Philadelphia Begins Renovation Of Wissinoming Park
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- This is Love Your Park week, and the city of Philadelphia broke ground on a $1.5 million dollar renovation of Wissinoming Park.
The city signed on to make it, and other parks, a sanctuary for an endangered species.
The 42 acre park will see massive improvements including a new playground, a new sprayground, improved path circulation, new site furnishings, landscape plannings, a renovated picnic grove, security cameras, and two rain gardens.
"These are improvements that people have been asking for for a long time," said Kathryn Ott Lovett, Commissioner for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
Mural arts is installing a mural on the site inspired by recent vandalism to the adjacent Mount Carmel Cemetery. Plus, the park will be the first to execute on the National Monarch Challenge, where cities work to save Monarch butterflies.
"Monarch Butterfly populations are down about 90%," said Collin O'Mara, who runs the National Wildlife Federation.
O'Mara says Philadelphia will join 300 cities working to change that by doing its part.
"To have milkweed and other type of habitats," he explained.
The work on Wissinoming Park is already underway.
