Grab your passport and get ready to explore… greenspace?
That’s right. Historic Germantown launched its Green Space Stamp Rally programming last weekend to showcase the greenery on the consortium grounds.
With the support of a William Penn Foundation grant, Historic Germantown provides all explorers with a Stamp Booklet designed by local design firm Mayapple Graphics. The booklet lists 18 sites across Germantown, with a map and information about each, encouraging neighbors to connect with the neighborhood’s outdoor assets between now and early Fall.
The executive director of Historic Germantown, Tuomi Forrest, says the initiative allows them to strengthen their community engagement within the neighborhood. They get to connect “with neighbors and local businesses and other institutions to really bring more people in and help community members actually plan events and activities in these spaces.”
Each time a person visits a place, they will have their booklet stamped, and folks who explore with all their might get rewards.
The first 50 people to collect ten stamps win a Historic Germantown tote bag (which can be swapped for a sticker sheet for kids). The first 40 people to collect 14 stamps will get that tote bag, a Historic Germantown membership, and will be entered into a raffle for a luxury picnic basket valued at $500. The first ten people to collect all 18 stamps will get everything listed, plus a limited-run Historic Germantown hoodie.
Residents will receive social benefits in addition to prizes. Forrest says there are parallels between being outside, in greenspaces and gardens, and increased mental and physical health.
“Having gardens and green spaces within a block or two or within walking distance of where you live makes a big difference. And a lot of these places help complement what’s available in terms of the city park system,” says Forrest.
Wellness is also incorporated into this initiative through the monthly Stamp Rally Walks. At these walks, neighbors are guided from site to site, allowing folks to get their steps in, socialize, learn more about these spaces, and collect stamps.
The next rally will meet this Friday at 8:30 a.m., and folks will gather at Historic Germantown to go through Vernon Park and end at Wyck Historic House and Garden. Awbury Wellness Coordinator Megan Do Nascimento guided the walk, and explorers will collect five stamps.
After this week, rally walks will happen on September 13th and October 11th.
Aside from the community engagement aspect, the grant will also allow Historic Germantown to provide small grants to different consortium sites to improve the gardens and green spaces. Forrest says that may include landscape features, more public seating, fixing walkways, and more ways to make these things more welcoming and inviting for the public.
Historic Germantown Program Director Heather Zimmerman expresses excitement for the initiative and invites all neighbors to come out and explore. She says, “These sites are a community asset for you, and that includes the beautiful green space where you can be outside. And whether you’re passively walking or you’re engaging in a program that’s being run, you’re welcome in these spaces. Come see what they have.”
Neighbors have until October 12th to fill their green space passports. That same day, you should arrive at the Germantown Historical Society from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to present your booklets and claim your prize.
To learn more about the Green Space Stamp Rally, visit the Historic Germantown website, where you can also see some of the maps within the booklet.
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