Philly

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.

You may know your neighborhood garden like the back of your hand, but do you ever out what the other neighborhoods in Philly are doing? We ventured over to West Philly to check out the University City District's latest sustainability initiatives. University City District of Philadelphia strives to promote a vibrant and safe public living and social environment. It works for the neighborhood by providing opportunities, hosting events, and shaping public places. So what is the University City District doing to stay green?

Who loovveeesss your Philly parks? We're in the midst of the 2nd annual Love Your Park Week, designed by the Fairmount Park Conservancy & Philadelphia Parks & Rec to celebrate our city's diverse parks. From May 11 - 18, Philadelphia hosts service projects, events, education programs, family activities & more. Festivities kicked off on Saturday with the Love Your Park Service Day, where hundreds of residents volunteered in their neighborhoods. With over 70 events, there's something for music lovers, art lovers, nature lovers, yogis and more. (I personally love a good ol' glass of wine & several plates of cheese in front of me in Philly parks, which I plan on doing again sooon enough...) How can you Clean, Green & Celebrate Philly Parks? Find out, after the jump!

"City of Brotherly Love!" "Birth Place of Liberty." "Home of the Cheesesteak." Philadelphia has been crowned with yet another title: America's Garden Capital, which is perfect timing for National Public Gardens Day. Did you know Philadelphia has 30 public gardens within 30 miles? We rock the highest concentration of public gardens (and arboreta) on the CONTINENT. Philly celebrated the announcement on Tuesday at Bartram's Garden. Founder John Bartram brought many of the seeds of the plants at Bartram's back in the 1700's to the area, shaping modern horticulture. Tuesday's celebration was complete with children creating a 'green thumbs' flower planter for First Lady Michelle Obama, tours & more. GPB Green Lady, aka Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability Director Katherine Gajewski presented an official proclamation to raise awareness of our gardens' (Find out more about this honor and how to get FREE park admission on Friday!)

This guest post comes from Nicole Koedyker, Sierra Club President at Drexel. Are you interested in sustainability? Do you like working alongside people who have similar interests but are a telecommuter or student? In addition to being a senior at Drexel University, I also work for The Sustainability NEXUS, a non-profit organization that is working to bring together this target audience and others to collaborate on sustainability initiatives in the Greater Philadelphia Area. If you’ve ever (Find out more about this group and tomorrow's co-working pop-up, after the jump!)

I'll admit it. I wanted to be 'greener' a few years ago, so I cut out dryer sheets from my laundry. Instead, I found those small, spikey "blue balls" at the dollar store that were reusable to soften my clothes. They even claimed to reduce my drying time, saving me dolla' bills for the clothes drying machine. What I didn't know? Those plastic dryer balls are made out of PVC, (Find out more about those 'blue' dryer balls and an amazing sustainable alternative, after the jump!)

Let's be real: It's essential to get our youth on board with sustainability. We're psyched to see a Philadelphia school taking action and getting recognized for it! Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School received the national Green Ribbon Schools Award from the US Dept of Education for increasing its environmental awareness, health & wellness. Greenfield has reduced (Find out how Greenfield has earned national recognition, after the jump!)

Massages and a trip to the spa are the time you want to relax and let go of all worries. It's also the last place you want to contemplate what chemicals are being used on your body. Eviama Life Spa is the original, natural Philadelphia spa. Need proof? Owner Penny Ordway genuinely "got" the natural movement before it was even a blip on most people's radars. From the moment you step foot on the second floor, green space through the window and Buddhist statues set the calming tone and remind you how an urban structure can coexist with the surrounding environment. As Penny explain's Eviama's mission: (Find out more about Eviama, and how to get into their VIP party! You won't want to miss this...)