️ one week, due to predicted storm. New date: March 1. bit.ly/meadowswalk222

Photo of pond edge in the FDR Meadows, in winter, showing trees, water and sky.

FDR Park Meadows Walk - Sun Feb 22 10am-noon
Join us for a lovely stroll through 100 acres of urban forest and meadow west of Shedbrook Creek, and learn how you can help protect South Philly's last natural area.
Details & RSVP: bit.ly/meadowswalk222

South Philly residents’ lawsuit against FDR Park renovations moves forward After a three-day hearing, a judge disagreed with the city that the residents waited too long to sue. The residents want the judge to halt renovations.

Who's up for another round?
🌳 Meadows defenders 🌳, that's who!

Join us in Phila. City Hall courtroom 425 on Tues or Wed.
Come early, come late, come whenever — it's all good!
Details: docs.google.com/document/d/14JtEZish1L1yyAxSnI5Lbk-Z2JqamcXBNNBE2ReCoBM/

South Philly residents’ lawsuit against FDR Park renovations moves forward After a three-day hearing, a judge disagreed with the city that the residents waited too long to sue. The residents want the judge to halt renovations.

A lawsuit filed by 11 South Philadelphia residents aiming to stop renovation work at FDR Park will move forward, after a judge on Friday overruled the city’s argument that the plaintiffs waited too long to take legal action.
— from @whyynews.bsky.social

Timeline of the citizens’ lawsuit on FDR Park About In Re: Preservation of FDR Park, the citizens’ lawsuit against the FDR Park Plan As part of a $250M project, the Fairmount Park Conservancy has already cleared about 75 acres of the west side o...

This means the case will move toward trial.
Next is a hearing on the plaintiffs' request for an order to halt work. That starts Tuesday Feb 10 in Philadelphia City Hall 425. docs.google.com/document/d/14JtEZish1L1yyAxSnI5Lbk-Z2JqamcXBNNBE2ReCoBM/
Hope to see you there!

Protest signs ("Let the people speak," "No land grab" etc) hang on a construction fence at the FDR Meadows in Philadelphia in May 2024.

The decree is in on the FDR Park Plan lawsuit!
The plaintiffs won on all points. All the City's objections were overruled.
drive.google.com/file/d/16dpqROhUa7XNsCM-uJ4q5hyAgLhMzjLX/

Show up for the FDR Meadows! In court this week, in Philadelphia City Hall. Stop on by!

Info: docs.google.com/document/d/1rdRoZlUlcI-oFG6dlsyOZs6ANA76q_WMTgMuKmmCMYE/

Photo of barren cleared area of FDR Park, with earthmoving equipment. Overlay lettering: IT'S NOW OR NEVER / STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FDR MEADOWS

TODAY: Take 2 minutes to tell the state of Pa. to stop the needless destruction of green space in FDR Park by the city & Fairmount Park Conservancy.
Why and how:
📞 Gov Josh Shapiro (all PA) savethemeadows.com/call-governor-shapiro
📞 Pa. Sen. Nikil Saval (Dist 1) savethemeadows.com/call-senator-saval

Side-by-side maps: from City application showing border meadows vs Conservancy plan showing turf fields

The City of Phila's application to the state DEP is deeply deceptive. ❌ It promises “border meadows” ❌ But the park plan shows turf fields planned in those exact spots.
☎️ Gov Josh Shapiro
savethemeadows.com/call-governor-shapiro
☎️ Pa. Sen. Nikil Saval
savethemeadows.com/call-senator-saval

🌿 South Philly has just 5% canopy but the city wants to destroy thousands of trees here, including heritage trees, and install 32 acres of toxic artificial turf.
☎️ Gov Josh Shapiro
savethemeadows.com/call-governor-shapiro
☎️ Pa. Sen. Nikil Saval
savethemeadows.com/call-senator-saval

⚡️ PHONE ZAP ⚡️ Today & Thursday!
Take 2 minutes to tell the state of PA to stop the needless destruction of green space in South Philly by the city and Fairmount Park Conservancy.
☎️ Gov Josh Shapiro
savethemeadows.com/call-governor-shapiro
☎️ Pa. Sen. Nikil Saval
savethemeadows.com/call-senator-saval

Wondering what happened in the FDR Park lawsuit today?
Here's a summary: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Thanks to all the park supporters who showed up!

Poster text: This Monday MON JAN 5 10:00 AM Orphans Court, City Hall room 425 Attend the hearing. Show the court that protecting the FDR Meadows matters to you — Hearing likely to last just 1-2 hours. Share

On Monday Jan 5, the City of Phila & Fairmount Park Conservancy will ask the court to dismiss the lawsuit to save FDR Park. bit.ly/stmlegalfund

‼️ Come to the hearing — show that this matters to our communities — stop the destruction of our park! 🏞️

Where, when: www.instagram.com/p/DTEARUFDw2n/

What's happening in the FDR Meadows? ​Walk with us and find out! Join us on Saturday, December 20, for the year's final walk through 100 acres of vibrant meadows and peaceful woodlands in FDR Park, as shown on CBS3 News, guided by organizers from Save The Meadows. ...

❄️ Suddenly it's a winter wonderland in Philly! ❄️
Get your boots on this Saturday and join Save The Meadows for a walk through 100 acres of meadows and woodlands in FDR Park. We have some exciting new updates for you — and hot cocoa too!
Details and RSVP: bit.ly/meadowswalk1220

Please join our ally @cleanaircouncil.bsky.social in supporting @councilmemberjg.bsky.social's “Stop Trashing Our Air” Act to improve air quality by stopping trash incineration.
Sign at cleanaircouncil.salsalabs.org/stoptrashing and come to Council’s public hearing 1pm Mon Nov 17. Info below.

California governor rejects bill to phase out "forever" chemicals used in cookware, children's products Gov. Gavin Newsom votoes bill to phase out a range of popular consumer products, including nonstick pots and pans, that contain synthetic chemicals with links to cancer.

Apparently Californians need cheap cookware more than they need to remain free of cancer.

and they have no place in the playing fields that our kids use for football and soccer. #SaveTheMeadows bit.ly/artificial-turf-facts

Trees reduce extreme heat in cities.
www.instagram.com/reel/DMqDHe1...

But Phila Parks & Rec and Fairmount Park Conservancy want to bulldoze thousands of mature trees in FDR Park and replace them with blazing hot artificial turf.

Sign this to help stop them: actionnetwork.org/petitions/sa...

Recycle company’s bankruptcy leaves tons of discarded artificial turf across the state The turf, laden with forever chemicals, now faces an uncertain future.

Philadelphia Parks & Rec plans to install 32 acres of toxic turf in FDR Park, has claimed it will be recycled after it wears out (after 8–10 years).
That's BS and Parks knows it.

Grassroots group to host "Walk & Talk" at Philadelphia's FDR Park calling for preservation of green space A grassroots organization is at odds with the Fairmount Park Conservancy as the two continue to debate over what should happen to about 100 acres of green space at FDR Park.

CBS3 Philadelphia covers the controversy over the FDR Meadows!
Join us at 2pm this Sunday — the weather looks fine!
Info and RSVP at actionnetwork.org/events/meadows-walk-with-save-the-meadows

Come on out this Sunday for an easy hike through the beautiful FDR Meadows! Save the Meadows organizers will share updates on what’s happened, what’s planned, and how you can help protect this unique urban refuge in South Philadelphia​.
2pm Sunday 9/28.
Free RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/meado...

This Saturday 10am: Nature Journaling at FDR Meadows!
Goldenrod and asters are in bloom, and bird migration has begun. The meadows are bursting with life!
Join Philly artist Valerie Pantalone for a day of nature journaling and discover the Meadows in a whole new way.
RSVP: bit.ly/STMnaturejournaling

Archive version:

"The city of Philadelphia should take the lead and demarcate FDR Park as protected stopover habitat. This would put a halt to further tree clearing."
—Robert Karchnyak of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, in @inquirer.com
www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...

Archived version:

The science behind how spending time in nature helps our health Did you know that a short walk in nature can improve your attention span by 20 percent?

Taking a walk in nature can improve your mental health, says environmental neuroscientist Marc Berman, now on @npr.org.
Don't we know it!
But Phila Parks & Rec plans to bulldoze 70 more acres in FDR Park — just about all the nature South Philly has left.
Sign this: actionnetwork.org/petitions/sa...

In Another Giveaway to the Commanders’ Billionaire Owner, the D.C. Council Is Set To Waive $1 Million in Fines to Chop Down Irreplaceable Heritage Trees Trees that measure 100 inches or more in trunk circumference are illegal to cut down without special permission. The Commanders could take out 31 of them.

In DC, as in Philadelphia, there's only one kind of green that really counts.
City leadership is only too happy to pass laws to protect heritage trees. And then chop them down the moment they get in the way of some pet project.
#savetheFDRmeadows

Coalition to Save the FDR Meadows on Instagram: "👏🏽👏🏽👏🏼👏🏾 THIS SATURDAY! Free with registration ✊🏽 Clapping for Nature returns to FDR Meadows this summer after its debut at the 2024 Philadelphia Fring... 142 likes, 1 comments - savethemeadows on August 25, 2025: "👏🏽👏🏽👏🏼👏🏾 THIS SATURDAY! Free with registration ✊🏽 Clapping for Nature returns to FDR Meadows this summer after its debut at the 2024 Philade...

Today at 6pm:
👏🏽👏🏼 CLAPPING FOR NATURE 👏🏾👏🏽
Walk the FDR Park Meadows with performers in a shared somatic experience, celebrating and resisting development pressures on this sacred space. Participation is free!
6pm Sat Aug 30
bit.ly/clap4nature

Save the Meadows: Stop the permit for further destruction of South Philly's green space The Pennsylvania Dept of Environmental Protection is evaluating a permit for the City of Philadelphia to destroy up to 70 more acres of the Meadows in FDR Park for a phony "Nature Phase" project. Comm...

Do you live in South Philly? Did Philadelphia's Parks & Rec dept inform you of its plans to destroy up to 70 more acres of the FDR Park Meadows? It's telling the state DEP that it did.
Sign this letter to the DEP to help set the record straight!

Lawsuit opposing FDR Park renovation will get another day in court The city and the Fairmount Park Conservancy did not appeal the verdict by the Commonwealth Court.

More coverage, from the Philadelpha Inquirer @inquirer.com: