by Katie BorhiPhiladelphia-based beekeeper Chelsea Thoumsin started the Pollinator Project as a simple answer to a complicated question. “A lot of people started asking me, ‘If I can’t keep my own bees, what can I do to help them?’”
Moreby Samantha WittchenIf you’re a fan of bees, but feel like you’re not yet ready for the commitment and cost of donning the beekeeper’s suit, we have good news for you: You can still promote these pollinators in your own backyard by building a native bee box that provides bees with shelter and a safe
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by Samantha Wittchen It’s a sunny afternoon in early June, and Wynn Geary’s beehives are abuzz with activity. In his Manayunk backyard, Geary checks on a hive full of bees that he and his father recently collected from a swarm in North Philly.
MoreThe Love 'N Fresh flower farm in RoxboroughWhile you’re laying down roots of your own, it doesn’t get more local or sustainable than a backdrop of flowering trees, shrubs or plants that still have roots in the ground. Consider picking an outdoor location for your wedding—like a park or arboretum—and a time of year where
Moreby Brittany ThomasLaunching a student environmental group while in college is impressive, but 22-year-old University of Pennsylvania Environmental Studies senior Sara Allan’s SPARC project has caught fire far beyond the ivied walls of her campus.
MoreCommunity activist and educator Tommy Joshua is standing his ground. As the executive director of North Philly Peace Park, an urban garden and education space in the Sharswood neighborhood, Joshua leads a group of passionate and progressive activists who want to see radical change come to Philly neighborhoods that need it most—through food and community.
MoreCan recycled art at the Philadelphia Zoo help protect habitat and change habits?
by Heather Shayne BlakesleeNine-foot-tall recycled-cardboard gorilla sculpture created by Canadian artist Laurence Vallieres for the Philadelphia Zoo’s Second Nature: Junk Rethunk exhibit.
The newest animals at the Philadelphia Zoo aren’t in cages, although some of them—including a life-sized alligator sculpted from bubblegum—will remain safely behind glass.
MoreAwbury Arboretum’s unlikely stewards let nature—and discovery—run wild
Awbury staff from left to right: Denis Lucey, Karen Flick, Heather Zimmerman and Chris van de Velde.Philadelphians are familiar with the sounds of city life: the laughter of kids walking home from school, bus engines and car horns on the busy streets, music flowing from rowhome windows.
MoreDr. Robert D. BullardTonight, Temple University hosts Dr. Robert Bullard, a lauded environmental justice advocate, author and scholar, for their 5th Annual Kelch Lecture. His most recent book, The Wrong Complexion for Protection: How the Government Response to Disaster Endangers African American Communities, is the latest in a life-long body of groundbreaking work. Dr. Bullard and his co-author
MoreScott Blunk teaches Theresa Harter, a junior, how to work a loader at W.B. Saul High School in Roxborough. | Photos by Stephen Dyer
Compost expert and volunteer teacher makes educational programs possible for high school students
The compost pile at W.B. Saul High School in Roxborogh is about the size of a school bus—and that’s