Press Release: The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education Becomes an Accredited Arboretum
October 23, 2024Philadelphia, PA, October 23, 2024 — The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education was awarded accreditation as an arboretum, making it the first accredited arboretum in Roxborough.
Founded in 1965, the Schuylkill Center is one of the first urban environmental education centers in the country, with 365 acres of fields, forests, ponds, and streams in northwest Philadelphia. The Schuylkill Center is the largest privately-owned open space within the city of Philadelphia – with four miles of hiking trails, diverse events, and school programs. The Center’s grounds hold a Visitor Center, environmental art installations, nature preschool, the only licensed wildlife clinic in…
Press Release: Schuylkill Center Appoints Erin Mooney as Executive Director
May 15, 2024Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education Appoints Erin Mooney as Executive Director
Philadelphia, PA. May 15, 2024 — The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education board of trustees announced today that they have named Erin Mooney as the organization’s executive director. Mooney has served as the interim executive director of the organization since April 2023. Prior to that, she served for six years on the Center’s board of trustees, most recently as vice president.
“We are thrilled to name Erin Mooney as the next executive director of the Schuylkill Center. Erin’s deep understanding of the Schuylkill Center, her conservation experience, and dedication…
A Resilient Mother Opossum
May 10, 2023A Virginia opossum mom arrived at the Schuylkill Center Wildlife Clinic a few weeks ago after a caring rescuer found her injured in her backyard. Our rehabilitators discovered a large wound on her hip along with severe damage to her toes. The team also noticed that she was carrying a pouch full of babies estimated to be four weeks old. Thankfully, the babies were unharmed and their mother continued to nurse them as the rehabilitators patched up her injuries.
This patient could not undergo a “normal” surgery to close up her wounds. Baby opossums stay latched in their mother’s pouch…
Pine Needles and Pesto: A Foraged Meal
May 3, 2023On a recent Tuesday afternoon, seated outside on rows of bleachers, a handful of students took several leaps of trust in us, themselves, and the natural world. Bottles of pungent sodas were popped and weeds were seasoned, blended, and fried, all with an air of cautious optimism.
“Oh! That's actually kind of good!”
[caption id="attachment_276695" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The class working together to prepare their foraged meal.[/caption]
Last week, educators Sky and Nick visited W.B. Saul High School for the last in a series of lessons focusing on locally foraged food. During the program, our group worked from frozen soil with…
Schuylkill Center appoints Erin Mooney as Interim Executive Director
April 15, 2023The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education announced today that it has parted ways with its executive director, Mike Weilbacher.
Erin Mooney, a six-year member and vice president of the board of trustees will serve as the organization’s interim executive director, going forward, and a national search for a permanent executive director is underway.
“On behalf of the board of trustees, we are grateful for all that Mike has contributed to the Center over the years of his service and wish him well,” said board president Christopher McGill. “Mike has led us through important years of growth.”
Mooney, a longtime non-profit…
Come See the Flowers Race the Trees
April 5, 2023Like all forests around us, the Schuylkill Center is in full bloom right now. You really have to see it to believe it. In fact, you can, if you simply walk down our Ravine Loop.
Like the red trillium (pictured below), an elusive and rare plant that New Englanders dubbed “wake robin,” as it bloomed there about when robins return north from their migrations (robins are year-round residents here in Roxborough). Or the Virginia bluebells (pictured below)-- one of everyone’s favorites, as it is taller than many of the spring ephemerals and one of the bluest of them all. You can…
Rehabilitating the American woodcock
March 25, 2023Spring has sprung! Despite the fluctuating temperatures, wildlife have begun preparing for the warmer months ahead.
The earliest sign of spring at the Wildlife Clinic is the migration of the American woodcock. These birds are typically the first to arrive in
[caption id="attachment_276450" align="alignleft" width="300"] American Woodcock[/caption]
the spring and the last to leave in the winter. Woodcocks are known for their unique looks and fascinating courtship displays.
This woodcock was admitted to the clinic after flying into a window while migrating over Philadelphia. After his examination, our rehabilitators decided to perform an X-ray to determine the extent of his…
Our Broken Spring
March 20, 2023Later today at 5:24 pm, a vertical shaft of sunlight grazes the equator: it’s the first moment of spring. Greetings of the season, usually worth celebrating. Not this year.
For our weirdly snowless winter has already yielded an eerily early spring. While perhaps you’ve already noticed too-early crocuses, daffodils, and even dandelions, our forests have fast-forwarded into spring.
At the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Roxborough, painted turtles started sunbathing on pond edges in February. At the Briar Bush Nature Center in Abington, red-backed salamanders were spotted out of their burrows at the end of February. Skunk cabbage popped…
Traveling Through: Varvàra Fern for “Walking the Edge”
March 16, 2023Varvàra Fern is an artist on a journey. Her highly detailed bronze and resin-cast sculptures, which are featured in our current community exhibition, Walking the Edge, tell the stories of people taking their first steps along the path from unhappiness towards happiness, from imbalance towards inner peace.
Varvàra was born and grew up in Russia, and before moving to the U.S., she studied at the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow. There, she learned composition and figurative sculpture, both of which she continues to utilize in her work today. It wasn’t until she visited the U.S., however, that she stumbled upon…
Are There Really Dead Birds in that Fridge?
March 9, 2023If you’ve recently been to the Schuylkill Center, you may have noticed our gallery space is a bit more full than normal. In our current exhibition Walking the Edge, you’ll find hundreds of artworks, ranging from resin sculpture and vibrant photographs to large, earth-toned textiles. And since its debut, the most frequent question I hear is, “Are there really dead birds in that fridge?” This seems to be the response artist Matt Witmer hopes to elicit in viewers as he coyly refuses to reveal the truth.
Dead Bird Fridge first came to be during Witmer’s time as a graduate student…
