Grid Magazine May 2016 [#85]

THE EDUCATION ISSUE Should you go to school for sustainability?

6 INNOVATIONS FROM PHILADELPHIA CAMPUSES BOOKSTORES, BOOKBINDING AND JOURNAL MAKING TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE PHILADELPHIA MAY 2016 / ISSUE 85 GRIDPHILLY.COM

GRID’S GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS

THE DIVESTMENT DEBATE THE FINANCIAL REALITIES— AND MORAL IMPLICATIONS— OF HOW UNIVERSITIES INVEST THEIR ENDOWMENTS

PLANTING THE SEEDS OF WELLNESS. THE DELEMA G. DEAVER WELLNESS GARDEN AT LANKENAU MEDICAL CENTER

At Lankenau, we are committed to fostering a healthy and sustainable community.

In collaboration with Greener Partners, we have planted a half-acre, year-round, organic garden—the only one of its kind in the Philadelphia region. The Wellness Garden will serve as a source of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs for our community, and serve as a hands-on classroom for thousands of students. Because teaching children where wholesome food comes from not only encourages healthy eating habits, it plants the seeds of wellness for life.

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Greener Partners Connecting communities through food, farms & education

Rediscover Philadelphia A ONE-OF-A-KIND PROGRAM

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CONTENTS 

D EPA RT M E N TS

“School of Thought” apparel from Philadelphia Printworks imagines a world where black intellectuals are given their due. See Dispatch essay by creator Donte Neal on page 64.

08 To-Do List

INSID E THE ISSUE

Garden paths, bike trails, hammocks and Ferris wheels all beckon while May flowers bloom

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Sustainability Master Class Philadelphia University’s Rob Fleming thinks its time to get serious about curricula that will help us thrive in the future

Comings and Goings Find out which doors are opening and closing, and who deserves kudos

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40

Opinion It’s time to require developers to give back to our underfunded schools, says one public school teacher

14 Made in Philly The lost art of bookbinding is still alive and well in three Philadelphia shops

17 Shop Local Explore the stacks of three beloved Philly bookstores

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Big Ideas on Campus

54

58

Homestead Acts

Events

Learn how to make your own beautiful notebooks and journals with paper and fabric scraps

What to see and where to go

57 Market Watch This month, we’re raving about radishes

26 The Big Picture Futurologist Jack Uldrich insists that asking questions and forgetting our limitations will help our kids create a sustainable future

SPECIA L SECTI ON

64

43

Dispatch

Camps for Kids

A black student who never saw himself or his history in the classrooms of his youth finds a way to make his experience visible to others

Summer doesn’t have to mean a steady stream of cartoons. Explore your options for keeping learners of all ages occupied with fun and creative camps across the city

O N T H E COVE R

“Taking the schools out from supporting the energy industry, taking away one of the pillars that holds them up, is one way to shift the power.”

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— Sophia Zaia, Swarthmore College sophomore and organizer with Swarthmore Mountain Justice

The Right Question Should we be sending our kids to college anymore?

Local universities are the proving grounds for new ideas that solve challenging problems. Don’t miss these six new innovations

Debate Team The students of Swarthmore College have helped galvanize a national debate on divesting university endowments from fossil fuels. But can they beat the cynical arguments of their own administration?

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EDITOR’S NOTES

by

HEATHER SHAYNE BLAKESLEE

BLACK AND WHITE Will higher ed take the high ground on divestment?

F

orget the Lafayette vs. Lehigh football rivalry, a Pennsylvania matchup that began in 1884. The longest running rivalry in college sports is progressive students and faculty lining up against conservative university administrations—and socially conservative thought in general.

Among other causes in the ’60s, it was the Vietnam War, the fight for women’s liberation and the struggle of the civil rights movement. In the ’70s and ’80s through today, the fight continues to incorporate the history and culture of women and people of color into curricula. In the mid-’90s at my own school, Muhlenberg College, a handful of upperclassmen turned their backs to the student-selected graduation speaker because he had spewn homophobic nonsense at a fellow student. It’s good to know that—20 years later—a gay student would be the one giving the graduation speech, not watching as the schoolyard bully was given the bully pulpit.

Climate change is top of mind for today’s students, who are actively creating products, services and solutions that will help move us toward a sustainable economy. The most savvy among them are working on public policies that would put a price on carbon, the single biggest lever that would launch us into a new age. Upon graduation, they are seeking work with companies aligned with their values—or starting their own.

Students are also arguing that, in the meantime, their schools’ endowments shouldn’t profit from industries that are contributing to a climate catastrophe, and should be divested from fossil fuels. Some directors and trustees counter that they are bound to make sound financial decisions for the school rather than, as they have characterized it at Swarthmore College, “pursue other social objectives.” That a university board views climate change as any old politicized cause—and not as a threat to life as we know it—is supremely disturbing.

Boards that choose not to divest have a legally sound argument, and a practical one:

The case has been made that divesting itself won’t make us less reliant on fossil fuels any time soon.

But the boards that don’t divest are, essentially, betting against the long-term success of their own students and refusing to lead a cultural shift that will get us away from fossil fuels. And, morally, we have to start somewhere: Large institutions that have cultural sway and educate young people should behave in ways that model desired behavior and create new mores.

This spring, The New York Times wrote a story about how Georgetown University may pay reparations to the families of slaves who were sold to keep the Jesuit college profitable in 1838. In 20 years, it may well be writing about whether, in 2016, the Quaker-founded Swarthmore College profited from industries that similarly exploit people and planet. This may seem an extreme comparison, but consider that in his book “Between the World and Me,” Ta-Nehisi Coates writes about “the seductiveness of cheap gasoline” and how our country’s history of slavery has predisposed us to plunder at will “not just the bodies of humans, but the Earth itself,” in both cases willfully forgetting that our power and fortune is made on the back of that exploitation.

Divestment is a step toward a larger cultural shift wherein we decide to stop the plunder, both of bodies and the earth. Colleges and universities should be key places where that debate thrives and action follows, places of leadership and enlightened thought where our history informs our future. In the aspirational halls of higher education, people should be wearing the white lab coats of innovation, not hats blackened by coal dust.

editor-in-chief Alex Mulcahy managing editor Heather Shayne Blakeslee heather@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 107 designer Kathleen White Copy editors Walter Foley Aaron Jollay writers Marilyn Anthony Matt Bevilacqua Peggy Paul Casella Rob Fleming Anna Herman Justin Klugh Emily Kovach Dan LaSalle Donte Neal Steve Neumann Jerry Silberman illustrators Corey Brickley Nicholas Massarelli Donte Neal Mike L. Perry Laura Weiszer Kathleen White photgraphers Julien Roubinet Margo Reed Gene Smirnov

___________ sales & marketing manager Claire Margheim claire@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 103 ad sales Boston Gordon boston@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 100 distribution Megan Matuzak megan@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 106 published by

heather shayne blakeslee Managing Editor

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TO-DO LIST 1. hit the spring fairs It’s that time of year where every weekend has another street festival with local food and music. But your kids will appreciate a good old fashioned Ferris wheel and some funnel cake, too.

2. commit to the

community part of your community garden Sure, you’ve cleaned up your plot. But those common areas need some love, too, so pitch in a few hours to get it looking great for the summer.

3. plan your visit to a pop-up garden Philadelphia’s newest favorite pastime—pop-up gardens— will open on Memorial Day, and expect them to be packed!

You’ll want to get there early, especially if you want a hammock to swing in.

4.

get your storage situated

6.

It’s time to get the snow shovels and the extra ice melt back into the basement, and to bring out the cushions for the patio furniture. And if your clothes closet is overflowing, get all but a few of your sweaters and winter clothing under the bed or tucked away elsewhere. It’s only a matter of time before you’re tempted by a new spring dress at a vintage shop that will need a little room in your closet.

April is the cruelest month— tempting us with warm weather and then sending a snowstorm when we least expect it.

But May—May is a safer bet to send out invitations for that big party you can only have if your patio is up and running. Buy some pansies and plant them in small pots for some instant color, and add a tiki torch or two for evening. The mint is already coming up, so get ready to mix up your mojitos.

host your first outdoor party

5.

take your first long bike ride

The Schuylkill River Trail is a beautiful place to see spring blooms, so make sure you schedule a Saturday afternoon to take in the soothing sights along the water.

7.

invest in a perennial or two If you spend a little money on perennials each year, your patio garden starts to take care of itself. Before you know it, your hostas and daylilies will be sneaking up on you while you’re still figuring out which annuals are calling your name.

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8. reseal your doorways

Winter can be tough on your all-important door sweeps, and insulation strips may have come unglued. Fix them up before you have to start turning on the air conditioning later in the summer.

9.

plant your peppers There are lots of vegetables that can go in the ground by May, including lettuce and okra. Plant your peppers, too.

They can take a while to bloom and fruit, but oh, that homemade salsa!

10. get the kids signed up for summer camp

See page 43 for creative ideas about how to keep kids of all ages engaged and entertained during the summer months, whether they want to learn animal husbandry or robot circuitry.

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NEWS awarded the Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year Award to FINANTA, a nonprofit that “promotes the growth and economic expansion of diverse Philadelphia communities through the infusion of capital and the provision of business consultation services and homeownership counseling.” FINANTA, short for FINancial ANd Technical Assistance, has closed more than 1,000 loans, totaling more than $44 million, that benefit small businesses in underserved markets in Philadelphia.

FOODIES CELEBRATE NEW BOOK BY PHILADELPHIA’S ‘MADAME FROMAGE’

MAYOR KENNEY’S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTED BIKE LANES GAINING SUPPORT After a February announcement by Mayor Jim Kenney to add 30 miles of protected bike lanes to Philadelphia’s streets (and an announcement to create Philadelphia’s first-ever department of Complete Streets), advocates are pushing for progress. The urbanist PAC 5th Square is actively fundraising in order to galvanize support in the neighborhoods where construction would take place. They are also calling for volunteers to help organize supporters in those same neighborhoods.

Current bike lanes faced stiff opposition from neighbors fearful that they would impact traffic and parking. A map of the proposed bike lanes is available on the website of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT AWARDED $300,000 TO LAUNCH GREEN CITY WORKS The Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN) in March selected University City District (UCD) to receive a $300,000, two-year implementation grant through its Win-Win Challenge. The funds will be used to launch Green City Works, a new social enterprise that will provide groundskeeping services while developing 10

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job skills and advancement opportunities for low-income workers interested in landscaping trades. Green City Works is an extension of UCD’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative program.

NAVY YARD SELECTED AS A LOCATION TO STUDY ADVANCED ELECTRIC GRID TECHNOLOGY The Department of Energy is funding a project to install new electricity grid technology at the Navy Yard. Once a working U.S. naval base that still has its own electricity grid, the South Philadelphia location is ideally suited to study technologies that may be more widely adopted throughout the country. The technology to be studied was developed to provide real-time visibility and deep analytics for power distribution circuits, something that will enable the U.S. to meet the changing electricity needs of the country, including more widespread adoption of solar electricity generation.

Though the technology has been employed in several other locations, this pilot installation will be the first to employ data analytics with real system conditions.

PHILADELPHIA SMALL BUSINESS LENDER WINS NATIONAL AWARD The Small Business Administration has

Tenaya Darlington, the Philadelphia food writer and St. Joseph’s University food writing teacher also known as “Madame Fromage,” has released a new book. “The New Cocktail Hour” (Running Press, April 2016), which she co-authored with her brother, André Darlington, updates recipes on classic cocktails and offers pairing selections as well as advice on cocktail syrups and shrubs.

PECO GETS LEED CERTIFICATION FOR PHILADELPHIA HEADQUARTERS In April, PECO announced it earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its Philadelphia headquarters.

The certification is the result of a multi-year, $15.3 million environmental initiative to improve the sustainability of PECO’s buildings and operations. PECO’s headquarters comprises nearly 1.5 million square feet of building space, representing 80 percent of the total square footage of all PECO buildings.

HACKETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEARS GREEN RENOVATION GOALS In late April, local and state officials joined Friends of Hackett at the Horatio B. Hackett Elementary School in a groundbreaking ceremony for proposed environmental and functional improvements to their asphalt

schoolyard in Kensington. A fund drive is now in place to finance the $1.4 million project, which will feature new green spaces, outdoor classrooms and an ADA-compliant, accessible playground for the school and surrounding community.

MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES TO GET BOOST FROM FEDERAL GRANT A grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in a series of investments to be administered through West Philadelphia’s Enterprise Center, will provide investments to minority- and women-owned businesses in the city. The special fund has a focus on bridging the investment gap for businesses that have strong performance and growth potential but sit below the threshold of attracting traditional equity investment.

Jidan, a minority- and woman-owned commercial cleaning service that has offices in Medford, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, is the recipient of the first round of investments. The company will be able to increase its full- and part-time staff and to offer employee benefits as it grows as a result of the award.

BIG BUILDINGS INCREASE EFFICIENCY FOR ENERGY REDUCTION RACE On Earth Day, Mayor Jim Kenney announced the winners of the yearlong Energy Reduction Race, the Office of Sustainability’s competition to save energy in the city’s largest buildings. Twelve buildings met the race’s 5-percent reduction target, and overall winners were selected in three categories. The winning buildings are the Iroko Pharmaceuticals building at the Navy Yard, Two Logan Square and the Comcast Center.

“The Energy Reduction Race is an example of how competition spurs action, and you can see that impact in the results of this program,” said Mayor Kenney in a press release. “The race benefits not just the individual participants but the city as a whole.”

The winning buildings each received $5,000 stipends toward further energy efficiency work.

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EDITOR IAL

BUILDING UP OUR KIDS Community benefit agreements could help Philadelphia’s underdog public education system by dan lasalle

A

s a teacher in Philadelphia’s public school system, I know that deep within our overcrowded and underfunded Philadelphia schools, a hunger for glory grows loud if you listen. I watch hundreds of city chess teams turn to a nonprofit for the funding and organization of weekend tournaments. I sit alongside debate teams that ride public transportation before dawn, past the hotel rooms of their private-school competitors. They also ride past multi-million dollar development projects given tax breaks and incentives, while their own schools sit in disrepair.

These hardworking students are forced to find life-defining academic experiences outside of their schools, in crucial programs that help them discover their unique brilliance and character. We must learn from our city’s most resolute students and find a way not just to survive but thrive.

Waiting for relief from Harrisburg has never been fruitful. We need to create local opportunities while we simultaneously fight for larger reform. How? Community benefit agreements (CBAs): a clever legal and development strategy that has worked well in cities across the country.

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The idea is simple. When developers seek approval from local governing boards to begin a project, they must select and improve a struggling area of a city or else forgo their development. Since Philadelphia abates millions of tax dollars to help businesses unleash skyscrapers and plazas, it is only reasonable to ask those same beneficiaries to contribute directly back to marginalized areas of the city in order to create sustainable change for everyone. These agreements are legally binding and put power in the hands of those often ignored by development.

Examples from around the country show us the possibilities. In 2001, Columbia University began to invest $7 billion into a West Harlem expansion, but New Yorkers feared that just as many who would gain safety by this expansion would lose homes or quickly be forced to relocate. The city board, City Planning Commission and City Council negotiated with Columbia University resulting in $30 million for a new school, $20 million for affordable housing, $44 million to subsidize legal aid for low-income residents, and then an additional $76 million to be spent in a way decided by the community. Not only did low-income residents see quality change

in their neighborhood, they were given the financial and legal means to create it.

Similarly, on May 29, 2001, L.A. Live signed with the city of Los Angeles to build the Staples Center arena for the Lakers, but only after contractually guaranteeing community centers, job training programs, local hiring, park renovations and $650,000 interest-free loans to nonprofits. In 2006, Minneapolis estimated 27 percent of its population lacked home Internet, so the city, a wireless media company and more than a dozen nonprofits signed a CBA to offer free Internet access computers to qualified low-income residents, computer-literacy training programs, and free or reduced-price Internet access to select public facilities and nonprofits.

Existing programs to partner with our underfunded schools already exist: One hundred and fifty-five community centers offer a total of 83 different recreational and academic nonschool day programs, from aquatics to Zumba. Fifty-six Philadelphia public libraries provide almost 27,000 combined programs for adults and children.

We have a dozen community health clinics. Even modest corporate donations can IL LUSTRATIO N BY M IKE L. PERRY

pipeline available nonprofit services into already open and staffed public facilities to increase the number of opportunities and citizens served.

Already, we have seen CBAs help Philadelphia. SugarHouse Casino’s development provided public transportation and union construction jobs. Philadelphia Healthcare Properties offered commercial space for local business and cemetery beautification.

CBAs require neither legal precedent nor economic genius, just a collective expectation from an entire city that these negotiations and collaborations should occur.

The next step should be legislation from City Council mandating these partnerships, which would give communities standing to negotiate with developers for future city construction.

Detroit may soon demand CBAs for any development that either exceeds a set cost or accepts a certain amount in public subsidies. Why shouldn’t Philadelphia, the home of the nation’s first hospital, medical school and zoo, become the first city to require every major development corporation to partner with a public or charter school and public service to contractually promise a specific community benefit? And why couldn’t that project be decided by the community to be served?

Philadelphia’s diversity of available infrastructure makes our city an opportune place to encourage and expect CBAs to benefit every school.

Mayor Jim Kenney campaigned on creating community schools. To deliver on that promise, he should require corporations to collaborate with nonprofits, our 218 public schools and 83 charter schools to combine resources and cater to community needs.

We must reclaim brotherhood in the City of Brotherly Love by empowering community-centered development, so that our schools and neighborhoods can better support those tenacious students who remind us we can flourish when we make our own opportunities.

Dan LaSalle is an English teacher and debate coach at Olney Charter High School. He writes about the psychology of student motivation and runs the blog teachtoimpassion.com M AY 20 16

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MADE IN PH ILLY Bridget Morris at work in her South Philly bookbindery

Clamshell boxes hold hand-bound books by Bella Forte bookbindery

BOUND Adhering to a high-quality, handmade ethic has kept three Philly bookbinders in business by matt bevilacqua

B

ehind a set of red double-doors on South Philly’s quiet Alter Street, Bridget Morris is hard at work. Her bookbinding company, Bella Forte, typically handles between three and 10 orders at a time, all of them handmade by Morris, her husband, Paul King, and two other employees. On a recent Friday in March, they were assembling a set of 50 clamshell boxes for fashion company Bluefly and compiling, in handsome volumes, final projects for a host of art, architecture and graphic design students.

Here’s how it works: Clients submit a digital file, which Morris and her team review for size. Then they send it to a printer. When it comes back, they cut the paper and begin binding. Finally, they might customize the cover. It’s a quick, simple process—orders tend to turn around within a few days—and it works because the business maintains a small scope.

“There are companies that do higher production lines, but they don’t have the [same] quality,” King says.

Morris first learned her craft in Italy in the early 1990s and has since operated out

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of several locations in Philadelphia, including her home studio in University City. (The floors there couldn’t withstand her equipment, among which is a massive, pre-war Vandercook press.) She initially specialized in book restoration, then expanded to custom bookbinding and letterpress printing.

About five years ago, she realized she had to diversify to survive.

“When I looked at my business model, I realized that I had to completely change my focus on who my clients were and what kind of things I was making,” Morris says, adding that Bella Forte now deals mostly in high-end presentation boxes.

Her decision makes sense in light of industry trends. A larger commercial bookbinder in Philadelphia, Allen Geiser and Son, closed its doors in July 2013, four months after Technical.ly Philly called it “one of the last bookbinders on the East Coast.” The Port Richmond-based company had been in business since 1979 and counted libraries, universities and hospitals among its clients. The digitization of journals cut into its profits, however, and the family had to call it quits after the company lost its lease.

“We had a pretty large operation, so it was kind of hard to maintain,” says Allen Geiser, the “son” in the company’s name. “We just didn’t have any money to move the equipment or anything like that.”

Locally, that leaves two contrasting options in the city: corporate print shops that offer binding services, and independent studios that bind books by hand. In addition to Morris, the latter category includes David Donahue, a Bella Vista-based binder who specializes in restoration, and Anne Krawitz, who runs AKA Bindery in Mount Airy.

Krawitz also started in book restoration and conservation, work that she still takes on. About 10 years ago, however, her company shifted its focus toward cloth and leather boxes for books. She has worked on many volumes (“hundreds of them,” she says, “thousands of them”) and markets her business in a high-end book magazine. When asked how she stays afloat, she echoes the need to maintain quality in her work. “Really good clients that stick with you,” she says, “and a really good product.”

In other words, the remaining bookbinders of Philadelphia are boutiques, eschewing mass production in favor of craftsmanship—and the kinds of clients willing to pay for it.

“I’ve been in business for 26 years,” Morris says. “Everybody I’ve known that has had a commercial bindery is out of business.”

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MAGAZ

Hitting the Books by emily kovach photos by margo reed

Print is alive and well in Philadelphia There’s something undeniably romantic about small bookshops. Often they feel like safe, quiet harbors from the chaos and breakneck pace of modern life. Browsing neat rows of book spines, whether shiny and new or old and worn, provides a tactile pleasure that’s impossible to replicate online. Knowledgeable, chatty clerks and owners can answer questions or make literature love connections in real time.

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SH OP L OCAL

Open House With activist roots, A House of Our Own is a bookstore for the people

W

hen you step into A House of Our Own, you first notice the sheer quantity of books, and the echo of history in the space. It is indeed a house, squeezed between University of Pennsylvania fraternities on Spruce Street, resplendent with Victorian architecture details: high ceilings, arched doorways, leaded glass windows and crown moldings. And the books: thousands and thousands of books, organized in floor-to-ceiling shelves.

This many books could feel overwhelming, but in here it doesn’t. The titles are lovingly (perhaps obsessively) organized into sections and subcategories so nuanced that browsing becomes a guided journey. The atmosphere is serene, yet still lively. Immersed in literature and an easy quietude, the mind is free to wander, explore and dream.

This was precisely the goal of owner Debbie Sanford when she and an ex-partner opened A House of Our Own in 1971.

Sanford, a UPenn transfer student from a music conservatory in Boston, was an

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anti-Vietnam War activist on campus and sensed that while social justice work energized her community, it also deeply stressed them out. “We perceived a need for some level of comfort for people who were activists.

They need[ed] time to think, relax and expand their minds,” she says. The building, rented from the university and renovated by Sanford, her friends and supportive faculty, was originally a bookstore on the first floor and a crafts space on the second floor.

In the decades since, the shop has transitioned to just a bookstore and draws customers from both in and outside the university. Sanford and her husband, Greg Schirm, are the proprietors and have a deep knowledge and pride in the depth and breadth of their stock. While there is a bent to the political left of many of the titles they offer, Sanford insists they are not a politics-only bookstore. The fiction and poetry sections— mostly used books—are expansive, as are the shelves dedicated to literary criticism, fine arts, film, architecture and many of the

other humanities and social sciences.

“The overall tenor is scholarly, but we carry books people are interested in… we are not pretentious,” Sanford says. “I see kitchen workers from the hospitals browsing alongside Penn professors.” It is this balance of the academic and the populist, combined with the creaky-floorboard vibe of the house and the unwavering dedication of its owners, that’s helped them survive the rise of chain bookstores, Internet books sales and e-books.

The sensory, textural experience of the shop is also part of Sanford’s focus, which she credits to her training as a classical pianist. “I have an inherent sense of organization and keep at things until they’re correct with an aesthetic sense,” she says. “I want the books to pull people in.” She tells the story of a young woman who walked in and stood in the doorway in disbelief. Sanford recalls: “She said she’d never been in a bookstore besides Barnes and Noble… I’ll never forget the expression of awe on her face.”

S H OP L OCAL

Kooky and Calm Among Manayunk’s hilly streets, the Spiral Bookcase thrives

A COMIC SANS CONDESCENSION Entering a comic book shop can feel intimidating. Will you encounter a peevish clerk, à la the Comic Book Guy on “The Simpsons,” already and always disappointed by your plebeian lack of knowledge on the finer points of the X-Men universe? Or will it be a male-dominated space, dismissive or unwelcoming to your search for “Love and Rockets: New Stories Vol. 7”?

Or, you may think that comics are outside the realm of what you might want to read for pleasure.

There are comics and graphic novels to suit nearly every interest or literary passion, and most wellstocked comic shops also carry toys, collectibles and magazines.

Philly is lucky to host a number of scorn-free, independent comic book stores where all—ranking from zero to 100 on the geek scale—are welcome.

nn Tetreault has always been a book lover. Her parents—both teachers—would frequently stop to peruse bookshops with their children, and Tetreault became a book collector at a young age. She studied literature in college and got her master’s degree in folk studies, going on to work at the Library of Congress. So, when she and her husband moved to Manayunk in 2009, she immediately sought out the neighborhood bookshop, quickly realizing there was none to be found. “This is the perfect place for a used bookshop,” she says. “So we decided to be the ones to open one.”

In May of 2010, they found a vacant storefront for rent on Cotton Street, tucked beside a Regional Rail train overpass. Tetreault describes the location as “off the beaten path, but comfy.” She and her husband renovated it themselves and began cleaning out estate sales, amassing a collection to become the shop’s opening stock. The Spiral Bookcase had its soft opening during the Manayunk Arts Festival in late June 2010.

The store is modeled after traditional Irish and English bookshops: a homey hub for the community, a place where people come to unwind. “We want it to be well curated; a quaint, charming little shop,” she says. To achieve that cozy vibe, she set up a living room area with plush places to sit and read or chat, adopted a shop cat named Amelia, and committed to hosting poetry readings, open mics and other community events. During the recent StrEAT Food Festival in Manyunk—just outside the doors of the shop—revelers were listening to live bands. Inside, customers still quietly browsed the shelves.

While they keep new versions of classic and popular literature in stock, the shop sells mostly used books, specializing in fiction, folklore and what Tetreault calls “weird books”: titles about the occult, medical oddities, curious histories, tarot and astrology.

“I’ve always loved the idea of a used bookstore because you don’t know what you’re going to find… you find treasures!” she says. “I want to offer that experience.”

»» Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse 2578 Frankford Ave. »» Fat Jack’s Comicrypt 2006 Sansom St. »» Brave New Worlds 55 N. 2nd St. »» Atomic City Comics 638 South St.

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SH OP L OCAL

Anarchist Book Nook Wooden Shoe Collective runs on the energy of volunteers

Y

ou might not expect to find a radical bookstore among the pawn shops and window displays of sneakers and jewelry on South Street.

But at 704 South, there it is: the storefront for Wooden Shoe Books and Records, an all-volunteer collective that’s been a mainstay of the local social justice and anarchist communities since 1976.

The shop existed first at 20th and Sansom, and after a devastating electrical fire in 1997, it moved to 5th and Bainbridge, and then to its current home in 2010. The collective is named after the sabot, a symbol of the proletariat: During early industrial capitalism, it’s sometimes said that French peasant workers would throw a shoe into factory machines to jam the gears, in protest of their inhumanely long working hours. The symbol reflects the core values of the collective’s members, past and pres-

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ent: “to overturn capitalism and the state by using its weaknesses against it,” according to their website. They call themselves an “anti-business”: Every penny they earn goes back into putting more (often obscure academic) books on shelves and helping other people doing similarly aligned work in the city.

The shop, which primarily carries radical literature, records and how-to zines, is a nonprofit and has no paid employees. Joshua Hupp, a South Philly resident studying biology at the Community College of Philadelphia, is in his sixth year with Wooden Shoe.

He asserts that though the collective has a “crust punk” image, the group of volunteers is rather diverse.

“It’s a good mix: punks, liberal arts students and professionals,” he says. While volunteerism is essential for the shop’s model, Hupp notes that their group of dedicated

participants is at an all-time low. After the Occupy Wall Street movement fizzled out, he notes, “People just seem burned out on activism.”

But, he believes that the spring weather and the upcoming presidential election will re-energize the space. The shop also acts as a free meeting space for direct action groups, workshops and events, which help introduce people to the philosophy of the space.

For Hupp, whose passion is eco-activism, the draw is being around like-minded people and getting to interact and converse with the flow of humanity that South Street brings through their doors.

“Sometimes, you hear people passing by who are confused about an anarchist bookstore,” he says. “Occasionally they come in, and that’s when you get to have cool conversations… there’s never a dull moment.”

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the RIGH T QUE STION

SCHOOL’S OUT Thinking of a college degree? Consider trading the ivory tower for greener pastures by jerry silberman

Q

uestion: What college program can best prepare me for a career in mitigating and adapting to climate change?

The Right Question: Is going to college the best choice?

Education, especially college and postgraduate education, is extremely expensive.

And yet, the proportion of young people enrolling in some level of secondary education continues to climb, under the assumption that higher education is the key to a good job.

In 1940, 4 percent of Americans had bachelor’s degrees, and 25 percent were high school graduates. Today’s percentages are

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34 and 91 percent, respectively. Graduate education—not even broken out from bachelor’s degrees in 1940—has exploded to 12 percent today.

Has all this education improved the chances of a rewarding career, either financially or in terms of self-fulfillment? It’s easy to argue no.

Education inflation means that a college graduate today has a real earnings expectation equivalent to a high school graduate 50 years ago. College degrees are now expected for many jobs that needed no educational preparation a generation ago. (For example, hotel desk clerks now have degrees in “hos-

pitality management.”) Arguably, many jobs today require less skill and training than their analogous positions in the past due to automation and computerization, while others require more.

Meanwhile, average real earnings in the U.S. peaked in the early ’70s and have been basically unchanged since then. To reach that average requires substantially more education than it did previously. The decline in real income for families has been masked by the increased instance of two-wage earner households.

Add to these previous facts the idea that the debt that many young people now acquire in the pursuit of a degree may reduce the value of that degree. It could even constrain their life choices as they struggle to make their payments.

Here is where the sustainability of our society comes into play: Money implies energy, and college education consumes vast quantities of both.

Since most contemporary college education is glorified training for jobs that are wedded to the values of accumulating money and consuming goods—misguided values at the heart of our climate-busting society— isn’t it time to rethink the educational model along with other major aspects of how we live today?

If you are a college graduate, think hard about the relationship between your years in the classroom and your current career. How much did it really help with the knowledge you actually use on the job? Once hired, how much did you learn from more experienced co-workers? Set aside, for a moment, the inflation factor—that is, the fact that you needed your degree to get the interview.

Among my co-workers in my day job, there are several advanced degrees: doctorates, master’s degrees, professional degrees (for professions no longer practiced) and a few lowly B.A.’s. In my experience, none of these designations had any relevance to being a competent union organizer; for some, it got in the way.

In response to both climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels, life must and will become simpler. How complicated is it to learn that we must reduce our consumption and lighten our impact on the planet?

IL LUSTRATIO N BY L AURA WEI SZER

The most critical job in this country, which desperately needs an infusion of youth, is farming. Farming has always been learned on the job, and the best farmers are those who have the keenest ability to observe and learn from the specific experience on their farm, discovering over time what works for which crops and for which animals.

It’s no accident that, historically, farming has been a more thoroughly hereditary calling than any other (except perhaps monarchy). Although farm children who intend to stay on the farm recently have been going to school for degrees in agriculture, their education has a context and builds on what they have been learning on the farm since they first learned to walk.

Many of our nation’s most sustainable and energy efficient farmers have had only an eighth grade education. I am referring of course to the Amish and other Plain people who have refused to accept the “technology first” value that dominates our society.

Amish agriculture depends on solar energy—stored in the food consumed by the farm family and its work animals—and uses a tiny fraction of the fossil fuel inputs of conventional agriculture. These practices generate the same, or better, productivity per acre.

A sustainable agriculture, weaning itself from fossil fuels, will employ far greater than the current 2 percent of the workforce.

Some of the young people who would now like to enter farming are unable to do so because it is a low wage job, especially at the beginning. Huge student loans make subsisting on a farmer’s earnings impossible.

College today is, for the vast majority, a part of the consumption treadmill, leading to neither happiness nor economic security, and postponing for many years a young adult’s ability to assert control over the direction of his or her own life. We need practical education tailored to face the ongoing long emergencies of depleting resources and accelerating climate change. You’re more likely to find that in an intensively grazed pasture than in the Ivy League.

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Jerry Silberman is a cranky environmentalist and union negotiator who likes to ask the right question and is no stranger to compromise.

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the BIG PICTUR E

LEARNING TO FORGET Global futurist Jack Uldrich predicts that a sustainable economy will be based on us unlearning what we think we know interview by heather shayne blakeslee

I

t’s unlikely that any particular college degree would prepare you to become a “futurologist.” But that’s exactly what polymath Jack Uldrich calls himself. His breathless recitations of game-changing inventions and ideas that entrepreneurs and environmentalists should be on the lookout for run the gamut —from wearable tech and battery storage to agricultural disruptions like “superwheat” and “real vegan cheese.” This summer, the eternal optimist will take the stage at the Energypath 2016 conference at Penn State to give a keynote address on the future of energy efficiency. But what Uldrich most wants his audiences to consider is how forgetting what we know can open us up to what he calls the “predictably unpredictable” future.

The daily news is pretty bleak, but you are an optimist.

JU: I totally believe that climate change is a real and serious issue, and our energy sources today are a leading contributor to it. … But when I look at the future, I really see the ability for cheap, clean, affordable and sustainable energy. Not just solar… there are going to be continued advances in wind power, in tidal power, in geothermal.

But from my perspective, I’m really most excited about two things: first, the continued advances in battery storage technology, which are going to enable solar and wind and other distributed energy sources to become that much more effective. And then longer term, although it’s been dismissed as pie in the sky, there’s some startling advances happening in the area of fusion energy— the ability to essentially create a mini-sun in a bottle here on Earth and have an unlimited source of clean, sustainable energy.

How far away do you think we are from achieving a vision of a world economy run on alternative energy?

JU: I would say 10 to 15 years. Ten, optimistic. Fifteen, from my perspective, is solidly within the realm of possibility.

How do you think we’re going to get there?

What, politically or otherwise, could get in the way?

JU: There’s always the issue of the current incumbents. The people who are making money off of today’s energy sources, be it petrol gas, coal, nuclear—although I would argue that nuclear is a clean source of energy; whether it’s safe, that’s another issue.

But they’re going to use their political power and influence to try and slow down the development of a lot of these technologies.

They’re not going to be successful.

So, if we make fusion happen, we essentially have a renewable, mini-sun. That’s not possible for things like the minerals that we use for our cellphones, for our computers. How do we behave in ways that still pay attention to resource constraints even as some highgrowth tech companies are trying to put a fitness device on everybody’s wrist?

JU: I think the perfect example is what’s going to happen with battery technology.

Battery technology has these wonderful

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IL LUSTRATIO N BY CO RE Y BRI C KLEY

possibilities of helping sustainable energy take off, in the sense that we can suddenly store solar power and use it even on cloudy days, or use wind power on windless days.

But battery power is not without significant environmental issues—the minerals, as you alluded to. So, I think the answer in part is going to become, how do we become smarter in using these technologies that do deplete our natural resources? … I think it’s the old mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle.

I can see things like net-zero buildings or self-healing materials or other smart materials really helping us to reduce our energy consumption—buildings are the biggest consumers of energy around the world, and as the population grows we’re going to need more of them—but does that just teach us to keep consuming? In what way does behavior have to change at the individual level?

JU: We’re so focused on scarcity, and that is our mindset. But frequently what the future tells us is: It’s not scarcity that’s the problem, it’s abundance that’s the problem.

So, in the 1930s, the world is going through a depression, food is scarce. It would have been hard for most, at least Americans, 80 years ago, to imagine the greatest health care problem today would be not starvation—but obesity. Why? It’s because food—you can argue it’s unhealthy food—food has become abundant, and that’s brought a whole host of other issues. We’re on a mindset today of saying that we do have to conserve—and I think that’s the right thing to do—but if we really do get energy from cheap, clean, sustainable, affordable energy sources, we can use an unlimited amount of energy without negative impact to the environment and the world.

You believe that the future will be built on us “unlearning.”

JU: Historically, growth has almost appeared linear, and that change took place relatively on a predictable, linear pace, and so it was easy to plan, and you could do it on 10-, 20-year cycles.

But in today’s era of accelerating change, the world is changing really fast, but people don’t change as fast. And so what they learned early in their career, early in their education, rapidly becomes obsolete... If we want to embrace the future, we’re going to have to focus as much on unlearning as learning.

And I think the best recent example, that’s not related to energy, is Uber. Just think about that—that company could not have existed eight years ago. Cloud, mobile social technology—they all existed but they hadn’t yet scaled to a point where you could use your smartphone to identify another person with a car who would be willing to give you a ride at half the price of a taxi. And yet, in five years it’s decimated the taxi industry, it’s changing the automotive industry, it is changing how many people think about ownership. ... The taxi industry needed to unlearn, the automotive industry needed to unlearn, and now consumers are needing to unlearn their behavior. And then the insurance industry is having to unlearn their business model—they’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh.

If not everyone owns a car, they won’t need

How do you think our education system is going to have to change in order to prepare for the new economy?

JU: I’m going to sum it up for you in seven words: Give up on answers, stick with questions. What we can’t afford to do is educate our children for a future that no longer exists. We can’t pretend to give them answers as to the idea that we know what the world of 2025 or 2030 is going to look like. So how do we navigate that?

We have to stay curious, and we have to continue to teach our kids how to think critically, how to ask better questions, how to assimilate different ideas, how to see the world from a different perspective, how to challenge their assumptions. So, I think the whole paradigm of education has to change.

What we can’t afford to do is educate our children for a future that no longer exists...

We have to continue to teach our kids how to think critically... to ask better questions. as much insurance. So what are we going to do?’ So, this is going to happen everywhere.

You have talked about tapping into the knowledge of masses of individuals as a way to solve certain problems, rather than relying on the genius of one individual.

JU: There’s a really wonderful author, his name is Clay Shirky, and he wrote a book and he said, ‘Look, Wikipedia took 180 million hours to create. That sounds like a lot of time, doesn’t it?’ And it is a lot of time, but he said, ‘Here’s another way to think of 180 million hours: It is the amount of time Americans are going to spend watching TV commercials—this weekend.’ So, his point was, millions of people dedicating just small fractions of time created something really powerful… To have millions of people slightly shifting their behavior to consume less energy, or to address some world problem is going to be a real possibility. And it’s why I’m optimistic about the future.

THIS EXC ER PT ED INT ERVI E W H AS BE E N E D I TE D FO R CLA R I TY

We focus on STEM fields at the expense, sometimes, of the humanities. Do you think the humanities will have a resurgence, given that those disciplines ask questions more than look for specific answers?

JU: I think that’s right, and it’s not to minimize STEM, but it is to say we do have to go back to liberal arts education. We need to teach people how to think critically, ask better questions, keep an open mind, have a growth mindset. And I think that those countries that are able to do that are going to be better positioned for the future. … We need to be able to have the flexibility and adaptability to both be prepared for whatever comes next and to help create innovative solutions that create the world that we all want to live in.

Jack Uldrich is an author and global futurist who will be the keynote speaker at Energypath 2016, July 25–29 at Penn State.

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ANNOUNCING

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t h e _ e d u cat i o n _ i ssu e

The Fight to Divest from Fossil Fuels story by

steve neumann

illustrations by

nicholas massarelli

Swarthmore students have helped to spark a national movement toward fossil fuel divestment on college campuses. But they haven’t convinced their own school to take action.

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t h e _ e d u cat i o n _ i ssu e

hen freshman kate aronoff arrived in 2010 on the small, idyllic campus of Swarthmore College, a “Little Ivy” tucked away in the suburbs of Philadelphia, she was already eager to become an activist. ¶ She’s the kind of student drawn to Swarthmore’s professed mission: to help its students realize their full intellectual and personal potential, combined with a deep sense of ethical and social concern. The college prides itself on a spirit of “social justice,” “social entrepreneurship,” and “civic and social responsibility,” dating back to its Quaker roots. ¶ When Aronoff learned that a group of students was organizing a trip to West Virginia that fall to meet Larry Gibson, widely known by environmentalists as the “Keeper of the Mountains,” she jumped at the chance.

Gibson was famously introduced to the world by an article published in U.S. News and World Report in 1997 on mountaintop removal coal mining operations. His family had lived in the Appalachian area for generations, and by the 1990s his family’s 54 acres was the only tract of green land left on the mountain. Gibson began hosting tours in order to raise consciousness about the magnitude of destruction in the region, and in 2004 he founded the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation to educate and inspire people to work for sustainable mountain communities and bring an end to mountaintop removal.

When Aronoff’s student group arrived at Gibson’s home, she found herself standing atop a bucolic Appalachian mountain with swathes of destruction splayed out all around her. The powerful visual and the cognitive dissonance that resulted had a

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big impact, as did Gibson’s admonition at the end of the trip: He told Aronoff and the other students that if they were to go back to their school without being inspired to do anything about mountaintop removal, then he had wasted his time.

“We came back,” Aronoff says, “and thought about what we could possibly do [to respond].”

Looking around campus, Aronoff found that the kind of environmental work that was happening at the time—converting lightbulbs, keeping bottled water off of campus and other small, localized sustainability measures—didn’t match what she now considered an urgent issue. “Seeing that,” Aronoff says, “and then seeing folks like Larry and other people doing this kind of deep work, made us look for something that was more public, more militant.”

In the spring of 2012, Aronoff and others

formed Swarthmore Mountain Justice and began a petition on campus calling on the president to initiate discussions around the divestment of college money from fossil fuel extraction companies.

Since then, schools around the country have heeded the call to action that rang out from Swarthmore’s quiet campus five years ago.

Unity College in Maine was the first to divest, in the fall of 2012. Hampshire College in Massachusetts came next, followed closely by Sterling College and College of the Atlantic, starting a cascade that now totals 31 schools nationwide that have either fully or partially divested. The divestment movement has since grown beyond educational and other mission-driven institutions to large and influential organizations from new sectors divesting their assets of fossil fuels. Large pension funds and pri-

The Swarthmore story: a power struggle on campus in service of a larger power shift

I

vate corporations such as insurance companies now hold over 95 percent of the assets of those committed to divestment.

To date, more than 500 institutions representing $3.4 trillion in assets have committed to divest from fossil fuel companies.

Swarthmore College, however, has so far resisted the call.

They aren’t alone. Many well-known universities, such as Harvard, Yale and Cornell, have all made the argument that Swarthmore has made: that their en-

dowment is there to make money for the school, not to reflect its values or political ideology.

But as the world moves away from fossil fuels in an attempt to combat climate change, two larger questions remain: Are schools like Swarthmore, which continue to fund educational activities through investments in fossil fuels, at risk of losing alumni donations and the ability to recruit students from the bad PR? And are fossil fuels a bad investment, anyway?

n the spring of 2013, Swarthmore Mountain Justice arranged a “convergence” where nearly 200 students from more than 70 colleges and universities came to Swarthmore’s campus to discuss divestment from fossil fuel companies.

Yet despite renewed enthusiasm and solidarity among students, meetings to discuss divestment among student activists and board members remained unproductive. Ultimately, after a summer of deliberation, the board decided not to divest.

Aronoff’s Mountain Justice was unsurprised by this response, and they were undeterred, eventually responding by staging a monthlong sit-in in the Finance and Investment Office on the second floor of the main administration building last spring, after Aronoff had graduated. The sit-in was deemed a success by the students, and made national headlines.

During the sit-in, students received a boost when faculty members voted to support the call for the college to divest from all primary holdings in fossil fuel companies. Lee Smithey, associate professor of sociology, co-authored the white paper that underpinned the faculty resolution calling for divestment.

“Divestment is an attempt to change the political and cultural landscape,” he says.

Smithey is adamant that, in the face of the looming climate crisis, large-scale

“Divestment is an attempt to change the political and cultural landscape.”

—LEE SMITHEY, associate professor of sociology, Swarthmore College

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t h e _ e d u cat i o n _ i ssu e

political change is desperately needed.

“Thoughtful, nonviolent action sometimes disrupts business as usual and forces us to think more closely about the ways in which our daily lives are structured and intertwined with larger systems of power,” he says.

But after the board met again last May, they reiterated their opposition to divestment, this time stating that “the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College reached consensus not to divest from fossil fuels,” noting that the school’s investment guidelines since 1991 have stated that the “Investment Committee manages the endowment to yield the best long term financial results, rather than to pursue other social objectives.”

This past January, student activists declared a new ultimatum to the board: Three board members, whom they believe have a conflict of interest, must refrain from participating in the board’s decision-making on divestment. The students claim that the three have financial ties to fossil fuel companies that would compromise their impartiality in deciding whether Swarthmore should divest its endowment from fossil fuels. Information on

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board members’ connections to the fossil fuel industry was compiled by LittleSis, a research tool run by the Public Accountability Initiative, a “nonprofit, public interest research organization investigating power.”

Swarthmore’s president, Valerie Smith, responded to the ultimatum by saying that the board rejects “the tactic of singling out loyal members of our community who are deeply committed to the college and who have worked tirelessly on its behalf,” and that “the tenuous links between individual board members and the oil industry are not, in fact, conflicts of any kind, and the assertions amount to nothing more than spurious ad hominem attacks.” Smith could not be reached for comment on this story.

Sophomore Sophia Zaia and freshman Abby Saul, both organizers for Swarthmore Mountain Justice, disagree with that characterization. They’re disappointed with what they perceive as their institution’s disconnect between a socially responsible image and a very public refusal to divest from fossil fuels. Zaia and Saul believe the fact that President Smith responded so forcefully to the proposal for recusal means that they’ve struck a chord.

“I think they like to have the board appear as this monolith,” Zaia says, “but we know from talking to certain board members that many were in support of divestment.”

Swarthmore Mountain Justice plans to continue to chip away at the board’s resolve, and today, a year after the board gave its opinion on divestment, student commitment remains as stalwart as ever.

Saul is still hopeful that the administration will change its mind. “Hopefully, if and when Swarthmore does divest, it’s going to have an impact on this industry, not necessarily financially but by using our social capital as a very well-known and respected institution that does not want to be profiting from this industry anymore.”

Zaia agrees. “Taking the schools out from supporting the energy industry, taking away one of the pillars that hold them up,” she says, “is one way to shift the power.”

Eileen Flanagan, board chair of the Philadelphia-based Earth Quaker Action Team and author of the memoir “Renewable: One Woman’s Search for Simplicity, Faithfulness, and Hope,” also thinks that Swarthmore’s refusal to divest is hypocritical. She notes that Quakers have always

believed in two things: striving to live with integrity and challenging things they believe are wrong.

“For a college to advertise its Quaker roots,” she says, “making sure that its money is not invested in industries that are actively putting their students’ future at risk seems to me a basic form of integrity.” Flanagan added that she doesn’t see how they can in good conscience be invested in fossil fuels.

“It’s very hard for me to see how any institution could claim to be Quaker,” she says, “and not be actively trying to do as much as they can to address this issue.”

Is divestment a good investment?

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he swarthmore debate has exposed the most common, and most powerful, counterargument to fossil fuel divestment: Endowments exist for making money—not making social statements—and fossil fuels have traditionally made money. Harvard University, which has the largest endowment in the nation, stated in a letter in 2013 that they “maintain a strong presumption against divesting investment assets for reasons unrelated to the endowment’s financial strength and its ability to advance our academic goals,” further stating that “the endowment is a resource, not an instrument to impel social or political change.”

Donald Opatrny, chairman of fellow Ivy Leaguer Cornell University’s investment committee, issued a similar statement.

“The university’s endowment must not be regarded primarily as an instrument of political or social power,” he said. “Its principal purpose is to provide income for the advancement of the university’s educational objectives.”

It’s the same argument that the board from any corporation would make: They are there to make money, period. In the case of publicly traded companies, they are legally obligated to do so. As one would expect, many members of the financial

“It’s very hard for me to see how any institution could claim to be Quaker and not be actively trying to do as much as they can to address this issue.”

— EILEEN FLANAGAN, Earth Quaker Action Team

community agree that divestment is an unwise financial decision.

The costs may be very real, but it’s hard to quantify, and many studies are industry funded. One, by the Independent Petroleum Association of America, “Fossil Fuel Divestment: A Costly and Ineffective Investment Strategy,” outlines the possibilities. The author states that those schools that divest would incur trading costs, compliance costs and diversification costs. Trading costs are composed of broker commissions and other fees, while compliance costs are ongoing charges incurred to ensure that the investment portfolio continues to meet divestment goals over time. Diversification costs are those presumed lower investment returns for a given level of portfolio risk. The study concludes: “These costs have real financial impacts on the returns generated by an investment portfolio, and therefore, real impacts on the ability of an educational institution to achieve its goals.”

Another industry-funded study published last September, “The Divestment Penalty: Estimating the Costs of Fossil Fuel Divestment to Select University Endowments,” claimed that universities could lose millions if they cut oil, gas and coal holdings. The author writes: “While a few universities have divested (either in whole or in part), most others have chosen not to do so and many have noted that divestment is likely to have little impact (financial or otherwise) on fossil fuel companies, while creating the potential for endowment shortfalls due to a lack of in-

vestment diversification and other costs.”

But others disagree that fossil fuels are a safe bet, especially in the long term.

Jeff Siegel, publisher and managing editor of the website Green Chip Stocks, is one such expert. “Globally,” he says, “we’re seeing more and more people accepting the data analysis from the IPCC [International Panel on Climate Change], which says that scientists are 95 percent certain that humans are the dominant cause of today’s rapidly changing climate.”

He believes this growing acceptance puts pressure on policymakers to consider climate change as a serious issue that needs to be addressed. “So whether or not you find the data and data analysis from the IPCC to be sound is irrelevant,” he says, “at least from the perspective of an investor.” In other words, the fact that policymakers are listening to warnings about climate change should be enough to warn investors about coming policy changes that will change the markets and profitability of fossil fuels.

Siegel cites the reality of a so-called “carbon bubble” in his analysis. A carbon bubble, like the housing bubble that was implicated in the Great Recession of 2008, happens when companies’ stock prices become overvalued for whatever reason. In this case, it’s because the valuation of fossil fuel companies is premised on the idea that all fossil fuel reserves will be consumed.

However, a study from University College London, published in the journal Nature last year, argues that over 90 percent of U.S. and Australian coal, and almost all

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Canadian tar sands, cannot be extracted and burned if the global temperature rise is to be kept under the 2 degrees Celsius limit that has just been agreed to by the world’s nations in Paris in December 2015. As this story went to print, ExxonMobil’s credit rating was downgraded for the first time in approximately eight decades.

Siegel admits that the carbon bubble isn’t going to have much of an impact on investors at the moment. “We’re talking about a massive transition of our energy economy,” he says, “where fossil fuels will start losing market share to electrified transportation and renewable energy, simply because these alternatives are technologically, economically, socially and—ultimately—politically superior.”

And he goes on to emphasize that, while oil is still king and will be so for decades to come, it’s also a very old industry that’s become complacent, propped up by plenty of policy support and lack of innovation.

Those two things are changing now, he says, so investors who ignore this reality are putting their long-term financial health at risk. In response to whether schools should invest in alternative energy companies after divesting, Siegel says they really should invest in alternative energy in any case. “At this point,” he says, “any institution that doesn’t have some exposure to the alternative energy space is making a very bad financial decision.”

In addition to Siegel’s analysis, other studies have suggested that divesting from fossil fuels can actually save money. Matthew Patsky of investment firm Trillium Asset Management directly contradicted the industry-funded findings for Harvard University, reporting that the university lost an estimated $21 million over three years by ignoring calls to divest. A 2013 analysis commissioned by The Associated Press found that university endowments would have been better off had they divested a decade ago.

The University of Hawaii is one investor that saw the writing on the wall that Siegel describes. Last year, after the university’s Task Group on Divestment and Sustainability met with representatives of

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its investment manager, the UBS Group, it decided to divest from companies that produce fossil fuels over a three year period.

A statement from the task group referred specifically to the idea of a carbon bubble: “An argument can be made that fossil fuel companies are currently overvalued, because a portion of their value represents the value of underground reserves that have not yet been brought to the surface and sold.”

But the university’s decision to divest rested on more than just the economic argument. It also felt it was imperative that it lead by example.

“Because we’re an island community that is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuel for our economy,” says Randy Moore, chair of the university’s board of regents, “and because we’re clearly going to be affected by rising sea levels, the idea of CO2 reduction has a bigger degree of resonance in Hawaii than it might in Philadelphia.”

Though the university recognizes that “divestment will not reduce future CO2 emissions one iota,” according to its task group’s statement, it also recognizes that the value of divestment is to galvanize the community to take action and to change institutional as well as individual behaviors.

“Progress never comes as fast as you want it to,” Moore says, “so there’s no other alternative than to keep working at it.”

Is divestment an effective strategy to combat climate change and environmental degradation?

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ome of the most substantial criticism of the campaign for fossil fuel divestment comes from those who would normally be considered political allies. For example, writing in Slate in 2014, Matt Yglesias makes the argument that even if many universities divest from coal companies, the temporarily low share price of those companies will look attrac-

tive to value-hunting investors. “In fact,” Yglesias writes, “in the age of algorithmic trading, the entire process will run its course in the blink of an eye.” The argument is, essentially, that someone is going to profit, even if it’s not a college or university.

Philosopher Scott Wisor, deputy director of the Centre for the Study of Global Ethics at the University of Birmingham in England, believes that the fossil fuel divestment movement has no effect on greenhouse gas emissions. “No fossil fuel company will leave assets in the ground because they are facing shareholder pressure,” he says. He further notes that, even if they did, the largest fossil fuel companies in the world are state owned, and thus not subject to shareholder pressure. They would simply purchase those assets from companies that were facing shareholder pressure.

“Why spend time, resources and political capital on shareholder divestment when these efforts could be directly focused on public policies that would make a difference in reducing emissions?” Wisor says.

Rebecca Leber, writing for New Republic in May 2015, suggested that the divestment campaign in some ways has the most difficult goal, which is to convince people to divest from the energy we rely on every day and from stocks that make up a massive part of the economy. Additionally, she notes that a 1999 study did not find that divestiture impacted South Africa’s economy. Instead, the South African divestment campaign, which Swarthmore students cited as their inspiration and activist template, was paired with a large-scale boycott of South African goods and sanctions on South African companies, noting that that’s where the real damage was done.

Journalist Mark Engler, author of the recent book “This Is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century,” says that social and political change is as much about power as it is about policy. “Divestment campaigns are helping to generate power by rallying active public support in opposition to fossil fuel industries,” he says.

He observes that many insider groups

have been trying to push forward small demands in the current political climate to secure specific regulations, whereas organizers who are trying to build mass movements need to think about campaigns in completely different ways. He notes that those politicians who tried to push capand-trade legislation back in 2008 quickly found that they did not have the power to pass even a watered-down version.

“We need a dramatic shift in public opinion,” he says, “to address the true challenge of climate change and create new possibilities in the political debate.” In his view, campaigns that have a deeper symbolic resonance, ones that target the public, have a greater capacity to engage the base and play a critical role in this process.

For Engler, divestment is a means to the end of much larger change, and he believes it’s actually a much better means to that end than the technocratic regulatory demands that, in addition to being totally inadequate themselves in addressing the true scope of the climate challenge, also fall short in their ability to galvanize public attention and support for the issue. “I think divestment has made this a leading political issue on campus,” Engler says.

“Investors are starting to worry about this idea of carbon risk, and it’s starting to impact energy firms across the globe.”

Engler cites the example of Shell Oil Co. leaving the Arctic last September. After spending $7 billion to explore a single well there, the company said in a statement that it “found indications of oil and gas, but these are not sufficient to warrant further exploration.”

This contrasts significantly with the company’s previous statements that it was confident drillers would find abundant oil reserves. Shell also cited “the challenging, unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska.” Engler says that what creates an uncertain regulatory environment is politicians not giving fossil fuel companies the kind of free rein that they had before.

“And why are politicians changing on that?” Engler asks. “It’s because of pressure from activist movements.”

Is divestment about money or morals? Which generation should get to decide?

W

hile many institutions have chosen different paths on divestment from a financial standpoint, others have been more motivated by the moral and pragmatic arguments that accompany the unprecedented crisis of global climate change.

As Bill McKibben wrote in the summer of 2012 for Rolling Stone: “The logic of divestment couldn’t be simpler: If it’s wrong to wreck the climate, it’s wrong to profit from that wreckage.” Stephen Mulkey, president of Unity College, the first school to divest, was convinced by the moral argument, writing in 2012, “While our public policymakers equivocate and avoid the topic of climate change, the window of opportunity for salvaging a livable planet for our children and grandchildren is rapidly closing.”

David Van Zandt, president of The New School in New York City, echoed these concerns in a statement on the school’s website: “Climate change, the effects of

which are already being felt by our most vulnerable populations, is one of the greatest challenges we are facing in the 21st century. With our formidable talents in design and the social sciences, this new plan sets the course for our leadership in the field.”

Swarthmore freshman Abby Saul, who is from New Jersey, says that though her high school tended to talk about climate change in abstract terms, the devastation from Hurricane Sandy made a big impression on her.

“Dozens lost their lives, thousands lost their homes and millions lost their power,” she says, “and that made it very real for me.”

Saul also cites the example of her home state governor, Chris Christie, who spent the vast majority of the past year out of state campaigning for president. During the campaign, there was again widespread flooding in New Jersey, and when Christie was asked at a campaign stop why he wasn’t back in the state helping people, he responded by saying “What do you want me to do, bring a mop?”

“That answer was in classic Chris Christie fashion,” Saul says, “and that made it very clear that we cannot rely on [people in power] to make the changes we need. It has to come from us.”

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The Sophomore Slump From one academic’s perch, sustainability curricula have hit a plateau by rob fleming

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ou might assume that colleges and universities would serve as the vanguard for sustainability.

Some of the most intelligent and progressive people in the world can be found in their hallowed halls. And yet, if we were to examine the transcript of grades for higher education we will find—at best—a grade of incomplete when it comes to progressive sustainability education.

Part of the problem lies in the distinction between greening and sustainability. Even in the academies, many professors lump these terms together despite the enormous difference between the two. Greening is really just business as usual with a nod toward mitigation of human impacts upon the planet’s ecosystems. Sustainability is an expression of a fundamentally new worldview where humanity and nature coevolve to form a holistic and life enhancing relationship—a model that will not only protect future civilizations, but elevate them to new levels of prosperity.

In the end, greening does not require a paradigm shift, and that fact leads to a number of problems as professors across the country attempt to craft curricula for the increasing number of students interested in being part of a true transformation

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of our society. For those academics who were never really interested in greening in the first place, green fatigue has set in, and many are looking forward to the day when we all just get back to “normal.”

Greenwashing applies to classes as well as products: It is the prevalent practice of marketing sustainable and green curricula while actually only teaching a modified version of the original course. Worse yet, a “custom” sustainability degree may be

offered, but is actually made up of courses cobbled together from departments across the university—each with varying levels of green or sustainable content—in what is often a mishmash of inconsistent coursework. There is also the assumption that a course on the environment automatically makes it a sustainable course—it doesn’t.

And yet, I see glimmers of hope for universities. The trend toward collaboration across disciplines, for example, lays the groundwork for integrated problem solving, which will be crucial to establishing a sustainable future. The emergence of sustainability focused degrees (designed from scratch) such as the one I helped to create at Philadelphia University (an M.S. in sustainable design), or Villanova’s M.S. in sustainable engineering or Penn’s master of environmental building design demonstrate that there is a demand for this new type of educational model—one that is more horizontal, more integrated and ultimately more impactful.

Many companies in the private sector have pursued sustainability at very high levels and transformed their business practices as a result. Government agencies such as the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Sustainability have proven that widespread and meaningful change can happen. Over time, these exemplars may push the higher education space to change, a green osmosis that slowly and methodically nudges institutions to go beyond the green plateau. But the stakes are high, and slow, incremental change is simply not enough.

We need fundamentally new types of programs, courses and co-curricular experiences that will lay the groundwork for a great societal leap toward authentic sustainability. The alternative is more greenwashing, more delay, more inaction and ultimately more damage to our precious environment—the only one we have.

Professor Rob Fleming is program director of the master of science in sustainable design at Philadelphia University.

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t h e _ e d u cat i o n _ i ssu e

The Future Is Now These six innovations from regional college campuses are just the beginning by justin klugh

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urniture built from mushroom spores? Zero-energy houses? Dreamers and doers at our region’s colleges and universities are committing to a sustainable future where clean air and water, sensible energy use and social entrepreneurship are the norm. Here are six of the many products and services we saw that we think could make a difference.

1

Drexel University, Gwen Ottinger

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Ottinger’s next move is to go to the source, refinery community residents themselves, to determine how beneficial the app’s current capabilities would actually be for them. “Big data requires curious thinking,” she says. “Whatever we build with the participation of communities will, I hope, be a gold standard to accompany what we need in terms of monitoring.”

St. Joseph’s University, Catalina Arango

Nine years ago, a group of St. Joseph’s students returning from Tanzania began a research project with the goal of developing a cheap means of water filtration that was also easy to build and operate. Associate Professor Catalina Arango was eventually enlisted to help test the resulting $12 slow-sand water filter made out of two 5-gallon buckets, a spigot, gravel, mesh and 50 pounds of sand, on the top of which forms an overlay of algae and bacteria that halts the advance of contaminants.

“We decided that was not enough,” Arango says. “We really wanted to make sure we could teach the people that use it how to use it.”

In optimal conditions, they now know 60 liters of water need to pass through the filter in order for it to function appropriately. Conveying critical aspects of the filter’s usage is considered as much a part of the venture as the filter itself.

“This project is about more than science,” Arango says.

3

Oil Refinery App

For communities situated close to oil refineries, there are short and long-term dangers caused by the facilities’ toxic output. Even when activists have successfully lobbied for data on refineries’ environmental effects, raw numbers require translation into actual consequences.

Drexel University Assistant Professor Gwen Ottinger and her team are developing an app to make residents themselves a part of the data collection by connecting them to a real-time interface. “If you can click the period of chemical concentrations and say, ‘I had a sore throat when this happened,’ ‘I was short of breath when this happened,’ you are collecting that experiential data,” she explains. “Over time, you get an accumulation that makes a case about what is the effect of living next to a refinery on people’s health and quality of life.”

2

Water Filtration System

Building Energy Waste Detection Program Drexel University, Jin Wen

Walking down the street in Philadelphia, you actually pass a lot of the region’s most frivolous energy-guzzlers.

“In most countries, including the U.S. and most developed countries, buildings consume about 40 percent of the primary energy,” says Drexel University Associate Professor Jin Wen. “If you look further into how the energy is consumed, typically at least one-third is wasted because of a malfunctioning system.”

This includes automated lights that don’t turn off or venting systems that bring in more cold air for the system to heat without any benefit. With backing from the Department of Energy, Wen and the rest of her team over the last five years have been developing a data-driven strategy to monitor and diagnose issues within a building’s mechanical systems. The result

IL LUSTRATIO N S BY N ICHO L AS M ASSA RELLI

has been an automatic software tool that can be made a part of a building’s automated system or used through a cloud-based format to identify issues and provide suggestions to avoid energy waste and improve indoor environmental quality. It is currently licensed to a company called KGS Buildings, as well as a new startup company.

“It’s much cheaper than any market-available solution,” Wen says.

4

Net Zero Tiny House Temple University, Katherine Switala-Elmhurst

The concept of green buildings isn’t limited to one campus. In North Philly, Temple University is putting together a sustainable structure of its own, only on a much tinier scale.

Two years ago, a need for programming space at the Temple Community Garden led to interdisciplinary faculty members holding a charrette. Thirty students attended and generated seven designs for the construction of a fully sustainable tiny house.

“It is a student organization, but the idea is outreach to the local community,” says Katherine Switala-Elmhurst, program manager for Temple’s Office of Sustainability. “This is a first-of-its-kind project at Temple. Students of different disciplines are working together in a real world environment—architects, engineers, liberal arts students. It’s a great project to high-

light sustainable features of buildings.”

The final design will have solar panels and a green roof and will be constructed solely out of sustainable materials. “It’s really kind of a showcase building to highlight not only what Temple is doing, but also a sustainable building.”

5

The Rad Dish Café Temple University, Kathleen Grady and Lauren Cooper

The tiny house isn’t the only thing bringing Owls together on Temple’s campus. The Rad Dish Café, a restaurant using food sources from a 150-mile radius of Philadelphia (those it can’t get within that distance are still fair trade and organic) has been operating for over a year, with help from a burgeoning co-op movement in Philadelphia and CoFED, a national “Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive.”

“Rad Dish serves as a project-based learning tool for the students,” says Kathleen Grady. “It’s not just students from Fox [School of Business] and our environmental studies program; it’s students from a number of different schools—folks from Tyler [School of Art], folks from social work.”

Classes have even developed that tie into the Rad Dish. Last year, the café worked with a sustainable marketing course to develop outreach strategies. It has become a central hub where students can meet and re-fuel, while those working behind the scenes continue their education.

“I’d like to see more student-run businesses,” says student worker Lauren Cooper. “It’s been really empowering to have this place on campus.”

6

BlackStone LaunchPad Philadelphia University, Zoe McKinley

Sometimes innovators can use a little coaching to get their big idea off the ground. The BlackStone LaunchPad program at Philadelphia University aids burgeoning entrepreneurs as they conceive and develop products.

“We focus on advising students, faculty, staff and alumni on their entrepreneurial lives,” says BlackStone’s founding director, Zoe McKinley. Her background in urban planning and economic development took her into the world of entrepreneurship, “as a way to create opportunities for communities. That sort of got me fired up about social enterprise.”

BlackStone has resulted in an inspiring number of ideas passing through McKinley’s office that are intended to contribute to creating a sustainable economy.

“I had a student last semester who was working on a line of products made from mushroom spores,” McKinley says. “He was growing different planters and things out of the mushroom material and experimenting with ways that you could actually make something that was entirely sustainable and biodegradable that you could use for a while and let it go back to the earth.”

“It’s about value creation,” McKinley says. “And I’m seeing a lot of that from students.”

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or inquisitive kids who can appreciate the magical aspects of science, it’s hard to imagine a more engrossing summer playground than the Franklin Institute. FI’s summer Discovery Camp boasts, “We have FUN down to a science” and the extensive, imaginative programming seems to support their claim.

The Science Adventures program kicks off the summer season on June 13. Other summer themes offer instruction on topics as wide ranging as film animation, animal

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adaptability, Olympic athlete training, Mars travel and forensic science. Another session, Best of Summer, closes out the long camp season, beginning Aug. 29 and ending on Sept. 2.

Campers explore the museum offerings, participate in hands-on activities, and have opportunities to enjoy IMAX and 3-D films, as well as workshops and presentations by local scientists. There is also time for outdoor play in the FI playscape. FI’s Discovery Camp offers flexibility by allowing

daily, weekly or multi-week participation for grades pre-K through nine. The camp day runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with age appropriate activities organized by weekly themes.

To enable broad participation, the Franklin Institute offers camp scholarships recognizing excellence in academics, attendance and leadership as well as financial need. Each scholarship covers one week of camp, and details are available on the FI website.

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SUMMER CAMP S / PROFILE S

THE HACKTORY WEBSITE

thehacktory.org

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contact@thehacktory.org

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215-650-7295

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3645-7 Lancaster Ave., Floor 1, Philadelphia, Pa.

T

he hacktory’s staff believes that the best way to understand things is by “repurposing, decoupling, breaking and rearranging them from their intended use.” It’s fitting that the Hacktory Summer Camp is a “do-ocracy,” repurposing “democracy” just as the West Philadelphia nonprofit organization created its name by melding “hack” and “factory.”

There’s more than lofty wordplay to this program, which offers full-day, weeklong

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sessions through the month of August for rising third- through fifth-grade students.

Executive Director Georgia Guthrie keeps fun at the center of morning STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) projects and encourages afternoon free play at Smith Playground. “Our main goal is that participants have fun so they want to keep learning,” says Guthrie. The classes are small, enabling students to ask questions and pursue individual in-

terests while receiving ample instructor assistance.

The ideal camper for The Hacktory comes equipped with a desire to make things, use tools and discover how things work. No previous experience is necessary. Camp instructors introduce skills ranging from sewing and drawing to simple machine operation.

Campers come from around the region, and some financial assistance is available.

The combination of structured morning projects with afternoons spent playing outside creates many opportunities to form new friendships. Guthrie’s goal is to send campers home with “enthusiasm to keep learning and building their own projects… and a sense that it is possible to make objects that are functional, useful and show their own personality.” The very attitude every do-ocracy needs.

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SUMMER CAMP S / PROFILE S

CITY WILD WEBSITE

landhealthinstitute.org/camps

EMAIL

info@putnatureback.org

ADDRESS

614 S. 4th St., #341, Philadelphia, Pa.

PHONE

267-571-5750

I

n the heat of summer, everyone wants to be near water, and City Wild offers plenty of it.

Campers gather each day of the twoweek sessions at the Fairmount Waterworks, then set off by van for points around the city, including Dilworth Park and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Afternoons at Miquon Camp offer campers a swimming pool, a creek and a pottery studio as places to relax.

City Wild is a new program of the nonprofit Land Health Institute, whose

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mission is to “Put nature back through nontraditional environmental education programming.”

Camp Director Sandy Rothman’s enthusiasm bubbles over in her description of City Wild’s goals for 10- to 13-year-olds.

“We want kids to develop a positive relationship with nature in the neighborhoods.

We want them to learn to look, and to see nature in the city and to realize that a habitat is going on all over the place.”

Rothman’s diverse excursions take kids behind the scenes, walking across the Ben

Franklin Bridge, climbing to the top of City Hall and discovering historical treasures such as the burial site of Betsy Ross.

City Wild is an active camp with plenty of walking and outdoor play, so campers should bring energy, curiosity and a sense of adventure to get the most from the experience.

“Kids come home tired, but in a good way because they used all their senses,” says Rothman. City Wild runs from June 27 through Aug. 19, and some financial assistance is available.

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SUMMER CAMP S / LISTINGS

SCIENCE & SUSTAINABILITY

schuylkillcenter.org AGE RANGE: 10–15 WHEN: June 13–Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

COST: $350–$1,019 WHERE: Schuylkill Center For Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy's Mill Road

Academy Explorers Camp The Academy of Natural Sciences introduces two new educational camps this year for teens who love the great outdoors. In Invertebrate Camp, participants can meet live insects and learn about basic handling and care, get an up-close look at the animals from the academy’s invertebrate collection, venture into invertebrate-rich local parks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and work with academy staff to help prepare live invertebrate displays. Another new series, Animal Husbandry Camp, offers an opportunity to meet live animals and learn about basic handling and care, get first-hand experience with the animals, attend a wildlife rehabilitation inspired field trip, and work with academy staff to help prepare a naturalist presentation for academy guests. ansp.org AGE RANGE: 13–16 WHEN: July 11–15 and Aug. 8–12, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

COST: $500–$525 WHERE: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Adventure Treks The Schuylkill Center’s Summer Adventure Treks challenge pre-teens and teens to improve their outdoor knowledge and skills in a supportive setting. Participants learn more about themselves, strengthen self-confidence, have a lot of fun and gain teamwork skills while exploring the outdoors in unique and fun ways. During the day, participants enjoy organized activities such as biking, white water rafting and swimming. At night they gather by the campfire to talk about the day’s adventure, roast marshmallows and sing songs.

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Anthropologists in the Making Campers will discover the wonders of human civilizations past and present, with plenty of time for socializing and reflecting on each day’s lesson. Topics will include myths and mysteries of Egypt, magic in the ancient world, women’s history and more. penn.museum/programs

Camps do not change from week to week. elmwoodparkzoo.org AGE RANGE: 6–11 WHEN: June 20–July 22 for ages 6–8, July 25–Aug. 19 for ages 9–11; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended care available COST: $250–$275 per week WHERE: Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown, Pa.

Lavner Camps at UPenn

WHEN: June 27–Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with extended care available

Is your child an aspiring computer whiz? Get them introductory courses in robotics, 3-D Minecraft, Java and coding, video game design and computer programming with Python. Lavner Camps offers a full listing online, along with info for programs in surrounding areas, such as Malvern, Plymouth Meeting and Cherry Hill.

COST: $290–$310 per week

lavnercampsandprograms.com

WHERE: Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

AGE RANGE: 6–15

AGE RANGE: 7–13

Be Outside Teen Adventure Program Activities such as kayaking, rockclimbing, hiking and ziplining keep Be Outside participants active. They’ll learn useful skills such as GPS navigation and the importance of the “leave no trace” principle. This six-week program also focuses on career exploration, financial management and social responsibility. phila.gov

WHEN: June 20–Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

COST: $329–$549 WHERE: University of Pennsylvania, Houston Hall and Irvine Auditorium, 3417 Spruce St.

LocoSummer: Robotics and Digital Literacy

WHEN: June 17–Aug. 4, Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

LocoRobo is a team of engineers and designers who created a five-day immersion program that will touch on coding, sensor physics and algorithms for intelligent robot behaviors. Students will need to bring a laptop, but no prior experience in robotics and programming is necessary.

COST: $250

locorobo.com

WHERE: Gustine Recreation Center, 4868 Ridge Ave.,

AGE RANGE: 10–18

and Chalfont Playground, 4330–40 Deerpath Lane

WHEN: July 11–15 for grades 5–8; July 18–22 for grades 9–12

AGE RANGE: 12–14

Elmwood Park Zoo Camp Kids are invited to explore the habits and daily lives of some of the zoo's residents while making friends and learning about the importance of wildlife conservation.

Each weeklong camp includes crafts, stories, snacks, animal visitors and tours of the zoo.

COST: $980–$1,180 WHERE: 2125 Chestnut St.

Nature Ramblers Kids in this camp get access to 340 acres of forest, fields, streams, ponds and an organic farm, where they can explore the natural

Sandy Hill Farm Camp

AGE RANGE: 2-11

To a 3-year-old, Sandy Hill Farm Camp must seem like a storybook come to life. Megan Oberholtzer, now 16 and a Sandy Hill counselor, recalls how much she enjoyed the freedom to make choices as a young camper. “Kids can pick which horse they want to ride, if they want to play with the bunnies or the chickens, or if they want to swim or go on the playground,” she says. “It is very laid-back.” Sandy Hill offers small group interaction with farm animals, and a chance to “make new friends and get out of your comfort zone.” sandyhillfarm.org

WHEN: June 6-Sept. 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended care available

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COST: $55–$350 WHERE: Sandy Hill Farm, 1918 Sandy Hill Road, Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

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SUMMER CAMP S / LISTINGS

world through hands-on discoveries, hiking excursions, art, play and field trips. Each camp session features an age-appropriate theme for gaining knowledge and awareness of the natural world. schuylkillcenter.org AGE RANGE: 3–9 WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

highlights in this 11-week program, which offers children the opportunity to explore nature while having fun. Through nature study and investigation, games, crafts and hikes, educators guide children in hands-on exploration and science-based learning. riverbendeec.org

Wild Things Are,” “Star Wars and Space Adventures,” “Harry Potter and Magical Creatures,” “The World of Seuss” and more. ardentheatre.org AGE RANGE: Grades 1–12 WHEN: June 27 through Sept. 19, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended care options.

COST: $350 per week

COST: $135–$319

AGE RANGE: 3–13

WHERE: Hamilton Family Arts Center, 62 N. 2nd St.

WHERE: Schuylkill Center For Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy's Mill Road

WHEN: June–August, organized by age; 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Appel Farm Arts Camp

Science Summer Camp Each week, this camp explores an exciting new theme and features an off-site field trip.

Themes this year include: Ooey Gooey Science, Bizarre Animals, Planet Dinosaur, Animal Myths and Legends and more. ansp.org AGE RANGE: 5–12 WHEN: July 5–Sept. 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

COST: $320–$360 WHERE: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

COST: $395–$775 WHERE: Riverbend Environmental Education Center, 1950 Spring Mill Road, Gladwyne, Pa.

William Penn Charter School Science Camp Steven “Science Steve” Wade, a National Board certified teacher and a member of Penn Charter’s science department and Lower School faculty, teaches this engaging inquiry-based camp. Themes include robotics and engineering, homemade rockets, electrical inventions and more. penncharter.com

Campers share in an overnight camp experience involving music, theater, dance, visual arts, photography, video, robotics, recording arts, creative writing, sports and swimming. Healthy food choices and modern bunking make it easier for campers to spend some time away from home as they engage in traditional camp activities such as campfires, dances and carnivals. appelfarmartscamp.org AGE RANGE: 7–17 WHEN: June 26–Aug. 14, overnight

Seaport Summer Camps

AGE RANGE: 6–12

COST: $1,500–$9,000, with tuition assistance available

Learn all about history, science and how to row or kayak on the Delaware River. In addition to on-water programming, campers will tour National Historic Landmark ships, cruiser Olympia and submarine Becuna, and participate in a variety of hands-on activities and crafts. Every week offers a new in-depth look into the science and history behind the region’s waterways.

WHEN: June 27–July 1 and June 11–15, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with extended care available

WHERE: Appel Farm Arts and Music Center, 457 Shirley Road, Elmer, N.J.

phillyseaport.org AGE RANGE: 6–12 WHEN: June 27–Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with extended care options COST: $290–$315 per week WHERE: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd.

Exploration and Adventure Camps at Riverbend Environmental Education Center Hiking, stream-stomping and bug-catching are

COST: $395 per week WHERE: William Penn Charter School, 3000 W. School House Lane

ARTS & CULTURE Arden Summer Camp These one-day masterclasses and multi-week camps train aspiring actors to take their technique to the next level, and give them an opportunity to learn more about theatrical process as they rehearse for a fully realized show.

Weeklong themes this year include “Where the

Beginner Dance Camp Children can learn the basics of ballet, jazz, hiphop and modern dance in a fun atmosphere, focusing on basic positions and movements and allowing for creativity—all within the course of two weeks. Each day will include a warm-up, dance phrases in four styles, improvisational exercises and a break for snack, when participants will learn about some of the greatest dancers and dances of all time. The camp culminates with a performance for family and friends. wissahickondance.com AGE RANGE: Children 7 and up WHEN: July 18–29, 9 a.m. to noon COST: $200–$375 WHERE: Wissahickon Dance Academy, 38 E. School House Lane

Saint Mark’s Choir Camp Step out of the glaring August sun into the cool interior of Saint Mark’s Church where for one week Choir Camp welcomes aspiring singers ages 7 to 17. Third-grader Chiara “Kiki” Crociata, 9, describes herself as friendly, funny and weird, and advises choir campers to “sing their heart out,” she says. “It’s OK to make mistakes, just don't be shy about them.

It’s the way to get better.” She loved the end-of-camp showcase and came away with sound advice: “I learned how to sing for solos—loud and clear.” saintmarksphiladelphia.org

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AGE RANGE: 8-14 WHEN: Aug. 1-5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended care available COST: $250–$200 WHERE: Saint Mark’s Church, 1620 Locust St.

SUMMER CAMP S / LISTINGS

Clay Camp Whether working with sculpture, claymation, or wheel-thrown pottery, students at the Clay Studio learn in a supportive, small class setting with plenty of individual instruction.

These weeklong courses are interspersed with supervised lunches, games, field trips to local galleries and historical sites, and more. theclaystudio.org AGE RANGE: 6 and up WHEN: June 27–Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (half-day classes and extended care available)

Summer Dance and Fitness Camp

WHERE: Briar Bush Nature Center, 1212 Edge Hill Road, Abington, Pa.

PAFA Summer Art Camps Themes include “Frozen,” “Star Wars,” mural arts, gardening, culinary arts, “Project Runway,” Marvel and DC comics, magic as an art form, green-screen movie making and more. pafa.org

WHEN: June 27 through Aug. 22, afternoons and evenings

WHERE: LeRoux School of the Arts, 200 West Ridge Pike, Suite 201, Conshohocken, Pa.

WHEN: June 17–Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

COST: $280–$330

Spanish Summer Camp

WHERE: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118–128 N. Broad St.

WHERE: The Clay Studio, 137–139 N. 2nd St.

Rock to the Future

Curio Theatre School Summer Camp

Learn to play guitar, bass, drums or keyboards while making friends, forming a band, learning covers and writing original music. rocktothefuturephilly.org

Children will be fully immersed in Spanish daily as trained teachers provide an environment supportive of each child's learning style. Educational activities include games and interaction, planned learning time, story time and reflection, and more. bilingualbutterflies.com AGE RANGE: 0–10

AGE RANGE: 7–17

WHEN: July 11–Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHEN: July 18–22 for ages 7–12, July 11–15 for ages 13–17; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

curiotheatre.org

COST: $250, with scholarships available

AGE RANGE: 7–17

WHERE: Rock to the Future, 2139 E. Cumberland St.

WHEN: July 5–29, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

AGE RANGE: All

COST: $50–$145, with bundle discounts

AGE RANGE: 5–15

COST: $160–$360, with sibling and bring-a-friend discounts available

Qualified theatre professionals engage campers in acting, improvisation, movement/dance, theatrical design, and playwriting. Campers will present a final performance for family and friends on the final day of each session!

Kids can stay healthy and active while making new friends in these ballet, tap, jazz and hiphop classes, each organized for specific age groups. lerouxarts.com

COST: $325 per week, with sibling and refer-a-friend discounts WHERE: Bilingual Butterflies, 627 S. 2nd St., Second Floor

Philadelphia School of Circus Arts

Philadelphia Woodworks

A flexible schedule allows aspiring performers to take their time in perfecting techniques such as trapeze, aerial rope and silks, feather-balancing, scarf-juggling, plate-spinning, tightwire and acrobatics. Students in the older age bracket will be allowed to focus primarily on their favorite circus discipline.

No previous skills are necessary for these oneweek camps, which are run by expert youth educators who provide hands-on assistance as participants gain knowledge of basic woodworking tools and techniques. Each week focuses on creating projects unique to the session, so multiple sessions will reinforce skills but will not result in duplicate projects.

phillycircus.com

philadelphiawoodworks.com

AGE RANGE: 5–18

AGE RANGE: 9–11

AGE RANGE: 2–4 with adult

WHEN: June 20–Sept. 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHEN: July 11–Aug. 19, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHEN: June 6–10 and 13–17

COST: $80–$855

COST: $299 per week, plus $69 for materials

COST: $58 per week

WHERE: 5900A Greene St.

WHERE: 4901 Umbria St.

COST: $450 per session WHERE: Curio Theatre School, 4740 Baltimore Ave.

Itty Bitty Briars Toddlers and adults learn and play together as camp instructors weave stories, introduce games, songs, crafts, live animal encounters and nature walks—all while making sure toddlers feel safe and comfortable as they take their first adventures in nature. briarbush.org

954 Dance Movement Collective Summer Dance Camp Antell Cole is a shy second-grader, but if he hears the beat of “Whip/NaeNae” or “Uptown Funk,” you’d better give him some space to move. Antell joined the 2015 summer program at 954 Dance Movement Collective because he loves music and wanted to learn different dance styles. The 8-year-old said the experience was “amazing—the instructors are really nice and we had a lot of fun,” especially during a show the students staged on the last day. The collective’s mission is “to get you dancing” and help kids like Antell become better dancers through fun instruction. 954dmc.weebly.com AGE RANGE: 6–17

COST: $315 per week

WHEN: June 22–July 31, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: 954 Dance Movement Collective, 954 N. 8th St.

HOME ST E AD ACT S

DEAR DIARY Handmade journals make a great gift for yourself or others by anna herman

H

andcrafting a book to jot down favorite quotes or sketch your garden plans is an hour or two of work well spent. With a bit of planning and practice, you can transform scraps and hand-me-downs into practical or fantastical journals, albums or printed books. These make great presents and gifts, with or without the addition of your musings, illustrations or favorite quotes. A book is basically any assemblage of paper bound together—sewn, glued, riveted, stapled or some combination. There are many ways to approach making your own book—the following is one way to make a somewhat “classic” hardbound version.

W H AT YOU N E ED: • • • • •

Paper: your choice Glue: PVA (polyvinyl acetate—such as Elmer's White) Cover board: stiff cardboard, foam board, thin wood Cover: paper, fabric, Tyvek, maps, etc.

Other supplies: a stapler; dinner knife or bone-scoring tool; an eraser or cork; scissors

TO M AK E YOU R BOOK: Stack paper in piles of three to eight sheets. You will be folding your paper in half, so each sheet will become four pages. Each folded stack is called a “folio.”

Depending on the thickness of the paper, an eight sheet folio (32 pages) is about the maximum you can fold neatly by hand, so go from there.

Neatly fold each pile of sheets in half crosswise. Use your fingernail, bone-scoring tool, back of a spoon or the blunt side of a dinner knife to press the crease fold very tight.

Join each folio through the center crease.

Staple through the paper into an eraser or cork. Fold over the staple ends with the

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blunt end of your dinner knife or thumbnail. Repeat at the other end of the crease, and with the remaining stacks so that each folio is stapled twice.

Alternatively, you could punch small holes neatly into the center of the crease with an awl and sew each folio with several stitches with waxed thread or dental floss.

Stack the folios tightly together and clip the top and bottom edges with large paper or binder clips. Select thin fabric for the spine binding. Cut this the length of pages, wide enough to cover the width plus 2 inches of what will become the spine. The overhang on each side will be used soon to connect the spine to the cover boards.

Apply glue to the center of the fabric strip—there should be 1 inch on each side of the fabric that will not have glue until a later step. If you have a glue gun you can use it here. Before the glue has a chance to set, place the folio spines centered on the fabric. Prop up until glue is dry.

Trace out a cover a bit larger than the pages. Cut out two cover boards. Cut a third piece of board the width and length of the folio spine to serve as a “spine board.”

Place the cover boards with the spine board in between on the chosen cover material and mark out so that there is a border of about an inch all around. Cut out the material and place (nice side down) on a

HOME STEAD ACT S

flat surface. Spread an even coating of glue over one side of the cover boards and spine and lay them down carefully in alignment with each other with a small gap between the spine and each cover board. Glue the edges of the fabric down, trimming and tucking the corners in with a bit of extra glue as needed.

Attach folios to the cover. Spread a thin line of glue along the center edge of the two cover boards. Place the bound folios centered on the (dry) spine board so the flaps of fabric are lined up on the glue. The spine board does not get glued but rather remains a flexible protective joint. Prop up folios until glue dries.

You’re almost finished: Add a liner to the inside covers to turn this functional craft project into a work of art. Break out your stash of marbleized paper or lovely old gift wrap. Thin stiff cloth works well.

Measure and cut paper or cloth to fit just inside the combined dimensions of cover and first page. Cut out the material, fold and crease (if using paper), spread back with glue and carefully affix in place. Repeat for the back.

When gluing fabric or paper, remember that a thin coat over the entire surface is best. Be sure to line things up well and then press and smooth from the center toward the edges to prevent wrinkles. If wrinkles

persist after several days, try running a barely hot iron over wrinkled surfaces.

Here are some other ideas: A personal travel journal could use maps for the cover and favorite restaurant menus or train schedules as liner; your garden book could utilize seed catalog pages and grow charts; collect quotes and photos and send your kid off to college or camp with an album made with part of a favorite (outgrown) T-shirt.

You’ll need to make a book just to keep track of your ideas.

Anna Herman is a garden educator who raises chicken, ducks, bees, fruits and veggies in her Mount Airy backyard.

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MAR KET WATCH

A PARADE OF RADISHES Dig into every size, shape and color of these crunchy, versatile veggies by peggy paul casella

T

his time of year, fresh-picked radishes are hard to miss at the farmers market, all piled up with their neon-colored tubers facing out. So if you’ve only ever thought of them as a garnish, now is your best chance to give these ancient brassicas a second look. Not only are they a great way to add color and flavor to your plate, but they are also rich in nutrients, containing good amounts of vitamin C, folate, fiber, potassium, B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and calcium.

The spicy, golf-ball-size fuchsia spheres called cherry belle are the most common spring/summer radishes. French breakfast radishes are a close second, with their red-to-white ombré, oblong shape and milder flavor. Then there are the multicolored Easter eggs, neon-fleshed green meat and watermelon varieties, icicle radishes (aptly named), super-spicy black or Spanish radishes, and daikons the size of your forearm. Look for firm radishes without any wrinkling, soft spots or blemishes, and cut off the leaves before storing. The leaves can be prepared in the same way you would other dark cooking greens.

USES: Roast, sauté or stir-fry. Pickle them. Shred them into slaws and other raw salads. Slice thinly and arrange them on buttered toast with a pinch of sea salt.

Mince them for salsas or compound butters. Include them sliced or whole in crudité platters with creamy dip. Serve them raw, drizzled with honey and vinegar. Use their greens in pestos, gremolatas and chimichurris.

Sautéed Radishes with Lemon and Chives Serves 4

Ingredients yy 4 bunches spring radishes with their

yy Freshly ground black pepper

tops

yy Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

yy 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted

yy 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (or

butter

finely chopped scallions)

yy 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as

yy 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

needed

Directions 1.

Separate the greens from the radishes and roughly chop. Depending on their size, cut the radishes into wedges or halves.

2.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When it stops foaming, add the radishes and salt and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender and browned in spots. Transfer the radishes to a serving platter and cover with foil. Do not wipe out the skillet.

3.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter.

Once the butter melts and stops foaming, add the chopped radish greens and sauté until wilted, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the greens to the serving platter with the radishes. Toss well.

4.

Taste the radishes and greens and add more salt and a few grinds of pepper as desired. Squeeze the lemon juice over top and sprinkle on the chives and feta, if using.

Serve warm.

Peggy Paul Casella is a cookbook editor, writer, urban vegetable gardener, produce peddler and author of the blog Thursday Night Pizza.

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EVENT S

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well as Mother’s Day gift baskets with an assortment of lovely garden-related items in decorated baskets. hansberrygarden.org

Champion Trees TreePhilly, SavATree and the PA Forestry Council Association State Champion Tree Program host this tour and workshop on identification, care and protection of big trees. They will discuss damage prevention and preservation, as well as the process for nominating new state champion trees. woodlandsphila.ticketleap.com/championtrees WHEN: 5:30 to 8 p.m. COST: $20 WHERE: The Woodlands, 4000 Woodland Ave.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Hansberry Garden and Nature Center, 5150 Wayne Ave.

Morris Arboretum Discovery Series: What Do You See? What do you see when you examine a leaf, an acorn or the inside of a flower? Visit the Discovery Table and learn about the importance of careful observation in science, while creating some scientific illustrations of your own. morrisarboretum.org

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WHEN: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Free for members, $9 to $17 for nonmembers WHERE: Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

Morris Arboretum Plant Sale

Bird Walk in Tacony Creek Park

This event will feature unusual and hardto-find plants, many from local nurseries familiar with Philadelphia’s soil and climate that are well suited to thrive in this area.

Join Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed for a bird walk with Keith Russell of the Audubon Society. Doughnuts, coffee and binoculars provided. RSVP requested.

morrisarboretum.org

ttfwatershed.org

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Bloomfield Farm, across the street from 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

Tyler Arboretum Annual Plant Sale This two-day sale features a range of plants from Tyler Arboretum’s meadows, trails and collections to enjoy in your garden. Take advantage of lots of choices and great value. tylerarboretum.org WHEN: May 6, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and May 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Road, Media, Pa.

Join Janet Ebert and The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County as they explore the 300-acre Bucktoe Creek Preserve, searching for different types of native wildflowers. Learn about the important roles wildflowers play in the balance of the ecosystem. tlcforscc.org WHEN: 9 a.m. to noon COST: Members $5, nonmembers $10 WHERE: The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, 541 Chandler Mill Road, Avondale, Pa.

Plant Sale at Hansberry Garden and Nature Center Among the hearty native species offered at this annual plant sale will be annuals and perennials, vegetable plants and herbs, as

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WHEN: May 7, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: South Street, from Front Street to 8th Street

M ay 8 Mother’s Day Boat to Bartram’s Garden Cruise to Bartram’s Garden and discover the home of America’s first great botanist, John Bartram. Take a quarter-mile walk up the meadow to see amazing views of the skyline and explore the garden. This three-hour tour includes a two-hour stop at Bartram’s Garden with a tour of the newly restored 1731 house. Bringing a picnic lunch is encouraged. schuylkillbanks.org WHEN: Noon to 3 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. COST: Adults $30; children $17 WHERE: Walnut Street Dock, east side of the Schuylkill River

Spring Fling at the Philly Free School

Kids Cooking: Mother’s Day Lunch

Enjoy a family friendly evening of fun while benefiting local education during an evening of food and drink, silent auction and raffle prizes, live music and kids’ activities. The Spring Fling benefits the school’s tuition assistance and sliding scale tuition program. phillyfreeschool.org

Art Star Craft Bazaar

Wildflower Walk

Live music, art, food and family friendly activities will ensure South Street is flooded with people May 7, which coincides with Free Comic Book Day at Atomic City Comics, as well as the Maifest Street Festival at Brauhaus Schmitz. southstreet.com

WHEN: 8 to 10:30 a.m. COST: Free WHERE: Tacony Creek Park, Ramona Gateway, 4528 I St.

WHEN: 4 to 7 p.m. COST: $5 to $15 WHERE: 2001 Christian St.

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South Street Spring Festival

This retail art and craft show won Best of Philly awards from Philadelphia Magazine twice, and attracts thousands of visitors annually. Expect to find homemade pottery, jewelry, clothing and original artwork. artstarcraftbazaar.com WHEN: May 7 and 8, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: Columbus Boulevard, between Walnut Street and Chestnut Street

Celebrate Mother’s Day by cooking alongside your mom. Hungry Education is planning a delicious menu that’s fun to make and delightful to eat. Participants will be making three simple dishes, including dessert. hungryeducation.com WHEN: 3 to 4:30 p.m. COST: $27.50, plus $5 materials fee WHERE: Mishkan Shalom, 4101 Freeland Ave.

M ay 9 Tree Tenders Training The PHS Tree Tenders program offers hands-on tree care training for residents of the region. Training covers tree biology, identification, planting, proper care and working within your community. This is a three-part, nine-hour class on Mondays. pennhort.net/treetenders WHEN: 5:45 to 9 p.m. COST: $25 WHERE: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th St.

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Tiny Tots: Dinosaur Dance Party

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Plant Swap

Children ages 3 to 5 are invited to explore nature through songs, games, hands-on fun and museum adventures. An appropriate snack is provided. ansp.org

CO-UP: A Teach-in for Cooperators

Bring suggested plants including houseplants, seedlings, seeds, bulbs, succulents and cacti, water plants and clean garden tools in good condition. No invasive, sick or insect-infested plants, please. hssj.org WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Carmen Tilelli Hall, 820 Mercer St., Cherry Hill, N.J.

Kids Cooking: Cinco de Mayo After Party Come join Hungry Education as they mix it up Mexican-style. They’ll be making guacamole and salsa, quesadillas and a special dessert. This class is designed for kids who have taken a few classes with Hungry Education or have spent time cooking or baking on their own or with limited help from an adult. hungryeducation.com WHEN: 6:30 to 8 p.m. COST: $27.50, plus $5 materials fee WHERE: Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Drive

M ay 11 Homeschooler Days: The Children’s Garden Home-schoolers will take over half the Children’s Garden this year, tilling the soil and planting a learning garden. This program serves home-schooled students, ages 5 to 13, and meets monthly with morning and afternoon sessions. bartramsgarden.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. COST: Free for members, $12 for nonmembers WHERE: Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Ave.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to noon COST: Members $20; nonmembers $25 WHERE: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

M ay 13 Spring Art-In Join us for a day of art and let your creativity bloom while you draw, paint or photograph Mt. Cuba Center’s natural and ever-changing gardens. Meet other participating artists and enjoy a day of art and inspiration. Registration required. mtcubacenter.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: Free for participating artists WHERE: Mt. Cuba Center, 3120 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, Del.

Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Craft Fair More than 100 makers from the U.S. and Canada will display their fine handmade furniture, pottery, jewelry, clothing and other everyday functional items. pacrafts.org WHEN: May 13 through 15, 11 a.m. COST: Free WHERE: Rittenhouse Square

People interested in co-ops will gather at this daylong educational event to learn skills, discuss ideas and make connections across co-op sectors. CO-UP is being organized by the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance to grow the region’s cooperative economy. Simultaneous interpretation will be offered in Spanish. philadelphia.coop/co-up2016 WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. COST: $5 to $25 sliding scale WHERE: Ritter Annex, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave., Temple University

Community Garden Days Community gardeners will receive 10 percent off of purchases made for their community garden May 14 and 15. Your garden must be preregistered to receive the discount at the time of purchase. Discount applies to nursery items only—produce and other food items are not included. greensgrow.org WHEN: May 14 and 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Greensgrow Farms at 2501 E. Cumberland St. and Greensgrow West at 4912 Baltimore Ave.

Kitchen Science: The Science of Grilled Cheese What’s the difference between toast and bread? Is cheese a liquid or a solid? Come learn about the science that makes a perfect grilled cheese sandwich both crunchy and gooey. fi.edu WHEN: 11:30 to 2:30 p.m. COST: Free with admission: children $15.95, adults $19.95 WHERE: The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.

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Garden Fair

Love on the Streets

Visit nonprofit gardening groups at the Camden County Spring Garden Fair. Sustainable Cherry Hill’s Garden Task Force will be having a plant swap. Bring healthy, non-invasive plants. sustainablecherryhill.org

Love on the Streets aims to reimagine skateboarding in the city through art and culture. Highlights include a skateboard competition, live music, live visual art, a flea market, food trucks, a beer garden and raffles. franklinspaine.com

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 N. Park Blvd., Cherry Hill, N.J.

Saul Country Fair Day Saul High School’s annual Country Fair Day brings the city to the farm. Students will demonstrate their knowledge in a fun-filled day featuring a live band, kid-friendly activities, compost, meat and plant sales, a craft fair and more. saulcountryfairday.weebly.com WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Walter B. Saul High School, 7100 Henry Ave.

Stateline Loop Run for Conservation The Land Conservancy’s 5K and 10K trail race gives a firsthand look at local conservation successes. Stick around after the race for a Victory Brewing Company sponsored post-race party featuring limited-edition beer. tlcforscc.org/2016race WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: $30 WHERE: Stateline Woods Preserve, 814 Merrybell Lane, Kennett Square, Pa.

Morris Arboretum Small Trees Tour Join knowledgeable guides for a tour of Morris Arboretum’s smaller specimen trees that make a big impact. Ranging in height from 15 to 30 feet, these trees have many special features, such as spectacular bark, interesting forms, and great flower and leaf color. This event returns May 28. morrisarboretum.org WHEN: 11 a.m. to noon COST: Free with admission, $0-$17 WHERE: Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

Vegan Sweets with V Street Join V Street chefs Kate Jacoby and Eric Hilkowitz for an afternoon of crafting fun vegan sweets. Get professional tips on best practices for successful and innovative vegan sweets to make V Street’s famous waffles with chocolate ganache, Samoa Girl Scout cookies and lemon cake. greensgrow.org WHEN: Noon to 2 p.m. COST: $35 WHERE: Greensgrow Community Kitchen at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, 2139 E. Cumberland St.

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WHEN: Noon to 10 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Paine’s Park, N. 24th Street and MLK Jr. Boulevard

6th Annual Handcrafted at Perkins Center Come out for an evening of artistry and celebrate the many arts and education programs of the Perkins Center. The annual celebration, in its sixth year, features unique and handmade crafts along with regional beverages and food, including participation from two dozen regional craft breweries. perkinsarts.org WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m. COST: $50 WHERE: Perkins Center for the Arts, 30 Irvin Ave., Collingswood, N.J.

ZERO-WASTE Weavers Way Membership Meeting Members are invited to a ZERO WASTE spring general membership meeting.

Bring dishes, utensils and napkins, or rent them from the Weavers Way Environment Committee. There will be a free buffet, kids’ activities and a presentation by researcher Brittany Anuszkiewicz. weaversway.coop WHEN: 5 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 8480 Hagy's Mill Road

M ay 16 Bird Walk in Fisher Park This small wooded park is a great place to see migrant birds with BirdPhilly. RSVP with Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed requested. ttfwatershed.org WHEN: 7 to 8:30 a.m. COST: Free WHERE: Fisher Park, 600 W. Spencer St.

M ay 15

‘Groundswell Rising’ Film Screening

Mushroom Cultivation Workshop

This documentary film is about people taking charge of their communities and not allowing a dangerous industry to move in and harm their ways of life and finding new, healthy energy solutions.“Groundswell Rising” explores the moral and ethical issues of the fracking industry and focuses on the people in the “fractivist” movement.

Foray and discover wild mushrooms with GMO Free NJ and local naturalist Keara Giannotti. Learn about different edible mushrooms and how to cultivate them in this hands-on workshop. gmofreenj.com WHEN: Noon to 4 p.m. COST: $20 WHERE: Camp Creek Run, 199 Taunton Lake Road, Marlton, N.J.

Morris Arboretum Grist Mill Demonstration Day Historic Springfield Mills at Morris Arboretum is restored and is now stone-grinding corn for meal and flour. Come and explore revolutionary technology, local history and a beautiful setting along the Wissahickon Creek. Guided tours available. morrisarboretum.org WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Bloomfield Farm, across the street from 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

judywicks.com WHEN: 5:30 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Trinity Center for Urban Life, 22nd and Spruce streets

M ay 18 Party in the Playground 2016 Smith Memorial Playground will host its ninth annual adults-only Party in the Playground, at Smith’s historic Playhouse in East Fairmount Park. This party is a fun way to raise the funds needed to keep admission free and for programs that help develop healthy children, strong families and safe communities. smithplayground.org WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: $75 WHERE: Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, 3500 Reservoir Drive

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Biophilic Cities Network Meet and Greet Experts will give brief presentations on the role of biophilic design in creating healthy, sustainable and resilient cities. biophiliccities.org WHEN: 6:30 to 9 p.m. COST: Suggested donation of $25, students $10 WHERE: The Courtyard of the Morris House Hotel, 225 S. 8th St.

M ay 19 Using Bulbs in the Naturalistic Garden Eric Hsu will lead a guided plant walk that features bulb planting, selection and design, as well as companion perennials to enhance your bulb display. Register to learn the varied uses of bulbs in the garden and the opportunity to use the gardens at Chanticleer Garden as inspiration. pennhort.net/chanticleer WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. COST: Members $25; nonmembers $35 WHERE: Chanticleer Garden, 786 Church Road, Wayne, Pa.

How to See Science: A Media History From slides to YouTube videos, images reveal previously unseen aspects of nature.

Feast your eyes on examples from Wagner Free Institute’s historic lantern slide collection and the wider world of cinema. Oliver Gaycken, an expert on popular science history, will explain visual media’s role in teaching science. wagnerfreeinstitute.org WHEN: 6 to 8:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Wagner Free Institute of Science, 1700 W. Montgomery Ave.

Meet Author Jon McGoran Eco-thriller author Jon McGoran will read from and sign copies of his latest novel, “Dustup.” After his critically acclaimed

“Drift” and “Deadout” books, McGoran combines action and suspense, tragedy and humor. Refreshments will be served. gmofreenj.com WHEN: 6:30 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Collingswood Public Library, 771 Haddon Ave., Collingswood, N.J.

All-Electric Open House at the Home of Judy Wicks Visit the home of activist/entrepreneur Judy Wicks, who made the decision to stop buying natural gas and transition her home to 100 percent renewable electricity. Her solar array produces the majority of her electricity and the rest is purchased via the grid from a local solar supplier. Contractors will be present to answer your questions at the open house. The tour will show the solar array, electric heat pump, high-efficiency electric water heater and induction store top. Beer and pretzels will be served. Registration required. judywicks.com WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Fitler Square (exact address will be emailed upon registration)

Philadelphia International Tango Festival The sixth Philadelphia International Tango Festival is drawing dancers from throughout the U.S. and abroad to study tango, social dance and view extraordinary performances over four days. philadelphiatangofestival.com WHEN: May 19 through 22 COST: Prices vary WHERE: Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American St.

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learning about the uses of herbs in teas and salves to beat the heat this summer. Bring a picnic lunch or enjoy a catered lunch for an additional fee. Registration required. schuylkillcenter.org WHEN: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. COST: $45 WHERE: Schuylkill Center, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Road

Open Hive Days Join the Land Conservancy’s apiarist for an inside look at the busy world of honeybees.

Participants will get a close-up look at a hive during routine inspection while gaining practical beekeeping knowledge. This is a great opportunity for nonbeekeepers, prospective beekeepers and new beekeepers interested in seeing another apiary. tlcforscc.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon COST: Members $5; nonmembers $10 WHERE: New Leaf EcoCenter, 776 Rosedale Road, Kennett Square, Pa.

9th Street Italian Market Festival Along with the usual food vendors serving up neighborhood favorites, highlights at this year’s 9th Street festival include live entertainment, beer and wine gardens, a halfball tournament and a procession of the saints. italianmarketfestival.com WHEN: May 21 through 22, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: South 9th Street Italian Market

Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby & Arts Festival More than 200 local arts and food vendors will take to the cobblestone street of Trenton Avenue to help raise funds for neighborhood projects and revitalization. Don’t miss the Kinetic Sculpture Derby! trentonaveartsfest.org

Wellness Day Spend a day immersed in nature rejuvenating your body and clearing your mind. Start off the morning with yoga and meditation sessions in the forest; spend the afternoon

WHEN: Noon COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Trenton Avenue, from Norris to Dauphin streets

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Bucks County Yoga Festival Enjoy food, lectures, and yoga and health workshops taught by local instructors. The festival closes with music and socializing. buckscountyyogafest.com WHEN: 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. COST: $59 to $75 WHERE: Grange Fairgrounds, 576 Penns Park Road, Newtown, Pa.

1965 to focus on issues underreported by mainstream news outlets. Her new book celebrates the progressive heroes who have brought about remarkable change over the last two decades. freelibrary.org WHEN: 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St.

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M ay 22 Artist’s Workshop: Patterns in Nature In this workshop, explore the many naturally occurring patterns in Bartram’s Garden, and experiment with ways to use them in art. Materials will be provided, and you will leave with a work of art you’ve created yourself. bartramsgarden.org WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. COST: Free for members; $18 for nonmembers WHERE: Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Ave.

A Field Philosopher’s Guide to Fracking: How One Texas Town Stood Up to Big Oil and Gas PEN/Hemingway Award winner Jennifer Haigh tells a story of fracking, family and the moral questions underpinning the national natural-gas debate. Adam Briggle drills into the pragmatic and ideological concerns that led the citizens of Denton, Texas, to ban fracking. freelibrary.org WHEN: 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St.

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. COST: Adults $12.50; children $9.50 WHERE: The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.

M ay 23 Amy Goodman | Democracy Now!: Twenty Years Covering the Movements Changing America Amy Goodman is an award-winning reporter who started Democracy Now! in

Morris Arboretum Garden Railway Grand Opening Stop, look and listen as Morris Arboretum’s Garden Railway opens for the summer season. Celebrating its 19th year, the Garden Railway 2016 theme is “Awaken the Senses” and will feature buildings that incorporate one or two of the five senses in the structure.

Take part in a kids craft and enjoy free ice cream. morrisarboretum.org WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m. COST: Free for members, $9 to $17 for nonmembers WHERE: Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

Herp Search Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the interesting world of the mysterious reptiles and amphibians with the Land Conservancy. Flip logs and explore wetland habitats looking for salamanders, frogs, snakes and turtles. tlcforscc.org WHEN: 2 to 4 p.m. COST: $5 for TLC members, $10 for nonmembers WHERE: Bucktoe Creek Preserve, 432 Sharp Road, Avondale, Pa.

Sensory-Friendly Sunday: Art Families, adults and groups with members on the autism spectrum, as well as other differing needs, are welcome to enjoy the Franklin Institute in their own way and at their own pace, accompanied by an artthemed activity for the morning. fi.edu

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M ay 26

Swim Clubs Open at Linvilla Orchards

Stephen Ritz: Green Bronx Machine Stephen Ritz, founder of Green Bronx Machine, will share his story of cultivating a love of learning by using “growing gardens” in schools in order to engage and educate students about food sources, healthy diet, nutrition and business. Stephen is a 2016 finalist for the Global Teachers Award, and one of National Public Radio’s top 50 teachers. sustainablecherryhill.org WHEN: 6:30 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Marian House, 507 Kings Highway South, Cherry Hill, N.J.

Purchase your membership to have access to both Knowlton and Hidden Hollow locations at Linvilla Orchards’ Swim Club.

Swimming and diving lessons available.

Register online. linvilla.com WHEN: Noon to 7 p.m. COST: $300 primary membership, with $150 for additional members and discounts available WHERE: 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, Pa.

Homesteading: Spring Forage Join chef and architect Ben Walmer on a walk deep into Cherry Grove Farm to find wild edibles as they spring from the ground. After the adventure trek, Walmer

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will demonstrate surprising ways to use the bounty of nature. shopcherrygrovefarm.com WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m. COST: $65 WHERE: Cherry Grove Farm, 3200 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrence Township, N.J.

M ay 29 Farmstead Cheese In this hands-on class, participants will learn how to make three classic farmstead cheeses from around the globe: basket cheese, cottage cheese and paneer. shopcherrygrovefarm.com WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m. COST: $85 WHERE: Cherry Grove Farm, 3200 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrence Township, N.J.

M ay 30 Children’s I-Spy Birding Join local birding expert and environmental educator Kelley Nunn and look and listen for the birds of Bucktoe Creek Preserve.

Participants will take short hikes through the preserve to spot birds using different habitats. Bring your own binoculars, or borrow some from staff. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a parent. tlcforscc.org WHEN: 9 to 10:30 a.m. COST: Free for members, $15 for nonmembers WHERE: Bucktoe Creek Preserve, 432 Sharp Road, Avondale, Pa.

J une 1 Little Explorers: The Garden in Bloom Encourage your little one’s curiosity about the natural world through the Little Explorers Program, designed for children ages 2 to 4. Each lesson includes activities, reading, snacks and walks through the garden (weather permitting). At least one adult chaperone is required for every two children. bartramsgarden.org WHEN: 10 to 11:30 a.m. COST: Free for members; $12 for nonmembers WHERE: Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd.

South Philly Green Drinks Friends and neighbors gather for good, green conversation over frosty, local beverages at a family owned South Philly landmark, Bridget Foy’s. greenlimbs.com

J une 2 Ornamental Vines in the Garden with David Mattern This guided plant walk will focus on the use of woody, herbaceous perennial and annual vines. David Mattern will illustrate how vines can be incorporated onto unlikely structures, and how to use vines and climbers in your overall design. Explore identification, habit and creative uses of vines suitable to gardens in the mid-Atlantic. pennhort.net

Strawberry Festival at Linvilla Orchards Pick your own fresh, juicy strawberries to take home, and an expert will be on-hand to answer questions about preserving and preparing homemade jams. linvilla.com WHEN: 8 a.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Linvilla Orchards Entertainment Garden, 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, Pa.

Appel Farm Music & Wine Festival

WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. COST: Members $25; nonmembers $35 WHERE: Chanticleer Garden, 786 Church Road, Wayne, Pa.

The nonprofit arts programs centered around this farm have assembled a day full of live music, a crafts fair, and art and activities for all ages. Overnight stay is available at the farm’s modern housing facilities.

Philadelphia International Children’s Festival

WHEN: Noon COST: $8 to $65 WHERE: Appel Farm, 457 Shirley Road, Elmer, N.J.

appelfarm.org

The festival returns with more music, comedy, storytelling and circus acts, along with African and African-American folklore told by Charlotte Blake Alston, a one-man performance of “The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly” and more. annenbergcenter.org WHEN: June 2 through 4 COST: Three performances and lunch for $25 WHERE: Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.

J une 4 Morris Arboretum Discovery Series: Field Journal Fun How will you remember your trip to the Arboretum? Before you venture to the far corners of the colorful gardens, visit the discovery table and create your very own field journal to document your discoveries, observations and notes about the day. morrisarboretum.org WHEN: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Free with admission WHERE: Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

Totally Turtles Weekend Learn learn the differences between turtles, tortoises and terrapins and meet live animals at the Academy of Natural Science’s two auditorium shows. Plus: Ninja Turtle Face Painting, Turtle Thunderdome, Master Splinter’s Education Station, Turtle Power Story Time and more. ansp.org

J une 11 Open Hive Days The Land Conservancy apiarist Dan Borkoski guides an inside look at the busy, buzzy world of honeybees. Participants will get a closeup look at a hive during routine inspection while gaining practical beekeeping knowledge. This is a great opportunity for nonbeekeepers, prospective beekeepers and new beekeepers interested in seeing another apiary. tlcforscc.org WHEN: 11 a.m. to noon COST: Members $5; nonmembers $10 WHERE: New Leaf Eco Center, 776 Rosedale Road, Kennett Square, Pa.

J une 12 Philly Pride Parade and Festival This year’s theme is “Are you connected?” at the region’s largest LGBT festival, which annually attracts more than 25,000 revelers for food, drink, entertainment and solidarity. phillygaypride.org WHEN: Parade starts at 11:30 a.m. and arrives at festival location around 1 p.m. COST: Festival admission $15 WHERE: Gayborhood to Penn’s Landing

WHEN: June 4 and 5, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: Free with admission WHERE: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Bridget Foy’s, 200 South St.

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HISTORY LESSONS A man who never saw himself in his schoolbooks finds a way to breech the ivory tower essay by donte neal

I

never saw myself in the history of the United States of America during my K–12 education. It made me feel invisible. We had Black History Month, but the learning points were either solicitously innocuous, patronizing or about slavery.

The Pledge of Allegiance got harder and harder to state. Land of the free, ya know?

I went through years of education acquired in systems and institutions not designed with one of the sibling creators of this nation in mind. Where nationally and cross-culturally important black Americans are learned about only alternatively.

I was introduced to Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois in my late teenage years. Whoever it was that first insisted I get familiar with his work had a copy of “The Souls of Black Folk” handy in that moment. At the bottom of a sigh, they passed it to me and used their eyes to emphatically say, “Read this.”

I tried a few times to dig into it, but it bucked at me with a dense, hyper-indecipherable, inaccessible style of writing. I asked myself if I lacked the reading comprehension to truly grasp the language, or if maybe I wasn’t interested enough in the subject. I beat myself up, but in the

end I kept it real with myself and shrugged, thinking, “I’m not ready for that yet.”

I struggled, too, with a feeling that I couldn’t define. In a poem written by Amiri Baraka, he eerily and suspiciously laments, “There’s something in the way of things.” Something in the shadows or hiding in plain sight. Manipulating and churning the ugliness of ourselves to the surface, then lurking on the fringes to watch the chaos unfold. Whatever it is, it persists as a formidable and malicious opponent.

That feeling, of an internalized conflict and multifaceted personality fragmented by an oppressive society, was something I couldn’t articulate. Was it also the unsettling and provocative feeling faced by LeRoi Jones, the man who renamed himself Amiri Baraka as a means toward self realization? Was that feeling, in fact, “double consciousness”? It’s a phrase coined by Du Bois, but introduced to me by Maryam Pugh, the CEO of Philadelphia Printworks, a company that strives to create a new culture of inclusion and activism.

I came to see it as a mirror of my school experience: Education vs. My Education. To be complete, personally and culturally, I

needed to take responsibility for my own journey for knowledge and truth. The seed of an idea was planted to erase the years of feeling invisible, and I watered it with knowledge. When I was taught about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I also knew about Malcolm X. When I was told about Madam C.J. Walker, I was reminded of Marcus Garvey. In a different world, these black intellectuals would have had colleges and universities named after them, and curricula in which I would have seen myself. I designed college sweatshirts emblazoned with their names and Philadelphia Printworks—under the project name “School of Thought”—sent them out into the world.

I feel proud when I see someone wearing one of those sweatshirts, but I still don’t have the satisfaction of conquering that book by W.E.B. Du Bois. It’s still dense. Hyper-indecipherable. Inaccessible. I tell myself, “So are the solutions to the plight of my people.” Available, but on the opposite side of a very, very thick wall.

Donte Neal is an illustrator and graphic artist.“School of Thought” apparel is available at philadelphiaprintworks.com.

Each month, Dispatch features personal reflections on adventures in sustainability. Have a story you’d like to share? Email getinvolved@gridphilly.com

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The Clay Studio presents

Join us for Afternoon Tea Sunday, May 8 2pm – 4pm Join The Clay Studio this Mother’s Day for an afternoon tea tasting in our galleries. Enjoy light fare and sip on a variety of teas from around the world served in handmade cups.

Rebecca Goldschmidt and Jane Irwin of The Random Tea Room in Northern Liberties will host the event, discussing the benefits and origins of the teas they source. Ticket price includes a handmade cup to take home, as well as sweets and pastries provided by Crust Vegan Bakery.

Tickets $35 / $30 for members purchase at www.theclaystudio.org/events Event Partner

therandomtearoom.com 137-139 N. 2 Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 215-925-3453 www.theclaystudio.org nd

Media Partner

Pictured artist Doug Peltzman Funding for the Hand Crafted series is provided by The Barra Foundation.

Scraping the surface How a schoolteacher influences the next generation of makers and doers.

Adam Sprague Master of Environmental Studies ’14, University of Pennsylvania To learn more about Adam’s hands-on approach to teaching sustainability, visit www.upenn.edu/grid

Adam Sprague (Master of Environmental Studies ’14) has spent a lifetime observing the environmental impact of human beings on our Earth. Adam grew up in the Florida Keys, worked on shrimp and clam farms, surfs often and he now teaches at The Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science.

“The planet is resilient. If we scrape the surface a bit, things will grow back,” he encourages, “But how much of the surface of the earth can we scrape before it’s no longer inhabitable for us?”

Staff from Penn’s MES

With his Penn MES degree, Adam brings the human influence on ecosystems— in policies and practices—into the classroom. “Not all of my students are going into environmental science. Many become engineers or work in finance. I want them to understand that no matter what industry they go into, they need to make decisions that are sustainable for our planet.”

program are here to answer your questions face-to-face on the second Wednesday

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Master of Environmental Studies program helps teachers like Adam share the cutting-edge research that can keep our planet and our species moving forward.

of each month.

Walk right in.

www.upenn.edu/grid

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