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May 2020
POSTPONED – The Enchanted Forest: Party Under the Stars
Join us for a party in our beautiful spring forest. Enjoy delicious, sustainably-sourced food, refreshments, live music, and a raffle with wonderful prizes. Our most important fundraising event, this enchanted evening supports our critical mission connecting people and nature.
Find out more »June 2020
Thursday Night L!VE (online): Nature Trivia
Where in Manayunk does the world’s fastest animal nest? What local creature eats up to 1,000 insects daily? What large bird uses projectile vomiting as an effective defense?! It’s a cornucopia of questions about nature, wildlife, the environment and all things green-- even frogs. Gather around the computer and vie for prizes in our live trivia event. First place will receive a $50 gift card to Earth Bread and Brewery. Small prizes will also be awarded to the second and…
Find out more »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
Nature Trivia Night
It’s a cornucopia of questions about nature, wildlife, the environment and all things green– even frogs. Which nocturnal animal plays dead, emitting a putrid smell to escape its predators? What popular nocturnal creature’s droppings can actually be used as a fertilizer? Gather around the computer and vie for prizes in our live Zoom trivia event. First place will receive a pint glass and t-shirt from Twisted Gingers Brewing Company plus a prize from our gift shop. Prizes will also be…
Find out more »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 »The Hidden History of the Schuylkill Center
Today’s Schuylkill Center-- an island of preserved open space in a large developing city-- might have turned out differently. Did you know that the farmland that became the Schuylkill Center was short-listed as a site for the United Nations in the 1940s? Later, planners wanted Roxborough’s Cathedral Road to continue down our driveway and end at a bridge over the Schuylkill River to the Main Line. In a reprise of his popular lecture, executive director Mike Weilbacher presents the hidden…
Find out more »Pandemic Play: Spread Joy, not the Virus
Here’s a lecture perfect for frustrated parents navigating the current COVID world, with both you and your children spending too much time online. Come learn how Studio Ludo, a non-profit design firm specializing in play, uses play during the pandemic to fight against social disconnect, preserve parental happiness, and build more resilient, happier kids. They believe that play helps us live life a little more fully. The evening is presented by Meghan Talarowski, Studio Ludo’s executive director, who believes that…
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…
Find out more »Six Legs to Rule Them All
With over 1 million species found so far and millions more still to be discovered, insects are unbelievably diverse in form and function. Join entomologist Isa Betancourt for a deep dive into the wonderful world of insects. She’ll share stunning examples of insect diversity here in Philadelphia, from the fastest color-changing arthropod known to the cicadas that emerge once every 17 years, then jump into why insect biodiversity is so precious-- and what we can do to support it in…
Find out more »Celebrate Spring! A Virtual Wildflower Walk
After this wicked snow-filled winter, spring has finally sprung, bringing the promise of a forest overflowing with bright green leaves and a stunning carpet of ephemeral wildflowers. Mike Weilbacher, our resident wildflower expert, takes you on a virtual nature walk through the Center’s trails to meet our wonderful wildflowers, so many having such evocative names: Dutchman’s breeches, spring beauties, Jacob’s ladder, Jack-in-the-pulpit, wake robin. He’ll share their life stories, the role they play in the ecology of the region, and…
Find out more »April 2021
Ask a Naturalist
Bring your nature questions for our panel of naturalists to answer. What’s the best local tree to plant in my yard? Which birds are migrating through Philadelphia right now? How are native bees or monarch butterflies doing? What actions can I take at home to support nature? Tony Croasdale, naturalist at the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center joins our staff naturalists Aaliyah Green Ross and Eduardo Duenas to answer all your nature questions.
Find out more »Saving the Ark: Religion and the Environment
In April, sermons about nature and the environment are increasingly heard in churches, mosques, and synagogues across the planet—sermons about stewardship, justice, even survival. At this event, religious leaders from diverse faiths gather to discuss and dissect the role of religion in the environment and will take your questions. Our panel includes Eileen Flanagan, author and former leader of the Earth Quaker Action Team, Reverend Gregory S. Holston, pastor of the Janes Memorial United Methodist Church in Germantown, Pastor Langdon…
Find out more »Rob Carter: Cultured Lands Artist Discussion
Environmental artist Rob Carter’s work involves architecture, the science of plants, the environment and the history of colonialism. Join us for a virtual reception as he shares his fascination with how botany and urban development shape our shared environment. He will discuss his current research into the history and future of landscapes with Tina Plokarz, the Schuylkill Center’s Director of Environmental Art, and Lee Stoetzel, manager of the West Collection, a contemporary art collection in which several of Rob Carter’s…
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Earth Day Live!
On this day, more than 1 billion people from almost 200 countries will unite to improve our planet. Join us for a highly interactive event where we invite you to share Earth Day actions, ask questions of Saleem Chapman, the city’s climate resilience coordinator, enjoy eco-poetry, learn our city’s special history with Earth Day, and guess the top 5 environmental pop songs of all time—while hearing a climate change quartet. You’ll also meet our impossibly cute Nature Preschoolers, who help…
Find out more »Native Plants Hotline
Native plants offer a host of benefits to your garden-- and one of the most powerful acts you can offer to improve our planet. In addition to their beauty, native plants provide nectar and pollen for insects, food for colorful birds and rare butterflies, homes for toads and salamanders, protection from stormwater, and a whole lot more. But what to plant in YOUR yard? Are there native plants that grow in the shade? In that annoying wet spot? On the…
Find out more »May 2021
The Story in Rocks: Geology with Sarah West
Wissahickon’s dramatically beautiful rock formations-- huge banded gneiss formed deep underground, garnet-studded schist that grace the foundations of so many homes-- tell a great story of continents crashing into each other, mountains rising and falling, and time slowly revealing the earth’s secrets. Sarah West has been leading popular Wissahickon geology walks and talks for many years, and shares the stories found in these rocks. You’ll never walk the Wissahickon trails in the same way again.
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