SAFETY ALERT: Owing to a fire early on October 27, the area around the Eastwick Pavilion will be closed until further notice. The rest of the Garden remains open.

River Tales: Stories from Our Waterway Traditions

What is your relationship with the watershed?

Bartram’s Garden wants to highlight our community’s cultural associations and positive relationships with the Delaware River Watershed, the rivers, lakes, and creeks in PA, NJ, and DE.

Share your stories about your personal, familial, and cultural relationships with the watershed to help create a public archive of experiences with the watershed.

Share Your Story

Tell us about your personal, familial, and cultural relationship with the Delaware River Watershed to be part of a new digital archive showcasing community relationships with the rivers, lakes, and creeks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Submissions can be written, audio, video, or any creative format.

Use the form below to submit your story. The digital archive showcasing all submissions will be posted on the Bartram’s Garden website in Fall 2024, with ongoing updates for new submissions.

What should I say?

You can include any stories that feel relevant to you, but if you need help getting started, try using the questions below to guide your submission:

  • How has your family or community spent time at the Delaware River watershed? (These are rivers, lakes, creeks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.)
  • Do you have any familial or cultural traditions that you do at the water?
  • What are your cultural associations with water?

I need help submitting my story.

If you are interested in submitting a story but need help doing so, please contact riverprogram@bartramsgarden.org.

Bartram’s Garden staff will also be recording stories from program participants at upcoming river programs in Summer 2024.

I'm interested in:

Biking & Walking

Birds

Boating & Fishing

Flowers, Plants & Trees

Gardening

History

Kids' Activities

Sankofa Community Farm

Southwest Philadelphia

Water Quality

Workshops, Wellness & Culture

Youth Internships

I'm interested in:

Biking & Walking

Birds

Look up! More than 100 species of birds rely on this ecosystem.

Boating & Fishing

Enjoy all that the Tidal Schuylkill River has to offer.

Flowers, Plants & Trees

See what’s blooming, find a favorite tree, and stroll the gardens and natural lands.

Gardening

Bring the Garden home! Shop for plants or grow food, trees, and more.

History

Uncover the interconnected stories of this historic site.

Kids' Activities

Join us year-round to learn, make, share, and wonder.

Sankofa Community Farm

“Go back and get it!” Growing food sovereignty with an African Diaspora focus.

Southwest Philadelphia

Resources and opportunities especially for neighbors in Southwest Philly.

Water Quality

Find our latest data on the river’s bacteria levels and recent rainfall.

Workshops, Wellness & Culture

Enjoy upcoming workshops, self-care, and events. Are you a Southwest artist? Let’s partner!

Youth Internships

Calling Southwest students: paid internships available with the river, the farm, and the trees.