Category: Nature
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…
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…
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…
Field Guide: Fallen Leaves
November 23, 2016By Jenny Ryder, Environmental Art and PR Intern
Enjoy our mobile field guide as you walk, hike and play in the fall forests. Take in the beauty of crunchy fallen leaves in the city and the forest and easily identify the trees from whence they came.
See other Field Guide posts here.
Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera), commonly referred to as Tulip Poplar, are abundant in the forest at the Schuylkill Center, and their mostly-yellow turning leaves roughly resemble the shape of a cat’s head or—as you might have noticed—a tulip! Another mark of a Tulip tree leaf…
Field Guide: Fall in Bloom
October 20, 2016By Jenny Ryder, Environmental Art and Public Relations Intern
Enjoy our mobile field guide as you walk, hike, and play in the fall meadows. See other Field Guide posts here.
Flat-top goldenrod (Solidage graminifolia)
Flat-top goldenrod provides nectar for many types of pollinators such as butterflies, wasps, both long- and short-tongue bees, flies, moths and beetles. One particularly interested beetle is named after the plant itself—the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle! Many people mistakenly believe they’re allergic to goldenrod , but in fact, what little pollen it has is too sticky to be blown around by the wind! Wherever you are, it…
Reading Under the Bark
September 20, 2016By guest contributor Jim Frazer
I’ve been trying to remember what led me to photograph the engraved tracks of bark beetles. I believe that really it was just curiosity about looking for lines and patterns in nature which first drew my attention to the etched pathways of the beetle larvae. Once I became aware of them, they seemed to be everywhere in the woods. In an effort to understand what I was looking at, I did some research, and found out that the beetles’ increased range and activity was due to warming.
Since climate change seemed to come on us…
Bryophilia: A Moss Love Story
June 2, 2016By Christina Catanese, Director of Environmental Art
I’ve had a moss fascination as long as I can remember. Friends find me difficult to hike with, as I’m often hanging back crouched down over a mossy growth. I have taken more photos of moss than most people would probably find reasonable. In college, I did a research project on the ‘moss line’ in a montane stream – the bright line I observed where moss stopped growing on the creekside rocks. I own more than one piece of moss jewelry.
Why moss? I think I’m fascinated by how often overlooked these life…
Why we’re excited for spring
March 21, 2016By Anna Lehr Mueser, Public Relations Manager
Happy spring! On March 20, despite a sprinkling of snow, the year officially turned from winter to spring! So, why are our staff excited for spring?
Gail, our Director of Education loves seeing the rise of skunk cabbage on the late winter forest floor.
Mike, our Executive Director, explains, “I love so many individual critters for so many different reasons, but one I especially adore is the blackpoll warbler. If warbler migration is a parade of colors, the blackpoll is the tramp clown at the end of the circus parade, mopping up after…
Do I have your attention?
February 19, 2016By Gail Farmer, Director of Education
My son is in first grade and he is struggling. Struggling to sit still, struggling to be quiet, and struggling to give his teacher the long periods of undivided attention the schools are asking of our young children. His teacher has employed several positive strategies to try and help him meet the school district’s needs: he has a “wiggly seat” on his chair that helps him to stay in his seat, she has star charts for attending to the teacher, and most recently, a star chart to reward being “calm and quiet.” While I…
Melissa’s native plant picks – what to plant this year
February 12, 2016By Melissa Nase, Manager of Land Stewardship
Every garden reflects the individuality and personal taste of its gardener. Reasons for choosing specific plants can range from aesthetic values like color, texture, and shape to practical considerations such as space limitations, attracting specific pollinators, or even what was available at the local garden center. Some gardeners prefer well-behaved plants, and maintain exceptional order while others prefer a more natural look, or even, shall we say, slightly unruly. And there will be no judgments here! There is a place for all these styles to coexist, in the name of happiness, beauty, biodiversity,…
