🫐 Berry picking | Outdoorsy Newsletter

Can you believe it’s already August? There’s still time to enjoy the fruits of summer, literally and figuratively.

Here’s today’s itinerary:

☀️ Your weekend weather: It’s beautiful out there, perfect to get outside.

— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)

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There’s nothing like picking fruit straight from the branch and biting in right there in the field.

Several farms and orchards in the Philly area let you pick your own — here’s what to know:

🍑 Beyond berries: Some spots offer other summer crops like summer corn, cherries, peaches, and string beans.

🫐 Just ripe: You’re probably already enjoying plenty of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries by now — and blackberries are hitting their peak.

🍓 Before you pick: Call ahead or check your destination’s website to confirm operating hours and what’s available to pick that day.

🧺 Picking pro-tips: Some orchards let you bring your own containers, while others offer prepaid containers. Don’t forget to dress comfortably, apply sunscreen, and drink plenty of water.

Use our guide to enjoy the fruits of the season at these pick-your-own farms, listed in order from closet to furthest from Philadelphia.

🎤 I’m passing the microphone to environmental reporter Frank Kummer.

The Fairless Hills Landfill complex in Bucks County owned by waste hauler WM spans 6,000 acres populated by four landfills and two lakes.

That’s nine square miles of property, exceeding some neighboring towns in size.

Texas-based WM recently began tapping two of those sprawling landfills to harness what lies beneath: gas on a big scale from decomposing solid waste that can ultimately generate electricity, heat homes, and even fuel the company’s fleet.

The gas is extracted from 290 wells in the closed GROWS-North Landfill and 314 wells in the active Fairless Landfill. It undergoes a transformation into renewable natural gas at WM’s new $131 million facility, located nearby. It can produce the equivalent energy to power 63,000 homes annually. — Frank Kummer

Learn more about the renewable gas plant.

Here’s another blissful sight, courtesy of my colleague Torin Sweeney, at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Philly.

Last week, I asked you to guess what type of bird Torin saw there. I received several responses, including an immature great blue heron, a yellow-bellied-sapsucker, and a great white egret. Here’s what Torin told me:

“It is a little blue heron, which is different from a great blue heron. I didn’t even know they were separate birds until that day. A bird watcher told us, and I used the Merlin bird app to double check it.”

Cheers to Linda Blythe, who guessed correctly!

Reader Thomas Pluck also had this to say about John Heinz: “It’s our best bird watching spot near the city.”

Love that. We’ll go bird watching soon through this newsletter.

Learn more about the blue heron and more of the refuge’s creatures through our illustrated tour.

I asked you to tell me about your favorite trails, so Parker Snowe of Delco wrote in to share their appreciation for the Springfield Trail:

“Easy parking in Smedley Park off Baltimore Pike (near the Springfield Mall). Added bonus of walking underneath the Blue Route and along Crum Creek.”

Thanks for the recommendation, Parker.

In 200 words, tell us about your favorite adventures or special outdoor memories. We love pictures if you have them. You might see it featured in a future newsletter.

👋🏽 Our next adventure awaits.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. — Lao Tzu

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