Philadelphia is the birthplace of the United States, and its first capital. It’s where the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution were written and signed. Philadelphia is where the country was named, the United States of America. Every traveler to Philadelphia knows about its historic sites.
Most tourists are also aware of Philadelphia’s great museums, outdoor sculptures, other cultural institutions, and fabulous restaurants too.
Yet there is a gem of the natural world, of which most travelers to the City know little or nothing, and it’s located just about one mile from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), where many if not most travelers enter the City.
All too often, when tourists visit cities they only think of its “man-made” sites. They think of skyscrapers, museums, zoos, historical buildings, city parks, churches, synagogues, memorials, children’s museums, amusement parks, and other typical tourist spots.
City tourists don’t normally think of wildlife, woods, wetlands, meadows and fields. Most think that’s only found when traveling to big national or state parks, not major cities with a population of more than one and a half million people.
When tourists come to Philadelphia, they need to think differently, as just north of Philadelphia International Airport sits the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, and its 1200 acres of habitats; impounded water, woods, meadows, fields, and Pennsylvania’s largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh. It’s right in the midst of the country’s sixth largest city.
The Refuge is a resting, and feeding area for more than 300 species of birds from large herons, egrets, wild turkeys and cormorants, to small warblers and other species. At least 85 bird species, including bald eagles, and hawks nest there. The Refuge is home to fox, deer, muskrats, turtles, fish, frogs, butterflies and a significant variety of plants and wildflowers.
In 1972, Congress established the Refuge to be administered by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and renamed it in honor of the late Senator, H. John Heinz III in 1991. The Refuge’s Cusano Environmental Education Center is the nation’s first National Environmental Center.
The Refuge’s grounds are open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset. The Cusano Environmental Education Center is open daily from 8:30am to 4:00pm, but closed on federal holidays. There are no entrance fees for the Refuge or Cusano Center.
The Refuge’s main entrance at 86th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, in Southwest Philadelphia, conveniently leads to a parking lot. From there, visitors have access to the Cusano Center, 10 miles of trails, fishing, and a two deck wildlife observation platform at the Impoundment Pond.
The Refuge has wonderful bicycling on the main trails for mountain and trail bicycles. Disabled visitors to the Refuge have access to much of the Impoundment area on paved trails, ramps, and an easy to navigate boardwalk with sitting areas, which crosses the Pond.
Hunting, ice skating, motorcycles/ATVs, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the Refuge. Pets are welcomed but must be leashed. Feeding wildlife and removing or collecting plants and wildlife is strictly prohibited.
The Refuge staff is assisted by The Friends of the Heinz Refuge (FOHR), a non-profit group, dedicated to helping the Refuge carry out its mandate, promote an understanding and support of the environment, and work for public support of the Refuge.
FOHR manages the Refuge’s nature shop, sponsors a photo group, a “Trail Tamers Group,” and works hard to foster environmental education.
FOHR runs an Annual Groundhog Day Festival for families and children at the Refuge, and provides volunteers for the many special events there, including the Cradle of Birding, Darby Creek Cleanup Day, Family Fishing Day, and the International Migratory Bird Day.
Every weekend throughout the year, with few exceptions, highly knowledgeable FOHR volunteers lead Refuge visitors on morning bird walks in the Refuge lasting from 2–3 hours. At special times of the year, butterfly, plant and tree, and other special walks are held on weekends. I’m on many of the walks myself, throughout the year, and can’t recommend them highly enough if you’re at all interested in birds and other wildlife, and/or seeking to photograph them in the wild.
Maybe we’ll meet someday at the Heinz Refuge.
For more information about the Refuge, its activities and events, go to its website at: www.fws.gov/heinz
For more information about FOHR and its programs, go to its website at: www.friendsoftinicummarsh.org
For times and dates of the weekend bird and other wildlife walks, go to the FOHR Facebook Page at: www.facebook.com/HeinzRefuge?v=wall&ref=ts and click on bird walks.
The photograph at the top of the article is of a Great Blue Heron during a winter snow storm at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, by NSL Photography.
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
