County celebrates with cleanup and tree planting

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GARNET VALLEY — The Delaware County Office of Sustainability, Department of Parks and Recreation and County Council will host a cleanup and tree planting event on Saturday, April, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Clayton Park, 3173 Garnet Mine Road, Garnet Valley host the earth 22.

Delaware County employees will join their friends and family to participate in the Earth Day celebrations to give volunteers the opportunity to enjoy one of Delaware County’s most beautiful parks while helping to protect river and environmental health improve.

Established in 1970 by US Senator Gaylord Nelson and US Rep. Pete McCloskey, Earth Day inspired millions of people to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums.

Since its inception, Earth Day has grown into a globally recognized day of action, with many taking the time to plant trees, clean up local green spaces, and work towards a greener future.

The PA Resources Council helps residents go green year-round

In celebration of Earth Day, the Pennsylvania Resources Council is offering events and tips to go green this spring — and solidify your commitment to protecting the environment every day of the year.

PRC, a statewide environmental organization based in Delaware County, is committed to the vision of a Pennsylvania where nothing is wasted and everyone cares about material resources and waste minimization to conserve water, air, energy and land. For a complete listing of collection events and conservation workshops in the PRC, visit http://www.prc.org.

A partial list:

• PRC operates electronics recycling collection points to provide residents with a convenient and cost-effective method of responsibly disposing of televisions, computers and other electronic devices. Upcoming electronics recycling events will be on Thursday, May 11 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Upland County Park in Delaware County and Tuesday, June 27 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Warwick Park in Chester county instead. Registration is required by visiting http://www.prc.org/CollectionEvents

• PRC hosts in-person workshops and online webinars to teach the benefits of backyard composting, including the overall process, methods of setting up a compost pile, proper maintenance, and using finished compost. The $70 course fee includes an 82-gallon compost bin available in Delaware County for webinar attendees.

• A workshop will be held in Newtown Square on Tuesday, May 9th at 7pm to celebrate National Compost Week. Participants receive a $20 discount. Registration is required at http://www.prc.org/programs/conservation-workshops

• PRC also runs workshops to teach how using rain barrels protects watersheds. Learn about stormwater runoff issues and techniques to reduce watershed pollution. The $80 course fee includes a 55-gallon rain barrel. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, May 17th at 11am at the Redwoods Center in Upland Park. Registration is required at .http://www.prc.org/programs/conservation-workshops.

• Free watershed training and rain barrel workshops for member communities of the Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative to be held at Glenolden Borough Hall on Wednesday, April 26; Thursday 11 May at Morton Borough Hall; and Tuesday, May 23 at Yeadon Borough Hall.

The free workshops are restricted to residents of the townships of Collingdale, Darby, East Lansdowne, Glenolden, Morton, Norwood, Sharon Hill and Yeadon, and Darby, Haverford and Upper Darby.

Attendees may receive a complimentary 55 gallon rain barrel upon attendance. Rain barrels will be made available to the first 25 registrations at each session and are limited to one per household. Registration is required at http://www.prc.org/programs/conservation-workshops. The courses are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Homeownership Resource Fair comes to Delaware County

Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania will host a Delaware County homeownership fair on Saturday, April 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 816 Clifton Ave., Sharon Hill.

County residents are invited to the free event to learn more about down payment assistance programs and other resources available in Delaware County for first-time homebuyers.

Housing counseling has a proven ability to increase mortgage approval rates, which is why Affordable Housing works with lending partners to better prepare Delaware County residents for homebuying. The group operates a field office in Upper Darby and offers virtual housing advice, giving local residents easy access to their homeownership services.

Affordable Housing’s mission is to increase and maintain housing stability and homeownership opportunities for low- and middle-income households and people of color through housing counseling, education and advocacy. Visit http://www.ahcopa.org for more information.

The Delco Redevelopment Authority is asking for feedback from real estate banks

The Delaware County Redevelopment Authority is seeking feedback on the proposed policies and procedures for the Delaware County Land Bank. The Delaware County Redevelopment Authority became the appointed authority for the Delaware County Land Bank in 2022.

Land banks are designed to reduce the plague and stimulate economic development by returning vacant, derelict, and tax-arrearing properties to productive use in accordance with community goals and through creative leadership.

Delaware County Land Bank will prioritize the strategic development of vacant and abandoned properties in the county. The agency has priority bids on real estate tax sales, a streamlined process for exempting liens, and the ability to expedite silent title proceedings.

“The county’s new land bank program gives us another tool to improve our local communities through the acquisition, redevelopment and return of derelict property to productive residential, recreational, commercial and industrial uses for our residents,” said Elaine Paul Schaefer, Vice Chair of Delaware County Council.

The proposed policies and procedures can be found at www.delcopa.org/delcolandbank.

The agency is soliciting public comments on the policies and procedures by May 5 at 5:00 p.m. Comments can be registered using the online comment form on the above website or by email to publiccomment@delcopa.org.

The Philadelphia Zoo hosts the Summer Ale Festival

Philadelphia’s “wildest” beer festival returns to the Philadelphia Zoo. Presented by Constellation, the Summer Ale Festival takes place on Saturday, June 24 from 7pm to 10pm

Guests can enjoy unlimited 100+ award-winning seasonal craft beers, seltzer and ciders, indulge in a dozen of the area’s finest food trucks while grooving to live music throughout the zoo and visiting amazing animals. This is the only beer event in the region that takes place among big cats, great apes and other incredible animals.

The Summer Ale Festival serves as a fundraiser and supports the zoo in its mission to create joyful discoveries and inspire action for animals and habitats. This adults-only event is restricted to those 21 years and older with valid ID.

Tickets include free parking, free shuttle service from the 30th Street Station if desired, and a signature souvenir tasting mug. The event is expected to sell out, so guests are encouraged to get their tickets early. Tickets are available exclusively at http://philadelphiazoo.org.

Readers can send community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at pdegrassa@21st-centurymedia.com.

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https://www.delcotimes.com/2023/04/22/earth-day-2023-county-celebrates-with-cleanup-and-tree-planting