It can be easy to get discouraged these days. Everywhere we look, there are signs of a struggling planet and, often, it’s difficult to see a clear path to an effectual response. 2022 may well eclipse recent years as the hottest on record. Rainfall has alternated between being absent or violent in Pennsylvania, one of
More
Photography by Aubrey Abel Waterway Protection: Cleanup Time By Claire Marie Porter Alec Clelland grew up on the isolated, South Jersey peninsula of Delanco, without much to do but explore the shoreline of the Delaware River. Doing so, he encountered lots of garbage, and occasionally brought back some of the “treasures” he found. Despite aggressive
More
I had low expectations for the fungus walk that the Philadelphia Mycology Club hosted last year in April. I showed up as part of the City Nature Challenge, an international urban citizen science event that connects people to nature while documenting urban biodiversity. I sit on the Challenge’s local organizing committee, and while we welcomed
More
Photography by Albert Yee Bike Talk: Room to Breathe By Randy LoBasso Any other year on St. Patrick’s Day, you’d have seen a barrage of green-plastic-Leprechaun-hat-sporting college kids falling over themselves as they paraded the sidewalks of Center City. This year was different. Bars were closed and the city was slowly moving toward a stay-at-home
More
From our homes, we can be a light. I am not on the front line of this pandemic, but in my own quiet way, from home, I press on. Being at home has been a blessing and a curse for all of us. I am learning how to be resourceful, optimistic and a better listener.
More
I was leaving for work on my creaky old bike, which now you can hear on our vacated streets. I spotted my neighbor holding a newborn, seated in a folding chair in a sliver of sunshine. “Congratulations,” I said, without rushing over. I would see her from no closer than 20 feet. She thanked me
More
A Growing Trend By Aaron Salsbury In mid-March, seed sales skyrocketed for Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds. “We can hardly keep up with online orders,” he says. “We are selling out of seeds that we had imagined would last several years, and so we may have a limited catalog in the next year or so.”
More
Victory Garden Chancellor Avenue School, Newark, 1942 | Photo Courtesy of Newark Public Library Energy: Grow Hope, Not Fear By Meenal Raval New words have crept into our vocabulary since last month. Self-isolation. Social distancing. Pandemic. No-touch transactions. Fear about the COVID-19 pandemic has captured our focus. We now obsess about hand-washing, mask-wearing, and who
More
Storm King: Venice Island’s Groundbreaking Green Design By Meredith Jones & Photography by Rachael Warriner Tucked behind the bustle of Main Street in Manayunk, just beyond the towpath and canal sits an island performing arts and recreation center. The design is modern and dynamic, a beautiful clean space for the community to come together. While
More
Medicine Box By Alexandra (Marie) Jones & Photography by Parikha Mehta As healthcare and health insurance costs have spiraled out of control in the U.S. and our world becomes more and more anxious, the market for products aimed at curing our ailments and soothing our psyches grows. According to the Global Wellness Institute, which has
More
Photography by Albert Yee Street Stories & Curbside Characters: Street Smarts By Constance Garcia-Barrio It’s dark. High heels approach, staccato, from behind. Someone grabs your arm and propels you forward. “Let’s go!” A kidnapping? More likely, the theft of a moment’s independence from a blind person on Philly’s streets. “Once, a woman took my arm
More