Articles Written by Julie Hancher

The annual Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Pop Up Garden is taking over the University of the Arts campus, at the lot consuming 313 S. Broad Street. PHS is also refreshing University’s Dorrance Hamilton Hall (320 S. Broad Street). The lot at 313 S. Broad Street includes (Find out more and how to score BEER, after the jump.)

Save the Valley - Petition & Background My BFF sent me a link a few weeks ago to a Change.org petition. After browsing, I realized that 750 acres of woodland & farmland are in danger for a Wal-Mart, a few housing developments & more retail stores. This area wasn't in a foreign country endangering panda bears or chimpanzees. Instead, it was in my hometown. My territory where I grew up for 18 years. Throughout my childhood, I noticed my quaint suburban neighborhood slowly developed from open land to forests cleared and made room for McMansions. Although I wasn't able to fully process it at the time, more deer and animals dashed onto the back roads. There were even a few tragic car accidents as drivers were killed by confused deer during daylight savings time. As time wore on, more and more stores were put in on more corners. A 10 minute drive to the local movie theatre delayed into 15 or 20 due to traffic congestion on the highway. Fast forward: It's 2013 and Beaver Valley (or "the Valley") is another precious land at stake. Nestled in Delaware County, 750 acres hidden behind Route 202 are a wildlife refuge, public lands for hiking and biking, and a rarity in the ever-booming suburbs. It's so beautiful and rare, National Geographic even recently caught wind. Developers want to Find out more about this land at stake, after the jump.

This sponsored guest post comes from Akil Marsh from Solar States, who discusses solar energy advantages with more energy than a Lady Gaga concert. Solar panels are increasingly popular as we can see them pop up on rooftops and sides of businesses. But it's not for you, right? The advantages of solar energy may convert you to a new look for your home or business. Solar energy doesn't seem convenient - In fact, it's the punching bag of right wing political pundits. Are you even able to afford solar panels on your roof? Here's the 5 biggest lies (and advantages!) of solar energy:

Happy Friday! The upcoming holiday on Monday means we get to kick off a loooong (and much-needed) weekend. Have plans to head to the shore or mountains? Make sure to lessen your carbon footprint this holiday weekend regardless of where you go. Here's a few quick tips to stay sustainable:

Heading to your local bank or any sort of street fair tends to have one giveaway: Free Pens! And who doesn't need writing supplies - even in this digital age? Yet a few 'free' pens can stack up to a pile of half-full, glutenous answer to the mighty pen-or-sword  debate. Which brings us to our Where Can I (Wednesday) question: Where can you recycle used pens?

Although there's many passionate workers out there, companies aren't always in line with environmental goals. Mark Tercek, President & CEO of the Nature Conservancy is coming to the Free Library tomorrow to discuss his book Nature's Fortune: How Business & Society Thrive by Investing in Nature. One of the chapters highlights Philadelphia as the poster child of "Green Infrastructure", and how the city's Green Cities Clean Waters storm water management is using natural systems instead of engineered 'grey' solutions. Catch Mark at the Free Library of Philadelphia tomorrow (May 22) at noon it's a free event that doesn't require tickets. Want to enter to win a FREE copy of Nature's Fortune? Leave a comment below (and make sure to like us on Facebook) and you'll be entered to win! Contest ends EOD Friday 5/24. We chatted with author Mark Tercek about Nature's Fortune, "grey-green" companies and when the environment struck a chord with him. (Read the Q&A and enter to win a FREE copy of his book, after the jump!)

Have you made the switch to clean energy yet? It’s an easy solution to buy local and renewable energy: with Choose PA Wind. In Pennsylvania, we basically have two options of powering our homes. The first is natural gas, which is extracted through hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Supposed job growth or not, the side effects of fracking  in PA are plentiful enough to steer away.  Plus, those ‘secret’ fracking chemicals are toxic and scary enough to steer us away. The other option is a sustainable option: renewable energy, typically wind and/or solar. Pennsylvania has 24 (Find out more about this renewable energy option, after the jump!)

Ya’ll will be seeing some new faces around here…. We have exciting news! Green Philly Blog has a couple of temporary interns diving deep in our Wordpress and bringing you more great content. Here’s a little info about the folks you’ll see popping up on your feed:

Looking to get some volunteer hours in this summer? Want to meet locavore lovers and those who love to eat?  Farm to City has a volunteer opportunity we are sharing below: Farm to City is looking for energetic and passionate volunteers to staff an information table at our biggest market, the Saturday Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market. Volunteers will provide information and resources on vendors, community activities, and Farm to City programs including: