How’s the time change treating you?
I’m not a huge fan of losing daylight, but I know I can make the most of it by soaking up the early morning sunshine as often as possible. That natural vitamin D is a powerful antidote.
The Inquirer’s Jason Nark, who reports on rural areas far beyond city life, thinks fall is the best season to hike, despite feeling like the shortest. Let’s scope out his favorite hikes to try while fall lasts.
Plus:
Trees vs. deadly worm: A Camden County old-growth forest preserve is battling a deadly, invasive worm
Avoid an ecological nightmare: A guide on what to do with your decomposing pumpkins.
Incoming hibernation: Look out for the final edition of this newsletter.
🌦️ Your weekend weather outlook: Friday will be rainy, but we can expect sunshine and low 60s on Saturday and Sunday.
— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)
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The rainy weather may tumble down some gorgeous fall foliage across our region, but there’s still time to score a spectacular view of Mother Nature’s transformation.
🥾 New Jersey may be mostly flat, but there are great hikes hiding in plain sight, like winding trails at Crows Woods Nature Preserve, and the Elephant Swamp Trail, which traverses Salem and Gloucester Counties.
🥾 Pennsylvania is approximately 58% forested, packing an abundant volume of fall foliage and plenty of options. Try the rocky, 1.6-mile out-and-back trail to Hawk Rock Overlook, and you’ll have hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
🥾 Pro-tips: Many hikes have elevation changes. Be sure to review their difficulty ratings, bring plenty of water, and be realistic about what you can handle. And don’t forget to protect yourself from ticks and chiggers. Even in fall, critters are lurking.
Check out these Garden State hikes, and more to try near and far from Philadelphia.
News worth knowing
Philadelphia’s top sustainability official has resigned, as Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration navigates controversy over the environmental impacts of the city’s trash disposal practices.
Is your pumpkin past its Halloweekend prime? Use our guide for best composting practices and other ways to repurpose the ghoulish gourds.
In Tuesday’s midterm elections, Camden County voted for a tax hike to protect the county’s natural areas.
The Inquirer’s weather expert Tony Wood is keeping a close eye on potential impacts to Philly’s weather in November from the polar vortex, which is showing signs of weakening.
A Chester County wedding venue is embracing a farm-to-table approach by serving guests its own backyard veggies and herbs.
🦇 Your outdoorsy experience
My colleague Torin Sweeney sent in a video of a bat swooping through the air:
My daughter and I were out for a walk around Ridley Park Lake on an unseasonably warm evening when we saw this little bat flapping around and snatching up bugs.
Thanks for sharing, Torin. Pennsylvania bats are insectivores, and flying insects are their favorite dinner.
Got any special memories in nature you’d like to share? Email me your story (and a photo, if you have one). You may see it featured here.
🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to Lacey Latch.
Nestled neatly between a bustling shopping center and two schools, the lush old-growth forest that sits along MacArthur Boulevard in Haddon Township can be easy to overlook.
But this environment, home to hundreds of unique plant and animal species, is being threatened by beech leaf disease, a fast-spreading invasive condition that has taken hold among the American beech trees in Saddler’s Woods. The “widespread” disease, first discovered in New Jersey five years ago, has infected trees in every county in the state, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
So far, the Saddler’s Woods Conservation Association has counted more than 200 infected American beech trees on the 25-acre preserve, said Janet Goehner-Jacobs, the organization’s executive director.
There is no effective treatment to combat the disease, she said. — Lacey Latch
Paola’s picks
🍂 A set of illustrations: Local Philly illustrator Marie Coons’ favorite signs of fall in Philly.
🐟 A fun mini-game: “Ameriquarium” by Pauline challenges you to match a fish with its state.
🌅 A quote: “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”
🏵️ An activity: Check out the Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens through Nov. 15.
🍍 A new finding: Primates can prioritize friendships over tasty treats.
A vibrant view
One more thing
Outdoorsy is taking a break very soon. Before we wrap up, I want to hear about your experience with this newsletter.
Did you join any clubs or discover new places? Which activities did you enjoy, or are still yearning to try for the first time? Email me here.
In next week’s edition, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite adventures, and some of yours, too.
👋🏽 Our 2026 finale awaits!
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