Abby Grosslein ’11 recently landed a position as a VISTA Tree Campaign Organizer with Tookany/Tacony-FrankfordWatershed Partnership, Inc. (TTF). This year she will be collaborating on the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Plant One Million initiative to provide street trees for homeowners in Philadelphia County and to inspire an appreciation for horticulture.

“Martin Luther King Jr. put it best when he said, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing to help others?’” notes Grosslein. “Serving in your local community should be an easy decision. In so many ways you are helping yourself, making your world more beautiful through your environment and the people youinteract with on a daily basis. Change is a local effort.”

In her new role, Grosslein has a plan to initiate change. She hopes to invigorate and expand the currenttree tending groups in and around Philadelphia County by teaching watershed lessons, planning and attending community meetings, and assisting TTF in their mission to enhance the health and vitality of this crucial watershed. In addition, she will help survey areas in need, monitor the care of recently planted trees, and spread the word about the importance of trees in urban landscape.

Prior to accepting this appointment, Grosslein was quite familiar with TTF. During the spring semester of her senior year she completed an internship with TTF, serving as Arcadia University’s liaison. When she saw the job posting on TTF’s Facebook page, she jumped at the chance to work with the organization again. “This year of service is a way for me to discover exactly what it is I want to do with my life,” she says. “With my English degree, I hope to incorporate writing and editing into a career centered on the environment in the community.”

Campus and community involvement were important elements of Grosslein’s education at Arcadia. While earning a bachelor’s degree, Grosslein was the President of Rockapella and a member of the Knitting Club, the Environmental Network, as well as the Recycling Committee, a work-study position in Arcadia’s Facilities Department. She was also a student worker for the Landman Library Circulation Desk, Career Development Office and Community Service Office.

“Arcadia’s Environmental Network and the Community Service Office forever changed my life goals,” says Grosslein. “In high school I wanted to be a writer and live a quiet life of words, but college showed me the value of helping others, especially in the outdoors. I will never feel fulfilled unless I know that my every day actions are helping to strengthen both my community and the world.”

Join Grosslein and the Germantown and Wingohocking Tree Tenders Groups as they plan the future of tree planting in Germantown at the Germantown Restoration CDC on Tuesday, May 8, at 6 p.m. For more details visit ttfwatershed.org or email abby@ttfwatershed.org.