Philadelphia

Frozen or not, Philly's own Schuylkill River was named the 2014 Pennsylvania River of the Year by the PA Organization for Watersheds & Rivers. Our hometown river won 43% of the popular vote during a 5-week voting period. The recognition even got a mention from last night's Philadelphia2035 update. Find out more, after the jump:

Does the snow, ice and cold weather make you miss the PHS Pop-up Garden? Good news: there's a new winter wonderland where you can ice skate and warm up with food and local craft beer afterwards. Find out about the skating rink and how to win a FREE VIP pack, after the jump!

Greenworks Philadelphia. Tree planting. Farmers Markets. Energy Works. Bike shares. We're all so used to the awesome things that the Mayor's Office of Sustainability does that we don't realize it's a temporary office. With a mayor election on the horizon, we don't want anything to disappear on us. Lucky for us, City Council introduced Charter Change legislation, Resolution No. 130884, to make the Office of Sustainability permanent in the Philadelphia government. As Katherine Gajewski said in an email announcement,

Greenbuild, the world's largest green building conference is coming to Philly next week! The Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) is hosting a few events that you can attend to celebrate green buildings in our city!

According to a 2012 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, Philadelphia is one of the top 4 cities in the Northeast with the least amount of car commuters, ranking 4th behind New York City, Washington, and Boston. Philadelphia ranks 5th in the country, behind San Francisco.

"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!)

The National Bike Challenge officially began May 1st. The challenge is essentially a nationwide effort to increase bicycle ridership through camaraderie and good-natured competition. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) is organizing the initiative for Philly. So how does the National Bike Challenge work?

Philly's got a ton going on in the sustainability scene. If you haven't been out and about, here's a few excuses to get out of the house & get active:

Between the underway Eagles season and the Phillies wrapping up their season yesterday afternoon sports are on Philadelphians brains (per standard, this is Philly after all.) A recent NRDC report discussed the National Resources Defense Council's work with national sports organizations and the importance of environmental education for fans. Many teams are actively working towards sustainability within their organizations. So what's happening on Philly fields? Read on for a rundown on the strides Philadelphia teams are making.