events
EcoExpress in the Philadelphia Science Festival
Apr 1st
The Philadelphia Science Festival is a ten-day, community-wide celebration of science that takes place annually in April, featuring lectures, debates, hands-on activities, special exhibitions and a variety of other informal science education experiences for Philadelphians of all ages. GreenTreks Network’s environmental education program, EcoExpress.org, will be participating in three upcoming events as part of the Philadelphia Science Festival!
Science Carnival on the Parkway
Saturday, April 20, 2013, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
at Logan’s Circle (on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 19th Street in Philadelphia, PA)
You’ve never experienced an outdoor carnival like this one! This carnival features more than 100 exhibitors offering non-stop, family-friendly experiments, interactive activities, games, and a packed line-up of live entertainment. Enjoy liquid nitrogen ice cream, make gak, meet live zoo animals, check out the inner-workings of robots, take a tour of a helicopter, extract DNA from a strawberry, test a “crime scene” for forensic evidence, and so much more!
Teacher Workshop: Connecting to our Everyday Environment with EcoExpress.org and the PA Horticultural Society
Monday, April 22, 2013, 4:00pm to 7:00pm
at the Department of Making and Doing (3711 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104)
Engage in a lively discussion with other educators on how to make cross-curricular connections to environmental science. Then, learn how to address ecological topics while using your student’s everyday environment and gain valuable classroom resources from EcoExpress and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Participating Pennsylvania-based teachers will receive three Act 48 credit hours. Register for free here.
Student Event: Neighborhood Science After School
Thursday, April 25, 2013, 3:30pm to 5:30pm
at the South Philadelphia Branch of the Free Library (1700 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145)
Turn your kitchen into a science lab! Discover how chemistry plays a role in some of your favorite foods. Then, learn how you can keep our drinking water safe and clean by protecting water at the source, and how to write and break secret codes! Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and Temple University will also be presenting! This event is FREE and open to students in K through 12!
In addition to attending these excellent events, don’t forget to enter EcoExpress’ contest to win a mini video camera!
Environmental Education Event on Monday, March 4th!
Feb 13th
Monday, March 4th, 2013
4:30pm to 7:00pm
in the lobby of the United Way Building (1709 Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103)
Register at EcoExpress.EventBrite.com.
On Monday, March 4th, 2013, our EcoExpress program will co-host the Spring into Science Education expo with the Philadelphia Education Fund’s Math+Science Coalition. In its third year, Spring into Science Education is a FREE networking & educational event for local educators. Educators of grades K through 12 will learn about inspiring resources and ideas that can be immediately brought back into the classroom!
Highlights of the Spring into Science Education expo include:
- The premiere of our newest documentary on Rain Gardens
- Exhibits by Local Environmental, Science, and Math Education Experts
- Hands-On Activity Demonstrations
- Refreshments
- Prizes
- And more!
Participating Organizations Include:
Bartram’s Garden, Delaware Valley Green Building Council’s Green Schools Program, Earth Force, Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, iPRAXIS, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia Science Festival, Philadelphia Water Department Public Education, Weavers Way Community Programs, and more to be announced
REGISTER BY MARCH 1st at EcoExpress.EventBrite.com.
Get on Your Bike and Do Some Good!
Sep 13th
We’ve made it through the sweltering heat of summer (finally!) and now we’ve hit beautiful, warm-but-perfectly-cooler weather. I know us staffers here at GreenTreks are certainly welcoming it. Bike-commuting is much more enjoyable when you don’t arrive as a puddle of sweat!
Coming up at the end of September, are a number of opportunities to enjoy a bicycle ride and do some good at the same time. First up on Saturday, September 22, 2012, is the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour: Rails and River Towns Ride. Bike along the Schuylkill River Trail, learn about the history of the Pennsylvania Railroad during a presentation by Bob Thomas, and, best of all, support the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. This is the first ride of this new bike tour series, and it sounds excellent for all levels of riders (choose from a 18-mile ride & walking tour, a 20-mile ride, or a 9-mile ride and guided tour). Learn more about the bike tour and register here.
The next day, on Sunday, September 23, 2012, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is hosting Bike Fresh, Bike Local in Downingtown, PA. Proceeds from this ride benefit PASA’s work for sustainable, family farms in Eastern Pennsylvania. Whether you choose the 25-, 50-, or 75-mile ride, you’ll get to enjoy a lunch of local foods and enjoy a Victory Brewing Company craft beer. Plus, I’ll be volunteering at the break station for the 75-mile riders, so stop by and say hi! Learn more and register here.
Another Philly First: 10,000 Square Foot Parking Lot Goes Green
Jun 29th
You might accuse us of being obsessed with stormwater, but after last Friday night’s downpour and the resulting mess on our roads and waterways, is it any wonder? Amazingly, the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlons were held on Saturday and Sunday and the swim in the Schuylkill went off without a hitch.
We’d venture to say that the river was swimmable only because the buffer provided by the Fairmount Park system kept some of the polluted runoff at bay. The Philadelphia Water Department’s ambitious Green City, Clean Waters program seeks to emulate nature’s slow it down, soak it in methods — most recently with a parking lot which replaces ten thousand feet of pavement with rain gardens to manage stormwater on site.
There’s a ribbon cutting celebration planned for today, so if you’re in the Frankford area, go Check it out at the Eadom Street dedication.
Date; Friday, June 29
Time: 12 noon
Location: 5312-50 Eadom Street, Frankford
If you can’t make it today — or even if you can — there’s another celebration going on next week, this time in the City’s Bella Vista neighborhood, where the Mayor, residents, and other dignitaries (yes, everyone IS special in the City of Brotherly Love) will be dedicating the latest addition to Philly’s amazing constellation of parks.
Date: Thursday, July 5
Time: 10:30 am
Location: 12th & Catherine Streets, Bella Vista
EcoExpress.org Event on 3/29 is Free and Fun!
Mar 9th
ATTN Teachers, Educators, and Community Members:
EcoExpress.org Presents
Spring Into Science Education
Thursday, March 29, 2012, from 3 to 6pm
at the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery
(3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132-1840)
The 2nd Annual Spring into Science Education is a FREE networking event and celebration for local educators and community members. This event has a lot to offer!
Highlights of Spring into Science Education include:
- The Premiere of the EcoExpress Documentary about the Overbrook Environmental Education Center
- Exhibits by Local Environmental and Science Education Organizations
- Hands-On Activity Demonstrations
- Refreshments
- Prizes
- And more!
Getting to the Laurel Hill Cemetery is easy! Located just off of 76 in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, there is a free parking lot right on site for drivers. If you are taking public transportation, the 61 Bus runs from Center City to Laurel Hill. Or bike the Schuylkill River Trail directly to Laurel Hill.
Organizations participating in Spring into Science Education include Delaware Valley Green Building Council, Earth Force, Educational Advancement Alliance, Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, iPRAXIS, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Marmota Environmental Consulting, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia Science Festival, Project BioEyes, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Stroud Water Research Center with the Philadelphia Water Department, Take A Walk Books, and Weavers Way Community Programs.
While Spring into Science Education is a free event, attendance space is limited. Teachers, educators, and community members interested in attending are encouraged to register at EcoExpress.EventBrite.com.
