(Narrator) WELCOME TO THE...
OVER THE CENTURIES, THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AROUND YOU
HAS BEEN CLAIMED BY MANY NATIONS,
EACH LEAVING ITS IMPRINT ON THE LAND.
BUT TODAY, THANKS TO THE EFFORTS
AND DEDICATION OF PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU,
THESE WETLANDS, FIELDS, AND WOODLANDS
HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS WHO LIVED HERE
LONG BEFORE THE FIRST COLONISTS SET FOOT IN THE NEW WORLD.
THIS IS THE STORY OF TINICUM MARSH--
AN URBAN MIRACLE.
EXPLORING THE MARSH BY CANOE
IS A JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE AND TIME.
IMAGINE THE VIEW FROM THE CANOE
OF A LENAPE INDIAN 500 YEARS OR MORE AGO.
BACK THEN, THE MARSHES COVERED NEARLY 6,000 ACRES
TEEMING WITH WILDLIFE.
THE AIR WAS FILLED WITH THE SONGS OF THE BIRDS,
FROGS, INSECTS, AND THE SOUNDS OF THE WATER.
THE LENAPE NAMED THIS PLACE TINICUM--
THE ISLAND OF THE MARSH.
CAMPING ON THE FLATLANDS,
THE LENAPE HARVESTED THE BOUNTY OF THE MARSHES.
REEDS AND RUSHES WERE GATHERED FOR MATS AND WALLS.
FISH, WILD GAME, PLANTS, NUTS, AND BERRIES
PROVIDED THEM WITH A VARIED DIET.
TO ADD TO THE NATURAL RICHES OF TINICUM,
THE LENAPE GREW CORN, BEANS, AND SQUASH.
THEY LIVED IN HARMONY WITH THE LAND,
TAKING ONLY WHAT THEY NEEDED AND CHANGING LITTLE.
BUT THE OLD WORLD OF THE LENAPE
WAS TO BECOME A NEW WORLD FOR EUROPEAN SETTLERS--
AND THEY WOULD SEE TINICUM MARSH THROUGH VERY DIFFERENT EYES.
IN THE 1640s, FARMERS FROM SWEDEN
BEGAN TO SETTLE AROUND TINICUM,
NAMING THEIR COLONY NEW SWEDEN.
THEY DIKED AND DRAINED THE MARSHES
TO CREATE GRAZING LAND FOR THEIR LIVESTOCK.
AS THE LANDSCAPE CHANGED,
THE LENAPE CULTURE GRADUALLY DISAPPEARED FROM TINICUM.
OVER THE NEXT FEW DECADES,
THE OWNERSHIP OF TINICUM CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES
AS COLONIAL POWERS FROM EUROPE VIED TO TAKE OVER THE NEW WORLD.
IN 1655, NEW SWEDEN FELL TO THE DUTCH
AND BECAME PART OF NEW NETHERLAND.
AND SOON AFTER THAT,
IT WAS ADDED TO THE ENGLISH DUKE OF YORK'S TERRITORY.
WITH THE ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM PENN IN 1682,
TINICUM BECAME PART OF PENNSYLVANIA,
AND A FEW YEARS LATER,
IT WAS DIVIDED BETWEEN PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE.
AS THE CENTURIES PASSED,
THE GROWTH OF PHILADELPHIA GRADUALLY BURIED THE MARSHES.
BY THE 195Os,
PENNSYLVANIA'S 6,000 ACRES OF FRESHWATER TIDAL MARSH
HAD SHRUNK TO ONLY 1,550.
PART OF THIS AREA IN PHILADELPHIA COUNTY
WAS DONATED TO THE CITY AS A WILDLIFE PRESERVE,
WHICH WAS PACKED EACH SPRING AND FALL WITH MIGRATORY BIRDS.
BUT IN DELAWARE COUNTY,
THE MARSHES GREW SMALLER EACH YEAR AS FILLING CONTINUED.
THE 1960s BROUGHT EVEN GREATER THREATS.
PLANS WERE MADE TO PLACE A LANDFILL HERE,
AND, IN 1969, TO ROUTE I-95 THROUGH THE WETLANDS.
CONCERNED CITIZENS MOBILIZED TO STOP BOTH PROJECTS
AND THEIR HARD WORK PAID OFF.
IN 1972,
CONGRESS AUTHORIZED THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
TO PURCHASE 1,200 ACRES OF LAND AND MARSH,
WHICH WAS LATER NAMED
THE JOHN HEINZ NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AT TINICUM,
IN HONOR OF THE LATE PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR
WHO HAD WORKED WITH OTHERS TO PRESERVE THE MARSH.
TODAY THE REFUGE CONTINUES TO RELY
ON THE EFFORTS OF VOLUNTEERS AND THE GENEROSITY OF DONORS,
SUCH AS THE LATE...
WHOSE $2.5 MILLION BEQUEST
SEEDED THE FUNDING OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER.
WHEN YOU EXPLORE THE REFUGE,
YOU'LL SOON UNDERSTAND WHY THIS LAND HAS INSPIRED SUCH DEDICATION.
YOU'LL SEE THAT TINICUM IS AN URBAN MIRACLE.
INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
SURROUND THE REFUGE ON ALL SIDES.
TO THE NORTH LOOMS THE MODERN SKYLINE OF PHILADELPHIA,
THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.
TODAY TINICUM OFFERS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS,
OF BOTH THE HUMAN AND WILDLIFE VARIETIES,
A PLACE TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE--
FROM THE PRESSURES AND PROBLEMS OF LIFE IN THE 21st CENTURY--
AND A DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE
BETWEEN HUMANKIND AND THE NATURAL SYSTEMS ON WHICH ALL LIFE DEPENDS.
ON THE REFUGE, YOU CAN EXPERIENCE NATURE,
LEARN ABOUT OUR NATIVE PLANTS AND WILDLIFE,
AND ENJOY THE OUTDOORS--
ON THE DOORSTEP OF ONE OF THE NATION'S MAJOR CITIES AND SEAPORTS.
IN EVERY SEASON, THERE IS PLENTY TO ENJOY.
TEN MILES OF TRAILS WIND THROUGH THE REFUGE,
THROUGH TIDAL AND NON-TIDAL FRESHWATER WETLANDS,
OLD FIELDS, AND WOODLANDS.
SOME FOLLOW SERVICE ROADS,
BUT OTHERS ARE NARROW PATHS THROUGH THE WOODS.
ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE REFUGE,
A 3.3-MILE LOOP TRAIL
TAKES YOU THROUGH FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHALLOW WATER
AND UPLAND HABITATS.
STARTING OUT, DARBY CREEK, A TIDAL STREAM,
FLOWS TO YOUR RIGHT;
AND THE IMPOUNDMENT, A LARGE MARSHY POND,
APPEARS ON YOUR LEFT.
YOU'LL SOON REACH THE OBSERVATION PLATFORM,
WHICH OFFERS AN EXCELLENT VIEW OF THE IMPOUNDMENT.
LEAVING THE PLATFORM,
YOU'LL SEE TINICUM MARSH ON YOUR RIGHT.
THIS IS THE STATE'S LARGEST REMAINING FRESHWATER TIDAL MARSH.
COMING BACK TOWARDS THE CUSANO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE IMPOUNDMENT,
YOU'LL PASS THROUGH WOODLAND AND OLD FIELD HABITATS.
TRAILS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE REFUGE
WILL OFFER YOU MORE VIEWS OF TINICUM MARSH
AND A CHANCE TO SEE OUR WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECTS.
ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE REFUGE,
DEEP LAGOONS ADD TO OUR DIVERSITY OF HABITAT.
THERE IS A PARKING LOT OFF ROUTE 420
THAT ACCESSES THE REFUGE'S WEST SIDE.
THE WALK FROM THE LAGOONS TO THE CUSANO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
IS ROUGHLY FOUR MILES.
WHEREVER YOU'RE HIKING,
PLEASE WATCH YOUR STEP FOR ROOTS
AND LOOK OUT FOR POISON IVY
AND STINGING NETTLES.
IN THE WOODS,
YOU CAN HELP TO KEEP TICKS AWAY BY TUCKING IN YOUR PANT LEGS.
IF YOU PREFER A MORE LEISURELY PASTIME,
YOU CAN WHILE AWAY THE DAY FISHING AT TINICUM,
WITHIN SIGHT OF PHILADELPHIA'S SKYSCRAPERS.
FISHING IS ALLOWED THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE REFUGE,
IN THE IMPOUNDMENT, LAGOONS, AND DARBY CREEK.
ADULTS NEED A FISHING LICENSE,
AND WE DO NOT RECOMMEND EATING THE FISH.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR,
OUR HUMAN VISITORS SHARE THE REFUGE
WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF WILDLIFE,
INCLUDING DEER,
FOXES,
RACCOONS, AND OTHER SMALL MAMMALS.
THERE ARE NO POISONOUS SNAKES ON THE REFUGE,
BUT YOU MIGHT SPOT A NORTHERN WATER SNAKE
OR AN EASTERN GARTER SNAKE
OR A NORTHERN BROWN SNAKE,
ALL OF WHICH ARE OUT AND ABOUT IN WARM WEATHER.
ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO SEE THE WILDLIFE
IS TO BRING A CANOE.
AS DARBY CREEK WINDS THROUGH THE REFUGE,
YOU CAN SEE TINICUM'S FIVE DIFFERENT HABITATS,
EACH WITH ITS OWN SYSTEM OF PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE,
AND ALL PROTECTED AND MANAGED BY THE
U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
IN THE OLD FIELDS, CANADA GEESE,
RABBITS, AND BUTTERFLIES CAN OFTEN BE SEEN FEEDING.
ALONG THE CREEK, TURTLES BASK IN THE SUN ON ROCKS AND LOGS.
YOU MIGHT EVEN SPOT A STATE-THREATENED RED-BELLIED TURTLE.
IN EARLY SPRING, SEVERAL SPECIES OF TOADS AND FROGS
CAN BE HEARD CALLING.
TINICUM IS ONE OF THE ONLY PLACES IN PENNSYLVANIA
WHERE YOU'LL HEAR SOUTHERN LEOPARD FROGS,
WHICH ARE ON THE STATE'S ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.
THE WOODLANDS, FIELDS, TIDAL, AND NON-TIDAL WETLANDS
THAT YOU PASS ARE USED BY OVER 280 BIRD SPECIES.
SOME ARE RESIDENTS, BUT MANY ARE MIGRANTS.
TINICUM IS ONE OF THE VITAL STEPPING STONES FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS
MANAGED BY THE U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
IT IS PART OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THE WORLD.
THE SYSTEM INCLUDES MORE THAN 500 REFUGES
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES,
ESTABLISHED TO CONSERVE, PROTECT, AND ENHANCE
FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PLANTS AND THEIR HABITAT.
EACH SPRING AND FALL,
THE IMPOUNDMENT IS ALIVE WITH SHOREBIRDS AND WATERFOWL,
MIGRATING ALONG THE ATLANTIC FLYWAY.
AT THE SAME TIME,
THE WOODLANDS HOST NEO-TROPICAL MIGRANTS
ON THEIR LONG JOURNEY TO AND FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
ABOUT 80 SPECIES OF BIRDS STAY ON TO NEST AT TINICUM,
SO LATE SPRING BRINGS SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
FOR BIRD WATCHERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS.
WETLANDS, LIKE TINICUM MARSH,
ARE VITAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF TURTLES, FROGS, AND OTHER ANIMALS,
AND ARE IMPORTANT FOR WATER QUALITY AND FLOOD CONTROL.
WETLAND RESTORATION IS CENTRAL TO THE REFUGE'S HABITAT MANAGEMENT.
SO FAR, RESTORATION OF FILLED MARSHES
HAS ADDED OVER 40 ACRES OF PRECIOUS WETLAND HABITAT
TO THE REFUGE.
THE REFUGE'S VARIED HABITATS FORM AN OPEN-AIR CLASSROOM
FOR YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE.
MANY TEACHERS AND CHILDREN
ENJOY THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS HERE.
NATURE WALKS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE LED BY VOLUNTEERS,
WHO ARE AS IMPORTANT TO TINICUM TODAY
AS THEY WERE WHEN THE REFUGE WAS CREATED.
THE FRIENDS OF THE HEINZ WILDLIFE REFUGE
WOULD WELCOME YOUR HELP AND EXPERTISE TOO.
IF YOU WOULD ENJOY LEADING PROGRAMS,
MAINTAINING TRAILS,
ASSISTING WITH SPECIAL EVENTS,
MONITORING WATER QUALITY,
ANSWERING VISITOR QUESTIONS,
OR HELPING IN SOME OTHER WAY,
CONTACT THE FRIENDS OR SPEAK TO A REFUGE STAFF PERSON.
THE REFUGE IS HERE FOR YOU TO ENJOY,
BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS HERE
HAVE THEIR OWN BILL OF RIGHTS.
IF A BIRD OR ANIMAL SEEMS AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE,
THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY TOO CLOSE.
THE HABITATS HERE ARE FRAGILE
AND ARE CAREFULLY MANAGED BY THE U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
TO PROTECT THE PLANTS AND WILDLIFE,
SO SOME HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE NOT PERMITTED.
OFF-ROAD VEHICLES ARE NOT ALLOWED,
AND YOU MAY NOT HUNT OR TRAP,
BUILD FIRES, OR CAMP ON THE REFUGE.
SWIMMING AND ICE-SKATING ARE NOT PERMITTED EITHER,
AND CYCLING IS ALLOWED ONLY ON THE SERVICE ROADS.
PLEASE TAKE ALL YOUR TRASH WITH YOU,
BUT LEAVE ALL THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS HERE.
THE JOHN HEINZ NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AT TINICUM
IS A TOUCHSTONE TO THE PAST.
IT IS A CELEBRATION OF OUR HUMAN WILL
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
AND IT IS A RARE PLACE ON THE DOORSTEP OF CIVILIZATION
WHERE YOU CAN COME FACE TO FACE WITH NATURE.
WE HOPE YOU'LL RETURN MANY TIMES TO THIS URBAN MIRACLE--
TINICUM MARSH.