🚲 Biking 101 | Outdoorsy Newsletter

Hold on tight, Outdoorsy readers, we’re going for a bike ride. No experience? No problem. I bring you some short, easy trips around Philly, perfect for beginners.

📮 What’s your top pro-tip for new cyclists? Email me back and tell me about your experience for a chance to be featured.

☔ Your weather outlook: The Philly region is under a heat advisory with triple-digit heat indexes expected. There should be pockets of sunshine, but some showers are likely Friday and Saturday. Check your local forecast ahead of any outdoor adventures.

— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)

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The Philadelphia region is home to hundreds of miles of interconnected bike trails with picturesque landscapes and destinations. Many of the trails are close to public transit, which means it’ll be easy to get back home, too.

We rounded up a list of trips you can knock out within 1-2 hours, packed with fun spots to see and things to do along the way. But before you ride, here’s a starter kit:

📍 Map out a bike trip route. Use online resources, along with your usual GPS.

🔗 Know the key trail systems like the Schuylkill River Trail, the Circuit Trails network, and the East Coast Greenway. These lead to other networks along various journeys.

🎒 Pack the essentials. We’re talking water, snacks, sunscreen, and portable chargers.

🔍 Inspect your bike. Make sure your tire pressure and brakes are in tip top shape.

Grab your helmet and these essential tips to explore area bike trails that will take you through small towns with breathtaking vistas.

🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to Jason Nark. You’ll always find his work here.

When it comes to wild mushroom foraging, Barbora Batokova has a simple rule for beginners: learn what can kill you, then go have fun.

Batokova, 38, works in tech and software but a childhood passion has nearly evolved into a second career in Pennsylvania. She’s president of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club, has a website and 126,000-plus followers on her @fungiwoman Instagram account, and hosts guided walks for budding mycologists.

Next month, she’s releasing her first book: “Hunting Mushrooms: How to Safely Identify, Forage and Cook Wild Fungi.”

Hunting and photographing mushrooms in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park in 2017 cured a bit of homesickness, Batokova said, and she hasn’t looked back. Her family had a summer home in South Bohemia, Czech Republic and spent many days foraging for chanterelles, boletes, and blushers.

“I was looking for a way to get grounded again and find some purpose. That’s when I started to come here,” she said in the park on a recent damp Saturday. “This is what my family used to do during the summer in the country.” — Jason Nark (March 2024)

“Learn what can kill you, then go have fun.” Words to live by. Go deeper in the quest to demistify mycology.

It’s been a decade since the spotted lanternfly first landed in Pennsylvania. We feared their impact to native plants and trees, especially vineyards, but thankfully they brought less wrath than expected.

Everyone was recruited to stomp the invader away, which certainly helped decline their numbers. Still, efforts to control the insect never stop.

The Inquirer got in touch with one expert at the front lines of helping homeowners recognize and manage the strangely beautiful yet spooky crop-killing bugs.

Learn how to identify, prevent, and treat spotted lanternfly damage to your property.

🎤 Jason says: This is from Bartram’s Garden in Southwest Philly.

Alexa, play “Summer Breeze” by Gotts Street Park and Rosie Lowe.

Two weeks ago, we explored the Pine Barrens, New Jersey’s very own Middle Earth. Reader Kim Kelly wrote in to say:

I was born and raised in Chatsworth, and the rest of my family still lives there and elsewhere in the Pines. It’s truly a magical place, one that must be preserved and protected from predatory developers. Thanks for giving it some shine—and reminding folks that plenty of Pineys are still alive and kicking!

Happy to have you with us. Here’s a must-read from last season: Jason Nark spoke to a self-professed Piney seeking to tell the history of the Pine Barrens through the eyes of its people — and remind people that the area is more than frogs, devils, and carnivorous plants.

📮 Give us a review of your outdoors experience for a chance to be featured in this newsletter by emailing me back.

There’s a saying that goes, “August is like the Sunday of summer.” I’m not sure who came up with it, but isn’t it more like a Saturday? Looking just over the edge toward the fall — but not too far.

I saw a heartwarming video this week about a Philadelphia woman who took it upon herself to grow a garden to share with neighbors on her street. I hope this email serves a similar purpose, bringing a slice of pure nature and a breath of fresh air to your inbox.

Thanks for taking on the outdoors with me.

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