Friends of Penn Treaty Park
We are Friends of Penn Treaty Park!
Friends of Penn Treaty Park is an entirely volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
After years of informal volunteer efforts, a small group of community-minded citizens had a vision of a safer and cleaner Penn Treaty Park. In 2005, the group organized a grass-roots effort to preserve and promote the park as a positive green space for family and community.
The Friends of Penn Treaty Park began by overseeing refurbishments of park monuments, as well as the addition of new benches and playground equipment. The volunteer-driven organization has worked tirelessly to beautify the park, expand its tree canopy, and create vibrant green spaces like our pollinator garden. The group also advocated for improvements that promote sustainability and accessibility, such as current efforts to achieve arboretum accreditation and expand waterfront trails.
Today, we serve as stewards of the park, hosting free, family-friendly events, from outdoor concerts to community clean-ups. Through environmental conservation and public programming, we ensure that Penn Treaty Park remains a welcoming, safe, and thriving green space for all.
Join us in preserving this historic landmark and making it a place for future generations to enjoy!
Our Mission
The Friends of Penn Treaty Park is a community organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the beauty and usefulness of historic Penn Treaty Park.
Meet Our Team!
Catherine Lowther
President
Penn Treaty Park is truly an oasis amidst our urban landscape. Catherine has been involved with the Friends of Penn Treaty Park organization since 2019 and was elected President in 2023. Her interests are in how environmental justice and public health impacts are created by urban green spaces. She feels grateful for the opportunity to support the Philadelphia and Riverwards communities by leading this organization.
Jonathan Doran
Vice President
Jim Becker
Treasurer
James Becker has lived in Fishtown for 20 years and been Treasurer for Friends of Penn Treaty Park for over 10 of those years. The park has always been a big part of Jim’s life in Fishtown from simply spending the day there with friends to helping run events with the Friends. He respects the history of the park and also the special place the park holds in the future of the community going forward.
Michelle Shuman
Secretary
Stefanie Bunk
Board Member
I am a mother of 3 and a grandmother of 3 grandsons. We have enjoyed Penn Treaty park as my grandsons were growing up . In 2018 I was invited to join the board of Friends of Penn Treaty Park. Our mission was to make the park very inviting to our neighbors and visitors. The Grounds committee with volunteers did cleanups and planting of the pollinator gardens.
Elizabeth Baldoni
Board Member
Liz has been volunteering at Penn Treaty Park since 2020. While in lockdown, she took an interest in the grounds committee planning and started attending the monthly zoom calls to learn more. In 2023, Liz joined the board and continues to help with monthly cleanups and plantings today. You can find her picnicking at Penn Treaty or checking on the newly planted trees in Port Richmond with her husband and daughter.
Joe Napoleon
Events Coordinator
My Name is Joe Napoleon and I have been part of the Friends of Penn Treaty Park since 2017. I am currently an Event Coordinator who deals with permitting events and coordinating artists, musicians for events as well as working with outside community groups to guide them to put on events through their organizations. I am always glad to answer any questions from the public from events as small as a picnic to as big as the park will fit. The Park is the Gem of the Riverwards and I am glad to be a part of it.