Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Working in the suburbs tempts a gal with unhealthy snacking during the day. Whether you work in the city or afar, prepping for that mid-afternoon craving can save you from a dreaded vending machine trip. Besides, many conventional snack foods - i.e. think Ritz, Tostitos & Wheat thins - often contain GMOs and other questionable preservatives. You don't have to compromise taste for alternatives. Find out what 5 local, bulk & healthier alternatives are on our list!

Drinks, convo & a night at City CoHo: what could be better? The Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) is hosting an evening at their office to chat about sustainability and the media. As described on the Sustainability Buzz: Drinks and Conversation with Philly's Media website:

Did you know that 50,000+ of Philadelphia's businesses are required to recycle? The Philadelphia Streets Department debuted its Commercial Recycling Toolkit earlier this week

We've been a huge fan of Arcadia Boutique for years. Full of sustainably-made, local and recycled clothing, it has been a green girl's dream. My winter boots still look amazing after wearing them for years. Once upon a time when I resided in Northern Liberties, there was a period I frequented enough to consider moving in. Their Rittenhouse location closed last year. Yet we received an email that was the worst breakup thus far the other day: Find out more about Arcadia's closing, after the jump.

We sat down with MilkCrate Philly Founder Morgan Berman to find out the same answer while discussing the upcoming release of the "sustainable yelp" app, hipsters and bridging the gaps between sustainability, technology and community. Accessibility to information: The problem 83% of Americans consider sustainability when buying food, and 81% want more options available to protect the environment, but they don't always know where to find them. Find out more about MilkCrate Philly's functionality, proposed features and more about founder Morgan Berman, after the jump.

Veg-consuming friends: Ever walk around a festival endlessly searching for serious options? As I wandered along the Italian Festival this past weekend, I realized there was a lack of vegetarian food from vendors besides popcorn, pizza and fried anythings. Good news for you: The first-ever Philly VegFest is coming to Headhouse Square on Saturday, June 14th. Find out more about what you can expect, after the jump!

"Where can I take organic gardening classes in Philadelphia?" (Question via email from reader Carla) Whether you're a seasoned gardening pro or brand-spanking new to planting your own foliage, you can pick up a new trick or two by talking with other gardeners. Lucky for Carla, Philadelphia has a range of gardening classes and workshops from planting your seedlings to harvesting the fruits of your labor. Our list for today's Where Can I Wednesday post does not distinguish organic classes, but many of the methods local farmers are using are naturally organic. Please contact the program provider to ask additional questions. Here's where to take gardening classes in Philly:

Want to bike in the best bike commuting city? Your opportunity for the Annual Bike to Work Day is this Monday! (UPDATED)

Love Your Park Week is back! Love Your Park Week, created by the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Rec, celebrates Philly's park scene and outdoor space. The week includes a boatload of events, educational programs, tours, service projects and more. Love Your Park Week kicked off on Saturday in Philly with a Kickoff Service Day.  Projects across the city cleaned over 80 parks.  The Philadelphia PumpTrack (which is a dirt course of bumps, jumps and berms, designed for BMX and mountain bikes) debuted on Saturday at 53rd & Parkside Avenue, right by the Parkside Evans Recreation Center.  Wondering how else you can celebrate Love Your Park Week? Here's a few of the events going on this week.