South Philly isn’t just home to cheesesteak shops and Rocky film locations. It’s also home to FDR Park, which opened in 1921. Within its 350 acres, you’ll find lakes and waterways, jogging paths, the famed FDR Skatepark, as well as athletic fields and picnic areas. And trees. Lots and lots of trees.
As part of our quarterly philanthropy efforts, the Wodify team spent a hot September day working with members of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and the Philadelphia Parks and Rec Department caring for a group of beautiful linden trees that shade the entrance of FDR Park at Broad St. and Pattison Ave. Armed with rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, and stirrup hoes aka “shucklebucks”, we cleaned and edged the area around the trees, removing trash, grass, and branches. We then shoveled and hauled two large piles-worth of mulch and spread their contents around the trunks. As we learned, mulch not only adds nutrients to the soil, but regulates trees’ water intake and adds a protective barrier from lawnmowers and weedwhackers.
“Seeing everyone working together as a team to achieve a common goal really showed how we engage as a family both inside the office and out.” - Greg Ferrara, Product Specialist
Because a large part of the parks department’s budget goes toward routine maintenance and emergency services (e.g. clearing fallen tree limbs after a storm), specialized care like cleaning, pruning, and mulching is often dependant upon volunteer groups. Making an immediate visual impact on FDR Park was rewarding and an authentic way to live one of our core values: #Dotherightthing. It’s also comforting to know that the trees we cared for will delight thousands of park visitors throughout the season.
“As someone who is new to Wodify, taking care of the trees at FDR Park was a great bonding experience and a wonderful way to spend my birthday.” - Katie Rogers, Customer Success Agent
Four times a year, Wodify we step away from our desks and volunteer our time, services, and profits to worthwhile charities and programs in the area. If you know of one that deserves our attention, please reach out!
