Author: news
A Natural Way to Start the Day
March 10, 2017By Donna M. Struck, Director of Finance and Administration
In my eight and a half years as a staff member at the Center, I have seen a great deal of positive change. One of my favorite changes of recent past is the addition of what we call the “Hagy’s Mill Parking Lot.”
The lot’s primary purpose is to provide parking for visitors during times when the main entrance gate is locked, such as on Sundays when the Visitor Center is closed. One day soon after the lot was finished, my colleague, Anna Lehr Mueser, suggested that we could park our…
Combating a Natural Enemy
March 7, 2017By Liz Jelsomine, Environmental Art & Public Relations Intern
Restoring, protecting, and preserving nature is no small task, and when that land is comprised of worn-out farmland overwhelmed with invasive species, the job becomes even more of a challenge. Artist Bill Botzow realized this when he visited the Schuylkill Center in 2002, stating, “The Center’s commitment to restoring the land while educating the public is impressive and I would like to contribute to support that effort by highlighting some of the Center’s environmental restoration practices and strategies.”
Botzow observed and quickly learned about the main challenge the Center faces; invasive…
Field Guide: Know Your Evergreens
February 28, 2017By Jenny Ryder, Environmental Art & PR Intern
Enjoy our mobile field guide as you walk, hike and play in the fall forests. Wintertime has got me cherishing the bits of green left around the forest here at the Schuylkill Center. On our monthly staff walk the other day (after perhaps the last snowfall of the season), the white backdrop over our dips and hills made it easy to spot evergreens throughout the trails. Of course, our beloved and fragrant Pine Grove is thriving, and we shared knowledge about the kinds of conifers and other evergreens that live with us…
Investigate & Create: My Experience at the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education’s Annual Conference
February 24, 2017
By Christina Catanese, Director of Environmental Art
I recently had the opportunity to attend a great conference, the annual gathering of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE), which this year focused on the theme of integrating the arts into environmental education.
[caption id="attachment_268018" align="alignright" width="199"] Miss Martha Shaum's handmade knit jellyfish at the auction[/caption]
The conference occurred on February 4th, but the beginning of this story actually goes back to January 2015. At the time, the idea of an arts-flavored conference for environmental educators was just a glimmer in the eye of John Sandkuhler, a MAEOE board…
Put that phone away!
February 16, 2017By Damien Ruffner, School Programs Manager
June 29th, 2007 changed the world forever: This is not the date of a presidential election, or the start or end of a military conflict. It’s not the day humans first traveled into space, or discovered some profound scientific theory. Think smaller, about 4 inches to be exact. It’s the date the first iPhone was released. And here we are, one decade into the smartphone generation.
The aspect of my position at the Schuylkill Center that takes up the most time every year is the Adventure Treks summer camp program, and specifically the 10-12…
Foraging for Art
February 9, 2017By Liz Jelsomine, Environmental Art & Public Relations Intern
Editor’s note: The Schuylkill Center produced a wall calendar for 2017 in celebration of the environmental art program. Throughout the year, we’ll run a monthly post on our blog highlighting the art works featured in that month of the calendar. Calendars are still available, now 50% off – only $10 each!
What started out as an amateur attempt to forage for mushrooms led to 20 years of exploration, mycology enthusiasm, and art for Philadelphia artist Melissa Maddonni Haims and her husband, Josh Haims.
Josh’s curiosity was initially peaked after noticing mushroom foragers…
On The Circuit: 6th annual Richard L. James lecture
February 7, 2017By Elisabeth Zafiris, Acting Director of Education
On February 23rd the Schuylkill Center will welcome Robert Thomas, a founder and principal of Campbell Thomas & Co. Architects and Planners, as our 6th Annual Richard L. James Lecturer. This year we’ll be talking about The Circuit – a remarkable network spanning the region and connecting urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Thomas 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. Thomas served on the original committee that created the Schuylkill River Trail, and…
Children Need Nature: An Emergent Curriculum Study
January 30, 2017By Kristina Eaddy, Sweet Gum Classroom Lead Teacher
Children Need Nature is a monthly blog column from our Nature Preschool program. Read more posts here.
Why do leaves change colors? What is under the frozen ice? And where do birds go during the winter? These are questions we hear every day, as Nature Preschool teachers. Young children’s minds are full of wonders and questions, trying to learn about, connect with, and understand the world they are surrounded by.
At Nature Preschool, we nurture this natural curiosity in young children by following the emergent curriculum approach. The goal of an emergent curriculum is…
Winter 2017 Photography Contest
January 26, 2017
By Jenny Ryder, Environmental Art & PR Intern
Winter is in full swing in Southeast PA (though it doesn't always feel like it), and we’re trying our best to get outside every day despite the icy chill in the air. We encourage you to do the same—get out of your home/office/classroom, etc. and take a photograph for our Winter 2017 Photo Contest!
This year, one of my resolutions is to find room in my heart for the wintertime by finding new ways to appreciate nature throughout the cold, dead months. The colors of winter are one of the most striking…
Bringing Nature into the Classroom
January 17, 2017By Damien Ruffner, School Programs Manager
Here at the Schuylkill Center, we set yearly themes. It doesn’t necessarily dictate all of our goals and events throughout the year. Rather it is an ongoing conversation that the staff members have that consequently is reflected in our programming. In 2015 we marked our 50th anniversary, working these celebrations into many aspects of our work. In 2016 our theme was climate change. For 2017 the conversation around the Center is “What does environmental education look like in the 21st century?” It’s a simple enough question, but the answer is not so simple. We’re so…
