Joint Letter to Support State Funding for Bartram’s Garden Improvements

Sign now to encourage our state legislators to bring funds for new educational resources at Bartram’s Garden!

Bartram’s Garden and partners Mural Arts and Partnership for the Delaware Estuary are currently seeking state funds to support major education-focused improvements in the park, including FloatLab, the construction of the new Ecosystems Education Center and Freshwater Mussel Hatchery, and safer trails and pathways for visitors of all ages.

Our state legislators are eager to hear from you as local educators and advocates for children and families. Please submit the form below to add your voice to joint letters in support of this project!

Click here for the joint letter about FloatLab.

Click here for the joint letter about all other improvements, including the Ecosystems Education Center and Freshwater Mussel Hatchery and better trail access.

By submitting the form below, your signature, professional affiliation, and comments will be added to the linked letters, which will be submitted securely to state officials.

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Joint Letter about Campus Investments (Ecosystems Education Center & Freshwater Mussel Hatchery and Trail Improvements)

Fall 2025

To whom it may concern:

We write on behalf of the students and families we serve to express our sincere hope that you will select Bartram’s Garden for a Redevelopment Capital Assistance award to support improved public education facilities and trail access. Bartram’s Garden is a vital space in our neighborhood for hands-on STEAM education and outdoor access; these improvements will allow a greater number of residents of all ages, especially children and youth, to enjoy the benefits of learning about and spending time in nature.

This project includes two major components: constructing a new Ecosystems Education Center and Freshwater Mussel Hatchery and improving the Garden’s trail and pathway system to better welcome pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities.

Trail Improvements

Across Philadelphia, city residents benefit from a robust and well-maintained trail network, particularly the renowned Schuylkill River Trail. We look forward to the Schuylkill River Trail’s upcoming connection to the Bartram’s Mile Trail within Bartram’s Garden and are eager for the Garden’s full range of trails, including many pedestrian- and bike-only routes, to showcase the best of Southwest Philadelphia as visitors arrive via the SRT from other parts of the city. In addition, because Southwest Philadelphia has not historically been targeted for investment in safe outdoor recreation infrastructure like comprehensive bike lanes, we believe strongly that improved trail conditions in safe spaces like Bartram’s Garden will support more neighbors to enjoy biking and walking as accessible forms of exercise, stress relief, and community-building.

Ecosystems Education Center & Freshwater Mussel Hatchery

With your support, the improved Bartram’s Mile Trail will soon lead past a major new educational and environmental resource thanks to the construction of the new Ecosystems Education Center and Freshwater Mussel Hatchery at Bartram’s Garden, a visionary project led jointly by the Garden and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE). This new facility will draw together world-class science and watershed restoration with accessible, inviting community space for hands-on education and STEAM investment, especially for our neighborhood’s youth and young adults. These connections between environmental restoration and investment in education represent some of Southwest Philadelphia’s highest priorities.

As you may know, freshwater mussels play an important role in sustaining healthier aquatic ecosystems: mussels function as natural water filters, removing suspended particles to create cleaner, healthier waterways while also contributing to nutrient-rich, stable riverbeds that can help other plants and animals thrive. PDE’s new Hatchery will propagate up to 1 million mussels annually for use in regional waterways like the Tidal Schuylkill River, helping our area’s rivers, streams, and lakes to be restored using the natural functions of a healthy ecosystem.

Perhaps even more important for the health of our community is continued investment in local students like those we see every day. The new Ecosystems Education Center will create the first dedicated educational space at Bartram’s Garden, with new lab-equipped classrooms and a teaching kitchen supporting dedicated year-round partnerships with the local schools, libraries, and childcare centers we represent.

We firmly believe that Southwest Philadelphia’s students deserve this high-quality place to learn and grow, and we are excited for the chance to show them the extraordinary impact of world-class science happening in their own backyard.

We appreciate your attention to these projects and your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here

Joint Letter about FloatLab

Fall 2025

To whom it may concern:

We write on behalf of the students and families we serve to express our sincere hope that you will select FloatLab, a visionary project led jointly by Mural Arts and Bartram’s Garden, for a Redevelopment Capital Assistance award. FloatLab is a public art project that combines education, science, and community engagement in Southwest Philadelphia, welcoming visitors of all ages to the riverfront and connecting residents to world-class art and science.

FloatLab will transform the way visitors of all ages access the Tidal Schuylkill River and deepen their understanding of this vibrant riverfront. Designed by J. Meejin Yoon and Höweler + Yoon Architecture, the project’s innovative engineering allows visitors of all ages to engage directly with the river on their own terms, even safely viewing the river at eye level from the security of FloatLab’s sloped ring-shaped platform.

Although Southwest Philadelphia has always been a riverfront community, not all residents have been fortunate enough to develop their own relationship with the river as a space for recreation, learning, or healing. FloatLab offers a new perspective from which visitors might build or strengthen that relationship, whether during a classroom visit for a local school, participating in arts activities or attending performances, enjoying river recreation like fishing or boating, or simply connecting with the river in a new way and from a safe place. We are eager for the opportunity to partner with the Garden’s educators and introduce our students to FloatLab as a safe and evocative floating classroom where our STEAM curriculum will come to life.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here