About

Turtle Park is located in the American University Park neighborhood of
northwest Washington, D.C, at the corner
of Van Ness and 45th Streets.

DC Metrobus (N3, N4, N6 and N8)
stops on Massachusetts Ave.

DC Metrorail (redline) stops at the AU
Park / Tenleytown station which is located on Wisconsin Ave. at Albermarle Rd.

Reserve a picnic table?
Please contact Enrique Leiva (202-282-2198).

Reserve the rec center?
Please contact DC Department of Parks and Recreation or Enrique Leiva (202-282-2198).

Friends of Friendship Park

Friends of Friendship Park (FOFP) is a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. Our mission is to assist the Washington, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation in the maintenance and improvement of Friendship "Turtle" Park.

We have a formalized 'Friends of' Park Partnership, which creates an arrangement under which organizations can help the DC Department of Parks and Recreation maintain city parks. Friends of Friendship Park has tax-exempt status under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, all contributions are tax-deductible.

Friends of Friendship Park (FOFP) is run by a Board of Directors. Officers are Lucy Cummings - President; Sheila Summers - Secretary; and, Jennifer Meuwissen-Rose - Treasurer. Other Board members include Jonathan McHugh, Alexis Comrack, Paul Steinberg, Warren Weinstein, Jenifer Tidwell,  Maria Creighton, Brett Scola, Catherine Morvis, Elizabeth Leamy and Laura Stefani.

Board meetings are held monthly at the Friendship Park Recreation Center and are open to the public. For information, contact president@turtlepark.org.

Karen Rosenthal

In February, Turtle Park lost its greatest supporter and advocate, Karen Rosenthal. Karen has been a presence at the Park for so long. Her strength, enthusiasm and humor elevated all of the lives she touched. Perhaps you never met the woman behind the sandbox. Brilliant White Golf sand. A term I never knew. All I know is, "it feels like you're sitting in the Caribbean", to quote another Mom. You didn't have to know her. Knowing Turtle Park and the wonderful place it is for us and our children...well, that's knowing Karen.

Karen will be missed by so many in so many ways. May Fair will continue. Ice Cream Socials will continue. Halloween Festival will continue. As an organization, Friends of Friendship Park is struggling to understand how we will keep all of these fantastic events, not to mention the day-to-day details of Park management, going with the same energy and enthusiasm.

Many people have asked me what they can do to help the Park. The answer is easy. Be a part of Turtle Park. It will take several people to keep up with the Department of Parks and Recreation continuously changing bureaucracy, the garbage men, the tree guys and all those juice box straws. Clean up. Ask others to clean up. Sign up to bake cupcakes. Join the Board of Friends of Friendship Park.

We will be holding a ceremony on Saturday, June 30th to dedicate two new trees to all of Karen's hard work.

We will be having music and food and I hope to see your entire family at the party. Karen and I spent a lot of time worrying about and planning for trees at the Park. When I think of Karen, I hear the children's singer, Laurie Berkner. Now, I had never heard of Laurie Berkner before meeting Karen (those being the dark days before Noggin.) Laurie Berkner has a song, "Under a Shady Tree", that has been running through my head.

Under a shady tree, you and me. Under a shady tree, you and ...
Can you feel the breeze blow by? Can you feel it on your face?
This is our special place.
Under a shady tree, you and me.

- Deirdre Kloski

Learn more about Karen at www.teamkaren.org.