On Sunday, January 26th, nestled in between roads and business, patches of snow covered the grass and sun shone through tree branches at the edge of Cobbs Creek Park. Cars whooshed past, the hum of traffic occasionally punctured by a quick double honk from drivers cheering on the clean-up efforts.  

As part of Penn’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Symposium on Social Change coordinated by the African-American Resource Center, Penn Sustainability partnered with the Cobbs Creek Park Ambassadors to remove debris and discarded tires from a stretch of southwest Philadelphia. A group of ten students and staff volunteers met with the two ambassadors leading the cleanup and split into groups of three to care for different sections.  Armed with rolling trash cans, buckets, and litter pickers, the group cleaned 10 bags of trash and 72 tires over the span of ninety minutes.  

Andrew, the ambassador and long-term West Philadelphia resident leading this cleanup, explained that each ambassador is responsible for a three-block section of the park, known as a zone. Their cleanups seek to care for the park – and its sidewalks, streets, and waterways – as well as cultivate community pride and stewardship. Under the leadership of Andrew Wheeler and Rich Guffanti, the ambassadors have galvanized over 1,000 volunteers to minimize the impact of debris and illegal dumping on the community since 2020. In 2024, they removed 16,368 tons of trash across 100 cleanups.  

Next month, the ambassadors and anyone who chooses to volunteer will return to the same location and clean the debris and dumping that accumulates over the month. This grassroots approach immediately enhances quality of life, builds community, and safeguards environmental health and safety while the push for more systemic solutions continues.  

For the Penn community, cleanups provide a great opportunity to connect with nature and learn new areas of the neighborhood. The break from campus and the immediate results of the effort can also provide a calming respite from the typical week.  

It’s easy to join a Cobbs Creek Park Ambassador cleanup or organize one for a group. Select a date on the Cobbs Creek Park Ambassador signup form and register, or email cobbscreekparkambassadors@gmail.com to schedule a group session. Notably, multiple zones are easily accessible via public transportation from Penn’s campus. Hands-on efforts like these can benefit everyone involved — try one and see!