Latest news with #PennsylvaniaHorticulturalSociety
The Guardian
19-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘It will be beautiful to see our kids grow up with this': how communities around the world are planting trees
'I wanted to do something that would benefit as many people from the community as possible,' says Chloe Straw, pointing at a small but promising sapling visible through the window of her local cafe. In 2023, Chloe began chatting to her neighbours in Haringey, north London, about trees. 'I thought it'd be really nice to raise some money for trees on the main road. Everyone uses West Green Road, regardless of whether you have a lot of money or not, regardless of your background.' After getting in touch with Trees for Streets, a sponsorship scheme that guides communities across England on how to plant trees in their local areas with support from local councils, a small group was formed to work out how to do it. As a first step, Straw and friends were provided with an interactive map to choose the location of the trees, and that was passed along to Haringey council. Then they got help to set up a crowdfunding campaign, which was shared in local WhatsApp groups and community forums, secured 168 backers and raised more than £6,000 in one month. Mohamed al-Jawhari, a co-chair of Haringey Living Streets, said: 'It [WhatsApp] is a very powerful tool for getting a very simple message out very quickly to a lot of people. I got in contact with, like, a thousand people in a few minutes, because I forwarded on the message with a bit of an explanation to a local group here, a local group there, people who were interested in the environment and maybe wanted to help West Green.' The remaining costs were covered by Haringey council. The result? Twenty beautiful trees planted across the neighbourhood. The plan is as local as it gets, but it is also global. Around the world, city residents are working out how to fill their streets with trees as evidence grows of their benefits. As temperatures rise, research has shown that urban trees can play a fundamental role in keeping cities cool, evaporating water to provide a natural form of air-conditioning, cooling air temperatures and reducing the urban heat island effect. Work by Friends of the Earth in five English cities in 2023 showed that areas with more trees and greenery were up to 5C cooler. Cities and countriies are applying all kinds of models. Some councils and governments plant the trees using public money. In 2021, for example, the Canadian government launched the 2 Billion Trees programme, providing financial support to provinces, organisations and Indigenous governments to plant trees over a period of 10 years. But public funds are stretched everywhere, and the community model followed by Trees for Streets empowers local people to take their own action without waiting for a government plan. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is a non-profit organisation in Philadelphia that trains individuals to lead community groups to plant trees across the US city. So far their programme, Tree Tenders, has trained more than 6,500 people, who have led volunteers in planting more than 3,000 trees each year. Andrew Conboy, an urban forester in Philadelphia whose work involves managing, maintaining and replanting street and park trees in the city, said: 'Most of the tree planting in Philadelphia is done through PHS. They do really great work all around the city and also in the suburbs surrounding the city. So many groups surrounding the cities are Tree Tenders groups.' He added: 'There's a heavy emphasis on native species here in the Philadelphia area, which is good thing because the native species are ultimately better for our wildlife and for our ecosystems, because those are the species that evolved here, and our wildlife need those species.' The Garden City Fund, a charity in Singapore, runs a similar initiative, the Plant-a-Tree programme. Individuals and organisations can donate to the cost of a young tree and then plant it in one of their managed green spaces. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Tree People, an environmental advocacy organisation, runs a forestry programme that supports communities to plant and care for trees in cities in southern California. The organisation also runs the School Greening programme, which provides training to parents, students, teachers and district leaders to plant and maintain trees in schools. Since the organisation was founded in 1973, it has worked with 3 million volunteers to plant more than 3m trees, included 30,000 trees on school campuses. As the West Green residents take turns discussing their local initiative over cups of coffee, it's clear that one of the most significant impacts the project has had is in strengthening connections within the community. Nick Owen, the owner of the local cafe Perkyn's on West Green Road, who contributed to the crowdfunder, said: 'It's lovely having the trees here now but it also feels a bit like a legacy. In five or 10 years when these trees are getting bigger and fuller, it'll be beautiful to see our kids growing up with that as well and knowing that we contributed to it.' Dan Snell, an urban forest officer at Haringey council who surveyed the location for the trees in West Green and works with communities on tree-planting initiatives across the borough, said: 'We have people who are enthusiastic about the long-term health of the trees and we want it to be something they can take ownership of, I suppose, like an extension of their home, something that's in the public realm but is also looked after by the community. 'There was another tree scheme on my mum's street who lives in Haringey … suddenly there were all these new street trees and my mum had met a load of neighbours that she hadn't really met before, even though she's been there for 30 years. It's had this really lovely long-term effect on bringing the street together. It's such a wonderful thing to connect over.'
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘It will be beautiful to see our kids grow up with this': how communities around the world are planting trees
'I wanted to do something that would benefit as many people from the community as possible,' says Chloe Straw, pointing at a small but promising sapling visible through the window of her local cafe. In 2023, Chloe began chatting to her neighbours in Haringey, north London, about trees. 'I thought it'd be really nice to raise some money for trees on the main road. Everyone uses West Green Road, regardless of whether you have a lot of money or not, regardless of your background.' After getting in touch with Trees for Streets, a sponsorship scheme that guides communities across England on how to plant trees in their local areas with support from local councils, a small group was formed to work out how to do it. As a first step, Straw and friends were provided with an interactive map to choose the location of the trees, and that was passed along to Haringey council. Then they got help to set up a crowdfunding campaign, which was shared in local WhatsApp groups and community forums, secured 168 backers and raised more than £6,000 in one month. Mohamed al-Jawhari, a co-chair of Haringey Living Streets, said: 'It [WhatsApp] is a very powerful tool for getting a very simple message out very quickly to a lot of people. I got in contact with, like, a thousand people in a few minutes, because I forwarded on the message with a bit of an explanation to a local group here, a local group there, people who were interested in the environment and maybe wanted to help West Green.' The remaining costs were covered by Haringey council. The result? Twenty beautiful trees planted across the neighbourhood. The plan is as local as it gets, but it is also global. Around the world, city residents are working out how to fill their streets with trees as evidence grows of their benefits. As temperatures rise, research has shown that urban trees can play a fundamental role in keeping cities cool, evaporating water to provide a natural form of air-conditioning, cooling air temperatures and reducing the urban heat island effect. Work by Friends of the Earth in five English cities in 2023 showed that areas with more trees and greenery were up to 5C cooler. Cities and countriies are applying all kinds of models. Some councils and governments plant the trees using public money. In 2021, for example, the Canadian government launched the 2 Billion Trees programme, providing financial support to provinces, organisations and Indigenous governments to plant trees over a period of 10 years. But public funds are stretched everywhere, and the community model followed by Trees for Streets empowers local people to take their own action without waiting for a government plan. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is a non-profit organisation in Philadelphia that trains individuals to lead community groups to plant trees across the US city. So far their programme, Tree Tenders, has trained more than 6,500 people, who have led volunteers in planting more than 3,000 trees each year. Andrew Conboy, an urban forester in Philadelphia whose work involves managing, maintaining and replanting street and park trees in the city, said: 'Most of the tree planting in Philadelphia is done through PHS. They do really great work all around the city and also in the suburbs surrounding the city. So many groups surrounding the cities are Tree Tenders groups.' He added: 'There's a heavy emphasis on native species here in the Philadelphia area, which is good thing because the native species are ultimately better for our wildlife and for our ecosystems, because those are the species that evolved here, and our wildlife need those species.' The Garden City Fund, a charity in Singapore, runs a similar initiative, the Plant-a-Tree programme. Individuals and organisations can donate to the cost of a young tree and then plant it in one of their managed green spaces. Tree People, an environmental advocacy organisation, runs a forestry programme that supports communities to plant and care for trees in cities in southern California. The organisation also runs the School Greening programme, which provides training to parents, students, teachers and district leaders to plant and maintain trees in schools. Since the organisation was founded in 1973, it has worked with 3 million volunteers to plant more than 3m trees, included 30,000 trees on school campuses. As the West Green residents take turns discussing their local initiative over cups of coffee, it's clear that one of the most significant impacts the project has had is in strengthening connections within the community. Nick Owen, the owner of the local cafe Perkyn's on West Green Road, who contributed to the crowdfunder, said: 'It's lovely having the trees here now but it also feels a bit like a legacy. In five or 10 years when these trees are getting bigger and fuller, it'll be beautiful to see our kids growing up with that as well and knowing that we contributed to it.' Dan Snell, an urban forest officer at Haringey council who surveyed the location for the trees in West Green and works with communities on tree-planting initiatives across the borough, said: 'We have people who are enthusiastic about the long-term health of the trees and we want it to be something they can take ownership of, I suppose, like an extension of their home, something that's in the public realm but is also looked after by the community. 'There was another tree scheme on my mum's street who lives in Haringey … suddenly there were all these new street trees and my mum had met a load of neighbours that she hadn't really met before, even though she's been there for 30 years. It's had this really lovely long-term effect on bringing the street together. It's such a wonderful thing to connect over.'
Axios
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Your Philadelphia weekend: Metal and Beer Fest, Play-a-Palooza
🕺 Get jiggy with it at the Barbary in Fishtown. The dance club is back open and better than ever. They've added new lighting, a sound system, a lobby and an upstairs outdoor patio. 🍸Longer hours mean more time to sip! The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's pop-up gardens are back on South Street and in Manayunk. 🎺 Check out the Jazz Cultural Voices Concert Series. Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Nabaté Isles hits the stage at the Philadelphia Clef Club on Saturday from 7:30-10pm. Stop by the Stenton mansion and learn about the Quakers' fight to abolish slavery. The museum has a 2,700-volume library once used by people like Benjamin Franklin. Public tours: Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4pm. Admission: $8 adults; $6 children YOWIE, the hip South Street store and hotel, is hosting a free exhibition of piggy banks from dozens of artists, most of them local. Friday, 6-9:30pm. 🖼️ Elfreth's Alley, the city's colonial landmark, opens for the season Friday. The museum opens this week, too. House tours, plus a free First Friday: Poetry on Elfreth's Alley.
CBS News
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
2025 Philadelphia Flower Show blooms with fashion, art and breathtaking installations
The Pennsylvania Convention Center has once again transformed into a vibrant floral wonderland for the 196th annual Philadelphia Flower Show, drawing photographers, garden enthusiasts, and fashion-forward visitors eager to embrace the spirit of spring. For Wade Kirkpatrick and Susannah Foos, the show is more than just an exhibition — it's a creative playground. With a camera in hand, Kirkpatrick captured photos of Foos, in full pink body paint and a wig, dressed as the Greek goddess Persephone. "The Flower Show means a lot to me because my grandmother was actually a floral, botanical watercolorist," Foos said. "And so I remember coming to the Flower Show — same with Wade — when we were younger." For some attendees, the show marks a new season in more ways than one. Tanaiyah Dwyer celebrated her 24th birthday at the event. "New beginnings and a fresh new outlook on life. That's what it means to me!" she said. Her boyfriend, Leonard Dandridge, said he was surprised by how much he enjoyed it. "It's amazing. The scenery, the vibes, the air — everything about it!" he said. This year's show, themed Gardens of Tomorrow, features hundreds of exhibitors, showcasing everything from intricate floral art installations to prize-winning plants, gardening workshops, and handmade flower crowns. But beyond the blooms, fashion has also taken center stage. Visitors arrived dressed in floral patterns, crochet bags, and spring-inspired accessories. Levin Tilghman, a member of the Philadelphia Cactus and Succulent Society, said the show is a chance to educate and inspire the next generation of gardeners. "It's really good for them because they see all of these plants that they would never really come into contact with - and it's really fascinating for them," Tilghman said. Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, said that's exactly the goal. "Number one priority of the Flower Show is to give you a dazzling day of floral beauty," Rader said. "And then hopefully get some ideas and build relationships with friends and family that you come with, and go home supercharged to get your hands dirty and do great things with gardening."
CBS News
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Philadelphia Flower Show 2025, Mardi Gras at Xfinity Live!, Philly Beer Fest and other things to do this weekend
The renowned Philadelphia Flower Show returns with vibrant displays and breathtaking exhibits. The Philadelphia Union look to build on their strong start as they take the field for their first home match. And for those in the mood for celebration, Mardi Gras festivities bring beads, masks and plenty of fun in South Philly. So, whether it's flowers, sports, Mardi Gras or everything in between, there's something for everyone to enjoy this weekend in the Delaware Valley. 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show The countdown to spring is on! With the start of the season less than a month away, what better way to bloom into something new than at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show? The annual floral extravaganza at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is the nation's largest and longest-running horticultural event and fundraiser, and it features incredible displays curated by the world's premier floral, garden and landscape designers. The show's entrance garden is called "Futura Florentia," which is supposed to capture the idea of flowers as symbols of the future. PHS President Matt Rader said this year's show will showcase "the power of plants, sustainability and innovation." Check out the preview our news team got of the event last month. The show runs from March 1-9. Tickets to the flower show are available online. Mardi Gras at Xfinity Live! Hello, Philly? New Orleans called and said they want Bourbon Street back. Eagles fans still reminiscing about their time in New Orleans can keep the party going with Xfinity Live!'s Mardi Gras Bar Crawl. Mardi Gras falls on March 4 this year, and in New Orleans, the celebration lasts all week long. Here in South Philly, the party starts on Saturday at 3 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. Guests can collect beads, masks and the 16-oz. Mardi Gras color-changing cup. Attendees are also encouraged to wear festive costumes. Tickets range from $16 to $39.95 and include the Mardi Gras cup along with many other perks. Group discounts of up to 25% are available for general admission. Drink specials can be found for under $10. East Passyunk Restaurant Week Another restaurant week is back for the end of February through early March. Taking advantage of fake spring, the 13th annual East Passyunk Restaurant Week in South Philly is another chance to get more bang for your buck. Starting from Feb. 24 through March 7, foodies can enjoy meals for lunch and dinner with the price tags of $20, $40 and $60 at more than 15 participating restaurants. Some of the participating restaurants are: Barcelona Wine Bar, Lucky 13 Pub, Noir Restaurant, Pizzata Pizzeria & Birreria, P'UNK Burger and many more. On the East Passyunk Avenue website, organizers say, "Experience diverse cuisines, from Spanish and Mexican at Cantina Los Caballitos and Pistolas Del Sur to authentic South Asian at Gabriella's Vietnam and The Palace of Indian. Enjoy Italian at Le Virtù, refined French at Townsend, pizza with a twist at Pizzata Pizzeria & Birreria, and craft beverage flights from The Bottle Shop." Philly Beer Fest: Winter Philly Beer Fest: Winter is circling back for another year. On Saturday, March 1, from noon to 9 p.m., enjoy the ultimate beer experience with the top breweries in the state at 23rd Street Armory in Center City. At this 21+ event, you can enjoy specially curated exhibitors with food to purchase, and there's even non-beer options, according to the website. Mr. Hollywood DJ will be part of the live entertainment. There are two sessions for the beer festival: Session one early access is from noon to 4 p.m., and session one general admission is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Session two early access is from 5 to 9 p.m., and session two general admission is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets range from $39 up to $55. Philadelphia Union home opener at Subaru Park After an impressive start to the Bradley Carnell era, the Philadelphia Union return to Subaru Park for their home opener on March 1. Last Saturday, the Union went on the road to defeat Orlando City SC 4-2. The Union will take on FC Cincinnati for their home opener at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $24. Harlem Globetrotters 2025 World Tour The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their hardwood acrobatics to the Wells Fargo Center. For two spectacular shows on Sunday, the iconic team will test their skills against none other than the Washington Generals. Founded at the height of the roaring '20s, the Globetrotters have always been the gold standard of wholesome family fun. And nearly a century later their world tour keeps on spinning. Tickets to catch their latest exhibition start at $28. Mt. Holly St. Patrick's Parade and 5k Run Kick off your St. Patrick's Day celebration on Saturday at the annual Mt. Holly St. Patrick's Parade and 5K Run and 1 Mile Family Fun Walk. Starting at 11 a.m., the 5K, benefiting Mount Holly recreation programs, will run through Mount Holly's beautiful downtown. There are three races for runners to participate in – the 5K, 1-Mile Fundraiser Walk, and for children under 12, the 1-Mile Kids run. Online registration is closed for all races, but registration will be available on site at the corner of High and Washington streets from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Registration is $40, must be paid in cash and includes a free post-race beverage at the Beer Garden. Following the race, the St. Patrick's Parade will begin at 1 p.m. down High Street and Evergreen Street. Marian Anderson Museum reopens Philadelphia is home to some of the country's most historic museums, and now after years of repairs, the National Marian Anderson Museum and Historical Society makes its return to the public. The museum was once the house of the famed opera singer and civil rights activist Marian Anderson. It is now a historic landmark to honor her legacy. In 2020, the museum flooded after a water pipe burst, forcing the museum to temporarily shut its doors. Priceless artifacts have been repaired and restored thanks to countless supporters. Amongst the treasures are a collection of elegant gowns that belonged to Anderson and a vintage gramophone record player that stands near her piano. Starting March 1, you have a chance to explore the artifacts that await during its reopening exhibit, "Marian: The Philadelphia Story." The exhibit lasts through November 2025. Joe Dombrowski at Helium Comedy Club Joe Dombrowski, aka Mr. D, is coming to Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia this Friday. The former elementary school teacher is headlining five shows between Friday and Saturday. You might recognize Mr. D as the teacher who went viral in 2017 with an early April Fools' Day joke that he pulled on his fourth-grade class. This comic has been fine-tuning his craft and performing standup since his third-grade talent show. Mr. D has performed all around the globe, and his act tends to poke fun at his family and time as an elementary school teacher. You'll want to snag your tickets now because Mr. D's 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. shows on Saturday are already sold out. Tickets for Friday's 6:30 p.m. show start at $32. Winterfest at North Bowl Who said the winter fun has to end? North Bowl has partnered with Northern Liberties for a day of family fun with Winterfest. This Saturday from 1 p.m.-5 p.m., guests can indulge in bowling, food and the open bar all for $35. There will also be a silent auction of goods from some of Philadelphia's most popular local businesses. Tickets for children are $10 and free for kids under 5. Warriors vs. 76ers, Trail Blazers vs. 76ers When it comes to the state of our beloved Philadelphia 76ers, our Ukee Washington said it best: "The Sixers are on the struggle bus, the tires are flat, it's leaking oil." The Sixers have lost nine straight games and there's seemingly no end in sight. But there is a silver lining — cheaper tickets. The 76ers will host the Golden State Warriors, who won their last two games by more than 20 points. Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. Then on Monday, the Sixers will host the Portland Trail Blazers at 7 p.m. Although tickets for Saturday's matchup are $83, tickets for Monday's game start at $5.
