From Schuylkill Center to Schuylkill River Trail:
Schuylkill Center to Host Lecture on the History and Future of The Circuit Trails
PHILADELPHIA � On February 23, the Schuylkill Center will welcome Robert Thomas, a founder and principal of Campbell Thomas & Co. Architects and Planners, for the 6th annual Richard L. James Lecture, which is free and open to the public. Thomas will discuss The Circuit, a remarkable network of trails spanning the distance from the Poconos to Washington, D.C. Thomas served on the original committee that created the Schuylkill River Trail, named America�s best urban trail by USA Today in 2015.
Each year an estimated 900,000 people walk, jog, bike, make art, play, and spend time on the Schuylkill River Trail. But this eight-mile stretch of trail is part of a much larger story. The Circuit, first envisioned by a team of regional planners interested in connecting urban, suburban, and rural communities through trails, is now 750-miles-of-trails strong. Thomas served on the committee that first imagined this network and brings a deep knowledge of it to the conversation. The Circuit trails are of special interest to the Schuylkill Center, whose property borders the Schuylkill River Trail. At the James Lecture, Mike Weilbacher, Schuylkill Center Executive Director, will share details on how the Center�s master plan integrates a connection to the Schuylkill River Trail.
Thomas has dedicated over 40 years advocating for parks, trails, and greenways, planning and building the green infrastructure that Philadelphians and visitors are fortunate enough to call their own. A deeply committed environmental advocate, Thomas has spent his more than four decades of work in the region without a car � biking everywhere he goes and coming to know these trails in remarkable detail. As the Schuylkill Center�s 6th annual Richard L. James Lecture, Thomas will explore the history of the trails and the unique confluence of events that made The Circuit possible. Turning to the future, he�ll talk about what it means to be located at the hub of this network and share details on a regional vision to �Connect The Circuit� by linking all 750 miles of trails.
The annual Richard L. James Lecture, established in memory of the Schuylkill Center's founding executive director, highlights leading voices in the environmental movement. Weilbacher notes, James "had an uncanny knack for finding the cutting edge in both education and the environment; if something new was happening, Dick would showcase it at the Schuylkill Center."
Past James lecturers include Kenneth Finch, who spoke about nature play in early childhood education in 2013, when the Schuylkill Center announced the opening of Pennsylvania�s first Nature Preschool; Dr. Michael Suk who offered a lecture on the health benefits of nature in 2014; and Sarah Wu, of the city�s Office of Sustainability, who led a lively conversation on how climate change will affect Philadelphia�s future in 2015. The public is invited to attend the 6th Annual Richard L. James Lecture on Thursday, February 23, at 7:30 pm.
About the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
The Schuylkill Center was founded in 1965 as the nation�s first urban environmental education center. Its 365-acres of fields and forests serve as a living laboratory to foster appreciation, deepen understanding, and encourage stewardship of the environment. Reaching over 36,000 Philadelphia-area residents each year, the Schuylkill Center offers a diverse collection of educational programs, including programs for school, continuing education for teachers, Pennsylvania�s first Nature Preschool, and a full calendar of events for the public. For more information: www.schuylkillcenter.org.
