For a few years now, I have been avoiding writing an article about freshwater mussels like the one Kyle Bagenstose wrote for this issue. His article airs doubts about the claim that restoring native freshwater mussels can help clean polluted waters — just as efforts are ramping up to breed and reintroduce mussels to our
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On yet another wet weekend, a group of ten braced a downpour to walk along the trails of Strawberry Mansion’s Discovery Center for a wild plant tour. Their journey began at the trail entrance, where an innocuous weed was growing. Tour guide Lady Danni Morinich, a local herbalist and forager, identified the plant as yellow
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On a chilly night in February, a group of young people gathered on the steps of City Hall, armed with hand-painted artwork, prepared speeches, chants and community speakers; the Philly Thrive interns had organized a press conference to support housing justice in Grays Ferry. They were calling on City Council to support affordable housing legislation
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When shootings skyrocketed in Philadelphia during the pandemic, teenagers were among those most affected. In the face of this crisis, students at Dobbins Technical High School in North Philly set out to unearth the root causes of the violence sweeping the city. “Future Visions” is the result — an enormously affecting documentary series that follows
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On a treeless sidewalk on a day in May that feels much hotter than its 75 degrees, there’s an ice cream truck serving a long line of people, while several plastic machines are cranking out a flurry of bubbles. Some of the bubbles hurtle toward 440 North Broad Street, the headquarters of the School District
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On a drive through Tacony Creek Park in the spring of 2020, Lawncrest resident Dallas Herbert Sr. could barely get around illegally-dumped construction debris and tires. He was appalled. An executive board member of the Lawncrest Community Association, Herbert asked his older neighbors about this particularly trashed stretch called Snake Road; many informed him that
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At times it feels like only yesterday we were in school, rushing into the hallways at the sound of the bell and then slouching into desks facing the teacher at the front of the classroom. You might recall the combination to your locker, and certainly the anxiety of facing a test you hadn’t studied enough
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On September 6, a group of 18 gathered at the Delaware River waterfront with Walk Around Philadelphia. Setting off from Cherry Street Pier, some planned to cover 10 miles on that day’s stroll while others planned to do 120 — completing a circuit of the entire city of Philadelphia. All were bound to learn something
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On a dock where Wissahickon Creek meets the Schuylkill River, LandHealth Institute deputy director Mayci Shimon steadies kayaks as paddlers carefully shimmy in, some for the first time. Despite the rumble of SEPTA traffic on a nearby bridge, the Philadelphia Canoe Club offers a serene escape. Nestled away, the historic, 119-year-old house aglow with the
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