Click here to download PEC's new Ecological Restoration brochure! Learn about restoring wildlife habitat along the Delaware River.

It’s been a long time since anyone has had been able to stand on the banks of the Tidal Delaware River surrounded by wetlands, birds and fish. More likely, visitors must navigate around industrial and commercial sites to access the riverfront, which is mostly lined with hard bulkhead walls and rip rap. But the Tidal Delaware River, like many urban rivers, is undergoing a 21st century transformation. A network of greenways, parks, and trails are being stitched into landscapes long dominated by industrial activities. With this comes increasing opportunities for people to walk, fish, bird watch, or otherwise enjoy the natural resources of the upper Delaware River Estuary.

As efforts expand to re-connect people to their urban rivers, PEC seeks ways to restore the ecology of the riverfront. Ecological restoration features could include upland meadows, riverbank forests, and freshwater tidal wetlands, which provide opportunities for native plants and animals that inhabit these areas. Restoring these habitats will create homes and stop over points for the rich variety of wildlife species found along the Delaware River, ranging from American black ducks and great blue herons, to bald eagles and osprey, to shad and shortnose sturgeon, to leopard frogs and red bellied turtles, to freshwater mussels and blue crabs.

In addition to providing recreational opportunities for area residents and homes for wildlife, restored habitats provide a variety of other “ecosystem services,” such as cleaner water, reduced flooding, and temperature moderation during the hot summer months.

PEC works with a variety of partners and funders on these exciting programs:

DuPont Clear Into the Future
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Philadelphia Water Department
Delaware River City Corporation
Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
Philadelphia Horticultural Society