On a quiet summer morning, the Delaware Canal can feel timeless. Great blue herons stalk the shallows while cyclists glide along the towpath, often unaware that the peaceful water running beside them once carried mule-drawn boats loaded with anthracite coal toward Philadelphia. Nearly 200 years after it opened, the canal remains one of Bucks County’s defining landmarks, but its survival is no accident, and neither is the beauty visitors encounter along its banks.

Protecting a resource of that scale requires far more than occasional maintenance. Fallen trees, erosion, graffiti, invasive plants and fluctuating water levels all demand attention, often long before most visitors notice them. With limited state park staff responsible for nearly 60 miles of waterway and towpath, much of that day-to-day stewardship falls to Friends of the Delaware Canal and its volunteer canal tender program, whose members serve as the canal’s eyes and ears.

Created in 1993, the program allows volunteers to adopt one of 34 sections, regularly walking the towpath to collect litter, report maintenance concerns, and help with larger preservation projects. Some visit weekly, others monthly, but all provide a consistent presence along a park stretching from Easton to Bristol. “Volunteers are so vital because we have 60 miles,” says Michael Ginder, executive director of Friends of the Delaware Canal. “It’s hard to staff that much length of park.”

In Constant Motion

Ginder, who has led the nonprofit for five years, oversees an organization devoted to preserving the canal’s history while protecting its future. His work ranges from coordinating volunteers and collaborating with state park officials to fundraising, public education, advocacy, and long-term restoration planning. “We don’t have a slow period,” he says. “There’s always something that happens or something to do.”

The canal was built for movement. Beginning in 1832, mule-drawn boats carried anthracite coal south along its waters for nearly a century, until commercial operations ended in 1931. Today, the same towpath once used by mule teams welcomes walkers, runners, and cyclists, while the waterway supports fish, turtles, birds, and other wildlife.

For Ginder, the challenge is preserving as much of the original system as possible while keeping the canal accessible. That means caring for historic locks, aqueducts, bridges, and lock tender houses while also addressing environmental concerns and heavy recreational use.

More Than a Walk

While the canal itself may seem larger than life, its survival depends largely on ordinary people performing small acts of care, consistently and often without recognition. For canal tenders like Bob Margadonna, that responsibility extends well beyond an assigned section. Walking the towpath near the historic lock tender’s house in New Hope, his attention moves naturally between the water and the trail. He notices litter, fallen trees, invasive plants, and signs of damage that most visitors would simply pass by. Even beyond the stretch he officially maintains, he photographs problems and reports what he finds.

Margadonna serves on the Friends’ board and has been especially active in efforts to maintain water in the New Hope section, where adequate flow is essential not only to the canal’s appearance but to its wildlife and bustling downtown businesses. Several years ago, when the pump supplying water near Center Bridge stopped working, Margadonna’s dedication was put to the test. As levels fell and fish and turtles struggled to survive, he joined other community members in raising money to restore the canal and bring life back to it. “We were all bemoaning the fact that these fish and turtles and wildlife were dying,” he says.

The experience showed how closely the canal’s health is tied to the broader well-being of the New Hope community, a connection woven through every task the canal tenders perform. As Margadonna puts it, each person may make only a small contribution, but “the sum is much greater than the parts.”

Before retiring, Margadonna spent years traveling extensively for work. When a family member became seriously ill, he changed his priorities and decided to stay close to home. Long bike rides along the canal became a refuge. “It was really a force for calmness and serenity in my life,” he says. “I came to realize what an enormous resource it is for the community.”

Today, Margadonna still rides the towpath several times each week, enjoying sightings of herons, turtles, and bald eagles while quietly watching over the canal itself. “It’s kind of a respite from all of the chaos that we sort through as we go about our lives,” he says. “It’s nice to just take a little bit of a break and breathe easily and take in the beauty.”

Quiet Service

South of Bridge Street, Tom Lyon and his partner, Faad Ghoraishi, care for another section of the canal running through downtown New Hope. Once or twice each month, they walk the towpath carrying a trash bag, collecting litter, and noting anything that needs attention. They also participate in larger cleanup projects, including removing debris when water levels are lowered.

Their work goes beyond cleanup. When Lyon notices deteriorating walls or other potential problems, he photographs them and sends the information to Friends of the Delaware Canal, helping alert park officials to issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. “It’s a good feeling to help keep the community clean,” Lyon says, adding that it helps to have “a partner to hold the bag and knees that still cooperate.”

The role is a natural extension of a lifetime of public service. A retired family physician, Lyon also serves with the New Hope Historical Society and the borough’s Human Relations Commission. Whether preserving local history or helping maintain the canal, he believes small acts of stewardship strengthen the community. “I feel gratified to be able to help create the community that we live in,” he says.

Looking Ahead

While canal tenders focus on the day-to-day care of the waterway, Friends of the Delaware Canal is also planning for its future. In 2032, the canal will mark its 200th anniversary while the organization celebrates 50 years.

Among the group’s long-term goals is the possible return of boats to a three-mile stretch in New Hope, where mule-drawn barge rides once operated. Before that can happen though, invasive aquatic plants must be removed and dependable water levels must be maintained. Friends of the Delaware Canal is beginning with environmental study and planning, with the hope that an electric water taxi and occasional mule barge events could offer visitors another way to experience the canal’s history.

For Ginder, the larger goal is continuity: preserving the original structures, keeping the canal accessible, and ensuring that future generations understand what the canal has meant to Bucks County over the years. “I would love to make sure that the canal is preserved and its history is preserved for everybody to see,” he says. “It is a beautiful asset that we have in this area.”

Community members do not have to become official canal tenders to help. Friends of the Delaware Canal’s annual spring cleanup draws about 200 volunteers, and visitors can contribute simply by carrying their trash away or reporting hazards they encounter along the towpath.

The work is rarely glamorous, but its impact is everywhere. Through small, consistent acts of care, volunteers help preserve a place where Bucks County’s history, wildlife, and community remain deeply connected.

Lela Casey is the editor of New Hope & Solebury magazine and has been writing professionally for more than 15 years. She and her family live in Doylestown.

Photograph by Jennifer Janikic Photography