Welcome back, outdoorsy friends.
It’s that time of year where I take crisp evening walks with a warm tea in hand and go out of my way to crunch leaves with every step.
Most of my fall decor is already up and out, but I’m missing pumpkins. Let’s go pick some together.
Also in today’s edition:
Protecting land: Residents try to save 15 acres of land they describe as their township’s last remaining open space.
Preservation pushback: Why some people are rallying against a plan to save majestic cedar forests.
Contaminated fish: Pennsylvania officials canceled a trout stocking in Philly and issued a warning to avoid eating fish caught in a local creek.
🌧️ Your weekend weather outlook: Friday and Saturday should be splendid for outdoor activities, but Sunday is expected to be disrupted by Hurricane Isaias. Be sure to visit Inquirer.com for updates.
— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)
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Pumpkin spice isn’t for everyone, but some might say it’s a big part of what makes fall feel gourd. Whether you paint them, carve them, or put them on your doorsteps, claiming your pumpkin is a perfect way to partake in autumn’s offerings.
In the Philly region, we have plenty of farms to choose from, many of which offer fun for the whole family. Here’s a preview of our favorites:
🎃 At Springdale Farm Market in Camden County, pumpkins are 89 cents per pound. The farm is famous for home-baked pies, hot apple cider doughnuts, and pumpkin-spiced treats.
🎃 Visit Merrymead Farm in Montco for hayrides, farm animals, a five-acre cornfield maze, and hand-dipped ice cream.
🎃 And Linvilla Orchards in Delco hosts Pumpkinland with larger-than-life scarecrows, apple picking, hayrides to the Witch’s House, and encounters with animals in the barnyard.
Get the full list of 19 farms to check out.
News worth knowing
New Jersey’s Atlantic white cedar trees are decaying at an alarming rate. Environmentalists are challenging the state’s plans to restore them.
A “do not eat” advisory is in effect for fish caught in Wissahickon Creek after “forever chemicals” were detected in a recent sample.
E-bikes are taking over Philadelphia’s streets. They outnumber regular bikes, making up 71% of the fleet for the city’s bike-share program.
Thanks to the passage of a new ordinance, Collingswood residents can now apply to keep hens on their properties.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $2.5 million grant to clean up a Camden site where a giant dirt pile caused underground contamination.
🌳 Your outdoorsy experience
My colleague Esra Erol, The Inquirer’s senior editor for social storytelling, took on a fun adventure away from the city that turned into an impromptu camping trip:
October is my favorite month of the year because it’s the best time to go to the Mahoning Drive-In. While they offer excellent programming during the spring and summer, there’s something magical about seeing a scary movie at the drive-in the second there’s a chill in the air. I recently went to their Kai-Jubilee and it satisfied my monster appetite for monster movies. Highlight of the night: Seeing “All Monsters Attack” on 35mm. Because it was a double feature and we had a 90-minute drive back to Philly, we decided to camp on the grounds. I didn’t know you could do that, so that was a nice surprise. The next morning, we woke up, packed up our tent, and went to a diner in the Poconos. All in all, one of the best Saturdays of the season.
Thanks, Esra!
I want to hear from you. Write to me about your memories in the wild. Pictures, if you have them, are awesome. You might see your adventures featured in a future newsletter.
🎤 Let me pass the mic to The Inquirer’s suburban reporter Denali Sagner.
Fifteen acres of undeveloped land in Upper Darby Township face an uncertain fate as environmental groups rush to secure funding to purchase and protect the site.
Upper Darby residents and environmentalists are working to pull together $8 million to secure the purchase of the Mozino Tract, a parcel of land in Drexel Hill that, until recently, was slated to become a mixed-use housing and retail development.
Upper Darby’s council in August voted to table a proposal to rezone the land, currently zoned for residential use, to allow for a blend of single-family homes, townhouses, apartments, commercial spaces, and community gathering spots.
Now, developer Greg Lingo of Rockwell Development Group says he has abandoned the plans to build the mixed-use development and is giving organizers a chance to purchase the land for open space preservation. — Denali Sagner
Read Sagner’s for more on organizers’ quest to secure the funds to keep the Mozino Tract wild.
Paola’s picks
🐢 A happy recovery: A large sulcata tortoise called Mikey (aka Michael Angelo) was reunited with its owner.
🌕 A song: “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young.
🪴 A beautiful garden: A newer resident brought her planting prowess to a tree-lined Fairmount row. The result is a precious plot.
❤️ An activity: Join the 23rd annual Philadelphia Out of the Darkness Community Walk, in observance of World Mental Health Day on Saturday.
🌳 A whimsical win: A “bendy” wych elm was crowned Tree of the Year in the U.K. “It’s a great testament to the resilience of nature.”
The Schuylkill Center recently released a peregrine falcon into the wild after nursing it back to life from lead poisoning. Watch Patient 718 take flight here. (And if you’re curious about its name, it turns out animals are rarely named at the center.)
👋🏽 Take care out there.
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