Enjoying our false fall? It feels like the last week of summer — even though the astronomical season doesn’t officially end for a few more weeks. Before long, we’ll be picking pumpkins together.
Here’s our long weekend lineup:
All about ragweeds: Why the “indestructible” plants make us sneeze, and how to deal with them.
An environmental consequence: Experts say the air we breathe could become more polluted due to SEPTA cuts.
The birth of a myth: Get the facts on rumors of alligators in the Schuylkill.
☀️ Your weekend weather: Gorgeous.
— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)
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The other day, I texted a friend: “I’m kind of over air conditioning season. Can open-my-window-and-feel-the-breeze-season come faster, please?”
Mother Nature has gracefully obliged in recent days. Unfortunately, as it gets lovelier outside, the ragweed (or as I like to call it, “drag” weed) is also approaching its annual peak of disturbance for allergy sufferers.
🌿 Ragweed can grow almost anywhere. A single plant can produce billions of particles of pollen, irritating the immune systems of about 50 million people in the United States.
🌿 Intensity is tough to predict. In the Philly region, the season tends to spike in early and mid-September, but high pollen levels can last into the autumnal equinox.
🌿 Sensitive to pollen? Consider keeping windows closed and limiting time outdoors on dry, windy days. If you do go out, wear a dust mask and sunglasses to protect your eyes.
Keep reading for more on the ragweed, as well as why pollen seasons are lasting longer, and how New York once tried to eradicate the stubborn plant.
News worth knowing
The Philadelphia Zoo’s beloved nonagenarians, Mommy and Abrazzo, are parents again — this time hatching nine more western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises.
From lanterns and sunflowers to free museum admission and fireworks, we rounded up the best family-friendly events in Philly this Labor Day weekend.
Philadelphia is a park-rich city. Here’s why a community volunteer in Fairmount is calling on Philly to double its budget allocation for the Parks and Rec Department.
🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to environmental reporter Frank Kummer.
Regional planners say big planned cuts to SEPTA service will lead to a significant increase in vehicle emissions and result in a detrimental impact on the city’s air quality.
The recent report from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) said that means a rise in traffic and fossil fuel combustion associated with pollutants that contribute to asthma and impact people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among other illnesses.
SEPTA, the sixth-largest transportation agency in the country, cut service by 20% starting Aug. 24 in the face of a $213 million budget deficit.
As a result, the DVRPC report projects an increase of nearly 8% in fine particulate matter (PM2.5), 7% in nitrogen oxides (NOx), and roughly 2% in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Philadelphia. It projects pollution would also rise in surrounding counties in smaller amounts. — Frank Kummer
After news of a gator spotted in Bristol Township’s Magnolia Lake, TikToker speculators would have you believe that alligators live in the Schuylkill. But, simply put, it’s not true.
There are no native alligator species in Pennsylvania. It’s not illegal to own alligators in the state, but it is illegal to release them into the wild.
A gator was last spotted in the river back in 2008. It was considered to be an abandoned pet.
See what experts told us about gators’ cold-blooded nature, and whether they think the Schuylkill waters could be conducive for survival in the long run.
5 seconds of calm
Thanks, once again, to my colleague Torin Sweeney for this view. He saw this baby turtle seemingly looking for grub at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.
🌳 Your outdoorsy experience
I recently asked you to send me a note about your favorite season. Here’s what David Epler said:
My favorite season is the next one, which ever it may be. Change and preparation are my drivers😀.
That’s the spirit. Reminds me of the Blue Oyster Cult song that goes like this: “Seasons don’t fear the reaper / Nor do the wind or sun or the rain / We could be like they are.”
👋🏽 Have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend out there.
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