Category: Uncategorized
Goldenrods and the Last Chance Cafe
October 4, 2021[caption id="attachment_273322" align="aligncenter" width="1242"] Goldenrods, an autumn bloom, are one of the last sources of nectar and pollen before winter.[/caption]
As summer slides into fall, a wonderful transformation begins happening in meadows across the area—summer flowers give way to classic autumn blossoms like goldenrod and asters. These are hugely important plants, as they represent the very last shot that thousands of species of insects have for pollen and nectar before winter settles in.
For bees and butterflies, a goldenrod field is essentially their Last Chance Cafe.
There’s a great example of this here at the Schuylkill Center. At the corner…
Blueberries, A Local Classic
September 27, 2021[caption id="attachment_273273" align="alignnone" width="617"] Highbush blueberries are one of the best parts of summer, and one of the only truly native foods to our region.[/caption]
If you have never had the joy of walking or kayaking through the New Jersey Pine Barrens, this fall should be your first time. A short drive but a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia, this quietly rugged wilderness is defined by fragrant conifers towering overhead and lush stands of fruiting shrubs at waist height. The crunch of sand under your feet, the soft lapping of water at creek’s edge, a fresh…
Schuylkill Center Mandates Vaccines for Staff
August 16, 2021On July 3, Philadelphia reported all of 177 cases of COVID-19 across the city, the lowest number since the pandemic’s beginning in March 2020. It seemed-- felt, hoped-- we were FINALLY crawling out of the pandemic’s pit.
Then the highly transmissible delta variant struck, the fourth wave ramped up, and for the week ending August 7, the city reported 1,238 cases, a 700% increase in only one month. $%$#@!
So last week, to almost no one’s surprise, Mayor Jim Kenney reestablished a masking mandate in the city.
The Schuylkill Center decided we needed to respond to this disappointing wrong-way bend…
Iraqi refugee brings a piece of his culture to Philadelphia
July 19, 2021[caption id="attachment_272963" align="alignnone" width="300"] Artistic team of Al Mudhif at the Schuylkill Center (Yaroub Al-Obaidi, Sarah Kavage, Mohaed Al-Obaidi). Photo: Rob Zverina.[/caption]
A house built of five crossing arches made of reeds spanned over knotted joists and lattices. Columns and walls strung together with rope and twine, encompassing a breezy and light-flooded space. A shelter in the middle of the woods at the Schuylkill Center. Upon entering, the reed structure offers a shady sitting area with carpets and pillows, inviting guests to gather and relax. Al Mudhif - A Confluence is the new art installation by Iraqi designer Yaroub Al-Obaidi…
Unknown Illness Affecting Songbirds
July 7, 2021Following up on our post last week about the unknown illness affecting songbirds, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PAGC) has released more information on cases in Pennsylvania. The full news release can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/3rax5s36
We’ve had several questions about this outbreak, and hope we can help clarify a few points for our bird-loving friends:
Where is this happening? To date, reports of ill birds have come from 27 counties, including Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery and Chester. While not all reports of ill or deceased birds may be related to the same unknown illness, we advise the public to follow all…
Tom Landsmann, Roxborough’s Own Johnny Appleseed
June 28, 2021Roxborough’s Tom Landsmann is a cross between Johnny Appleseed and the Energizer Bunny-- he just keeps on planting and planting and planting… Over the last 20-plus years, Tom has either personally planted or helped plant thousands of trees in just about every public space in Roxborough: Gorgas Park, Germany Hill. the Wissahickon, the Upper Roxborough Reservoir Preserve, the Schuylkill Center, along the towpath. You name it, he has planted something there.
Even better, many of the trees he plants were lovingly grown by himself on his plot of land on River Road, right up against the Schuylkill and across the…
A Roxborough First: The First Iraqi Guesthouse Built Outside Iraq in 5,000 Years
June 21, 2021[caption id="attachment_272873" align="alignright" width="549"] Phragmites used to build bench and Iraqi guest house (Al Mudif)[/caption]
On Thursday evening, June 24 at 7:00 p.m., the Schuylkill Center invites you to a historic event. We are unveiling Al Mudhif - A Confluence, a very special installation in our forest. For more than 5,000 years, Iraqi inhabitants of the lower Mesopotamian valley, the cradle of civilization, have been building guesthouses-- mudhifs in Arabic-- out of reed grasses. Incredibly, this will be the very first time a mudhif (pronounced “mood-eef”) has ever been built outside of Iraq. Ever.
And it is in Roxborough.
The…
The New Abnormal
June 14, 2021With the mercury rising into the 90s most of last week, it felt like August already, the air heavy and humid. The bad news, of course, is it’s not only not August, it’s not even summer. The solstice is still a few days off…
Welcome to life in the New Abnormal, the climate changing before our very eyes.
It’s not only getting hotter, it’s getting wetter. The skies opened up last Tuesday evening, flooding the region-- again-- with a dumping, a good downpour here in Roxborough, but a startling 7 inches of rain near Coatesville. For perspective, that was two…
Reflections on Earth Day: One year after its 50 anniversary
April 24, 2021Postponed for a year, we’re excited to celebrate Earth Day 50+1 years in 2021. But as we start into new creative endeavors, we want to take a moment to look back at last year’s exhibition Ecotactical: Earth Day at 50. On display from September through December 2020, Ecotactical explored how the celebration of Earth Day has changed over time, and asked what the significance of the holiday means five decades after its conception. The exhibition featured works from various artists installed onsite in our gallery and along our trails. Each artist responded in a unique way, giving new perspectives into…
Plant an Earth Day Tree
April 5, 2021Earth Day returns on Thursday, April 22, 2021, the 51st anniversary of the seminal event that changed the world by giving birth to the modern environmental movement. To commemorate the day, the Schuylkill Center invites you to join us in performing a powerful, even radical act that day:
We’d like you to plant a tree..
Because trees are critical weapons in the fight against the city’s three largest environmental issues: climate change, the loss of biological diversity, and the scourge of raging stormwater.
To cool the climate, we need more trees. Trees shade our homes and streets, mitigating the effect…
