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July 2020
The Story of Plastic: A Film Conversation
The new film THE STORY OF PLASTIC takes a sweeping look at the crisis of plastic pollution and its effect on both people and planet. Spanning three continents, the film illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, mountains of trash, rivers and seas clogged with waste, and skies choked with the poisonous emissions from plastic production and processing. With engaging original animation, archival footage beginning in the ‘30s, and first-person accounts, the film shines a bright light on an…
Find out more »October 2020
The Wildlife Clinic: A Virtual Tour
Our Wildlife Clinic treats thousands of injured, orphaned, and sick animals every year. Join us for a virtual behind-the-scenes tour with our Wildlife Rehabilitation team with Director Chris Strub and Assistant Director Liz Ellmann. Our clinic, the only one in Philadelphia, has handled over 150 different species, everything from tiny hummingbirds to massive snapping turtles. Chris and Liz will answer all your questions about how you can champion wildlife and rehabilitation in the region.
Find out more »Roxborough’s River and Water: A History
For almost 100 years the Roxborough Pumping Station, just above the Flat Rock Dam, was a landmark on the Schuylkill River, pumping water into two reservoirs on high ground to serve the city's northwestern section. In this illustrated talk, Adam Levine, historian for Philadelphia Water, reveals why the system was built, how it worked, why it was abandoned, and its ultimate dereliction and demolition in 2011. River pollution and flooding, drownings, water filtration, the revitalization of the reservoirs as parkland,…
Find out more »February 2021
Overview from Overhead: Raptors in our Skies
Can you tell a red-shouldered hawk from a red-tail? A merlin from a kestrel? Philadelphia sees an astounding 26 raptor species throughout the year, more than half of those present in the US. But winter surprisingly boasts the largest number of species, as migrants move here for the season and mix with winter residents. This raptor extravaganza inevitably brings some to the Wildlife Clinic’s door as they tangle with man-made hazards and the challenges of winter. Join Clinic Director Chris…
Find out more »Braiding Phragmites: Richard L. James Lecture
This summer environmental artist Sarah Kavage and designer Yaroub Al-Obaidi will construct a traditional Iraqi guesthouse, a mudhif, at the Schuylkill Center, one of the first such structures in America. It will be built entirely out of phragmites, an invasive wetland grass that threatens ecosystems worldwide and is one of the most abundant plants in the Delaware River watershed. At this event, the artists will speak about traditional reed practices, methods of eco-friendly harvesting and eradication, and the creation of…
Find out more »Leave it to Beavers
Surprise! Not only do bald eagles nest near the airport and peregrine falcons swoop out of Manayunk skies, but beavers are now building dams and lodges along the Schuylkill in Manayunk and Roxborough. Once locally extinct, beavers have happily returned to several places in our city. While this is worth celebrating, it has ironically impacted restoration efforts where beavers devour newly planted trees. Local naturalist Bernard “Billy” Brown, author of the Urban Naturalist column in Grid magazine, the Roxborough Manayunk…
Find out more »March 2021
The Rise and Fall of our Forests: from the Lenape to Smokey the Bear
The Pennsylvania landscape has undergone a near-complete transformation over the last 350 years, starting with the extirpation of the Lenape and the loss of their fire management practices. After European settlement, extensive logging and land clearing, the introduction of exotic insects, diseases and invasive plants, increasing deer browsing, and the Smokey Bear-era has led to unprecedented changes in forest composition across the eastern US. We’ve lost not only once-dominant chestnut trees, but many white pine forests too, and super-abundant white…
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