Upcoming Events
Tree Walk with Andrew the Arborist at the FDR Meadows!
Join us for an engaging and informative stroll through FDR Meadows with Andrew the Arborist and experience the magic of the woods at the FDR Meadows! Free with registration. Visit https://bit.ly/treewalk1009
TREES NOT TURF RALLY at City Hall
Join us at City Council on Sept 5th to demand a citywide ban on toxic turf and a stop the destruction and privatization of our public green spaces!
Spring Mycelial Gathering
Hosted by New Moon Mycology Summit
New Moon Mycology Summit returns to Philly to Philly after many years ! Excited to gather again with our regional crew to learn, exchange and be together. This Spring Mycelial Gathering in Philly, like our previous one in 2019 at Bartrams Garden is a crowdfunding + energy building event to support the sustained ability to keep hosting our multi day gathering called the New Moon Mycology Summit. The Summit is a special gathering within the myco + biocentric community that allows for deeper conversations and many voices.
ZBA Hearing Part II
The Fairmount Park Conservancy has applied for a special exception to allow it to clearcut heritage trees. At the first meeting on 2/21 the Conservancy failed to demonstrate that there is no “practical” way to redesign the project to save heritage trees? Do you have other concerns related to zoning? Register to testify, or submit written comments ahead of the meeting.
LENAPE NATION OF PENNSYLVANIA HOSTS A CEREMONY FOR THE TREES AT THE FDR MEADOWS
You are invited by the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania to a ceremony for the trees at the FDR Meadows. There will be a drumming circle, and participants will be invited to make prayer ties for the trees.
ZBA Hearing
Zoning Meeting - February 21, 2pm, (on Zoom)
The Fairmount Park Conservancy has applied for a special exception to allow it to clearcut heritage trees. Have they demonstrated that there is no “practical” way to redesign the project to save heritage trees? Do you have other concerns related to zoning? Register to testify, or submit written comments ahead of the meeting.
If you’re interested in participating in the zoning meeting, sign up here and we’ll send you further details, and invite you to a virtual session to get ready for it.
RCO meeting
Community Meeting - Tuesday, February 13, 6pm at City LIfe Church, 3301 S 20th St
Come to the upcoming Registered Community Organization (RCO) Meeting, where the Friends of FDR and Packer Park Civic Organization will consider the future of the Meadows and in particular the clearcutting of heritage trees. If you are a member of either RCO you are eligible to vote (if a vote is held), but anyone has the right to speak during the meeting.
If you’re interested in coming, and possibly speaking, just sign up here and we’ll send you further details as they become available, and invite you to a virtual information session to prepare.
Gnome Core
Gnome Core - Feb 11th, 2pm at the Picnic Meadows behind “FDR Community Clubhouse”
Evicted from the Meadows at FDR
Alex Tatarsky is garden gnome par excellence – a disgruntled forest creature who’s been evicted from their magic land due to recent and imminent clearcutting at FDR Park. This funny, musical and politically awake creature will NOT be leaving the Meadows quietly. Read more.
The Artist
Alex Tatarsky (they/them) is an award-winning experimental performance artist. Called “a hilarious, finely tuned absurdist” (Theatre Jones) and “one of the most exciting and hilarious performance artists around” (Artspace), Tatarsky makes work in the unfortunate in-between zone of comedy, performance art, dance, theater, and deluded rant – sometimes with songs. They return to Philly from NYC after a hit run of Sad Boy in Harpy Land, which the NY Times heralded as “a thrilling and frenetic mental breakdown of a show!” They have performed in venues such as La Mama, MoMA PS1, The Kitchen, Judson Church, Abrons Arts Center, Skirball, Gibney, New Museum, and with artists such as Pig Iron, Aya Ogawa, Poncili Creacion, Trajal Harrell, Lilac Co, Zhe Zhe, David Levine, Marianna Ellenberg, Adrienne Truscott, Josephine Decker, and Eva Steinmetz.
Details
February 11th, 2PM at the entrance to South Philly Meadows. GPS–“FDR Community Clubhouse.” Dress warm! Mud boots are best.
Please contact Anisa George, publicity agent for more information: anisageorge@gmail.com
Neighborhood flyering: Packer Park
Volunteer opportunity this weekend! We will be flyering in the Packer Park neighborhood Saturday Feb 3 from 1-3pm. Want to join our crew? Email savetheFDRmeadows@gmail.com to join our crew.
Save the Meadows Fest
Tap into the magic of the Meadows with us, and learn more about how we will save the roughly 150 acres of heritage trees, native plants, and wetlands. We want to show the City of Philadelphia just how much we love and appreciate the space by celebrating it together! Join us for live music, an art fair, and fun for all.
Come to the Great Lawn at the FDR Meadows (behind the community clubhouse) for sweet tunes, camaraderie, and creativity. Then, walk the meadows and visualize a better future than fields of toxic plastic. Pack a picnic, bring your dog, and meet us at the Meadows! And if you’re feeling the spirit of sharing, consider contributing to our potluck, let us know.
4 pm: Welcome!
4:10 pm: Child Savage performs
4:50 pm: Party Nerves performs
5:30 pm: Sleeping Through Breakfast performs
6 pm: Erin Incoherent performs
6:30 pm: The Meadows story
6:45 pm: Pocket Flowers performs
7:20 pm: The Meadows story
7:30 pm: The Red Hand performs
If you're interested in getting involved in Save the Meadows Fest any way, email KJ at krisann.janowitz@gmail.com or reach out on Instagram @lovinlifewithsass. We are always looking for folks that would like to bring their creative expression, whether that’s hula hooping, dancing, or whatever you enjoy creating to music!
LOCATION: The Great Lawn at the Meadows (aka the Picnic Grove) behind the Community Clubhouse
1954 Pattison Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19145
STM ART BUILD AT THE BOK BUILDING!
This art build will be one in a series, but it's a special one - we've got some meadows banners, signs, and props to make (we'll share more in person), and some brainstorming ideas for some fun parades and celebrations down the line. Feel free to bring some food and drink if you'd like (Two Persons Cafe and Machine Shop Bakery are downstairs).
Due to rain in the forecast we’re meeting in Room 201 at the BOK Building (821 Dudely street, south Philly) — hopefully next one will be back at the Meadows.
All skills are welcome. Materials supplied. Kid-friendly.
Come hang : ) questions email savetheFDRmeadows@gmail.com
Info Session: Virtual
Join us for a quickie virtual session to learn about what's happening at the Meadows and how you can get involved. We'll share a bit of history about the land and answer your questions. This is a great first step if you'd like to get more engaged. Reach out for a jitsi link.
Community Meeting
Join us IRL in the Meadows to meet fellow Meadows Defenders and strategize around saving this space. We’ll begin with a quickie info session for those new to the movement. Details soon
Chinatown Rally and March
Join us for a march from Chinatown to City Hall to showPhiladelphia City Council that our city is not for sale! Our communities are united. We don’t need or want corporate-designed billionaire-driven predatory development in Philadelphia. Our neighborhoods need investment that is driven by the needs of the people who call it home.
City Nature Challenge
Philadelphia and its adjacent counties will be competing against other cities in the world to see who can find the most species in their regions. If you are interested in contributing and helping Philly win, download the iNaturalist app (or visit the website) and start documenting the wildlife in your area and especially in the Meadows! Documenting wildlife in the Meadows is something that anyone can do to help the movement!
City Budget Hearing: Public Testimony
City departments are required to justify their budget requests for 2024, and that includes Parks & Recreation. Not only will our comments be shared with Parks & Rec, City Council, and the Mayor's Office, but they'll be entered permanently into city record! Make your opinions heard!
This session is for PUBLIC TESTIMONY and you need to register in advance.
To listen to Parks and Rec’s prepared testimony, see the event on 4/19.
If you're interested in testifying April 26, please reach out to us through the JOIN link. We've curated some instructions for how to testify, some sample talking points, and we're more than happy to walk you through the process or answer any questions. You don't have to be an expert in anything to testify - you just need to care. We need as many voices as were shut out in January, quietly ignored in March, and deemed unimportant all of 2022. Let's show them how we feel about their idea of 'trusting the process.'
\ \ \ \ \
To testify, you need to register in advance. Reach out if you'd like to chat about what to expect.
Speakers interested in making public testimony virtually should call 215-686-3407 or email Budget.Hearings@phila.gov by 3 p.m. on the day prior to the public testimony session at which they wish to speak and submit the following information:
Full name
Callback telephone number where you can be reached
Identify the bill number or resolution number or numbers that will be addressed.
Earth Day at the Meadows: Music and Vendors
Join us for a concert at the FDR Park meadows! We have a full day of events, activities, arts & crafts market, self-guided tours of the Meadows, and of course live music!
Location: Picnic Grove at the Meadows, FDR Park, 1954 Pattison Avenue (See google maps). We will be at the grassy fields behind the red barn.
Concert lineup:
Chris Elchin @chris.eichlin
Christina @christinagiacoletti
Wescansin @wescansin
And The Women's National Hockey League @wnhltheband
Art + Jewelry + Clothing + More
Alien Jewelry @alienjewlryy
Edwierdo @Edwierdo
Mickei @MadebyMickie
Randy @RandomByRandy
Sam @SomeScribblesBySam
Zoe @ZoBeano
Bright Dyes Ahead @BrightDyesAhead
& Eva @mysical__treasures
Raindate Sunday 4-23
Organized by Chris Eichlin in collaboration with @savethemeadows
With help and support from many others!
Earth Day at the Meadows: Seedbombs and Slingshots
Saturday, April 22nd, 9:30-1 pm (concert and vendors until 5pm)
FREE and appropriate for kids of all ages :) We even have lunch for vegans and omnivores covered!
A fun morning of activities for children and families who love + wish to learn more about the Meadows! Nature crafts and activities will be available so kids can interact with the Meadows and learn what it means to be an environmental activist and a meadow defender. We'll have a seed bomb-making station (material provided!), multiple-story circles, arts and crafts, and a nature walk.
Location: Picnic Grove at the Meadows, FDR Park, 1952 Pattison Avenue (see google maps). Join us in the grassy fields behind the red barn.
Raindate Sunday 4-23
Organized by a group of local parents & supported by Save the Meadows.
City Budget Hearing: Parks and Rec prepared testimony
City departments are required to justify their budget requests for 2024, and that includes Parks & Recreation. Not only will our comments be shared with Parks & Rec, City Council, and the Mayor's Office, but they'll be entered permanently into city record! Make your opinions heard!
This session is to listen to Parks and Rec’s prepared testimony. The public hearing date is 4/26.
If you're interested in testifying April 26, please reach out to us through the JOIN link. We've curated some instructions for how to testify, some sample talking points, and we're more than happy to walk you through the process or answer any questions. You don't have to be an expert in anything to testify - you just need to care. We need as many voices as were shut out in January, quietly ignored in March, and deemed unimportant all of 2022. Let's show them how we feel about their idea of 'trusting the process.'
Film Screening: How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Writer/actor Ariela Barer and editor Daniel Garber will appear in person at Landmark's Ritz Five on Saturday, April 15 for a Q&A after the 7:00pm show.
A crew of young environmental activists execute a daring mission to sabotage an oil pipeline in this taut and timely thriller that is part high-stakes heist, part radical exploration of the climate crisis.
Our friends at the autonomous South Philly Cinema team have a limited number of free tickets, so feel free to shoot them a message
Philly Thrive event /Healing Land & Repairing Harm: A Summit on Philly’s Refinery Redevelopment
More info and event registration here
Join us for Healing the Land and Repairing Harm: A Summit on Philly’s Refinery Redevelopment, an engaging, joyful learning experience & dialogue about how the former PES oil refinery land should be put to new use.
The summit will unite diverse stakeholders -- bringing together residents, elected officials, environmental regulators, city planners, professors, local business owners, and more -- around the largest redevelopment in Philly's history.
--- --- ---
A final schedule will be shared closer to 4/15, but tentative workshops and sessions include:
A Candidate Forum for Philadelphia’s May city council and mayoral primary election
Interactive sessions designed for all types of learners – including a performance of a theater piece developed and produced by local youth, and a neighborhood walk focused on reinvestment
A community lunch with live music where residents can connect with each other, and with our elected officials, local journalists, community organizations, representatives from city and state environmental agencies, and more.
A session for residents to hone the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) terms that meet the most pressing issues facing nearby neighborhoods.
Creative activities for kids, and childcare for our youngest community members
--- --- ---
To keep our community safe -- especially our disabled family and our elders -- all summit attendees will be required to wear a mask. We will have masks/hand sanitizer available for people who need them.
Field of View Exhibit at DaVinci Art Alliance
Join us for the opening of Field of View by Omar Buenaventura will be on view in Gallery 2 at Da Vinci Art Alliance.
The ability to perceive varies depending on what we want to see. This immersive installation celebrates the joy, the love, and the struggle to continue cultural traditions from the Lenape who fished and hunted in the marshes to the destructive development reshaping the FDR Meadows today.
Tree ID Walk at the FDR Meadows with the Philly Myco Club
Have y'all ever been to a mycology club tree ID walk? Come join us and learn how to identify trees in the winter! We are working to identify and catalog the trees threatened by development of this area, and could really use your help!
Registration is limited for this event. Please only register if you feel sure you will come and please cancel your ticket if you are no longer coming. EventBrite registration here.
Join the Myco Club and the Save the Meadows crew as we team up to talk about tree identification! We'll walk about a mile or less and practice identifying trees based off of their bark, buds, shape, and ecological context. Tree identification is an important skill in mycology because it can help to identify habitats for target mushroom species. Tree identification is also an important first step for legal protection and preservation of our heritage trees threatened by development.
Please dress appropriately for outdoor activities including supportive footwear, jackets, insect repellent, and anything else you may need to support your health and safety on the trail. Children and dogs are welcome. Please keep dogs on leash at all times.
This event and others like it are free for everyone. If you are able, please support our mission by making a donation to our paypal using our email: info@phillymycoclub.com
Film Screening: Riotsville USA
Join us on 3/30 at Making Worlds Bookstore for a benefit film screening and discussion of Riotsville, USA.
Advance registration is encouraged, please RSVP here.
The fight in Atlanta against “Cop City” is heating up. The Autonomous South Philly Cinema Association is hosting a benefit screening of Riotsville, USA (2022, 91 mins) to raise funds for mounting legal expenses. Riotsville, USA takes its name from the mock cities built by the U.S. government in the late 1960s to train police and military in repressive techniques to throttle uprisings, much as Cop City hopes to do — unless the struggle against it is victorious.
Rally to Stop Cop City: Stand in solidarity with the Defend Atlanta Forest Movement
Rally in solidarity with the movement to Defend the Atlanta Forest and Stop Cop City! NO Cop Cities Anywhere, Defend the Forest Everywhere!
Please bring noisemakers and wear masks for Covid safety. There may be live streaming photography, and press at this event.
Join us in remembering Tortuguita (Manuel Esteban Paez Terán), the forest defender murdered by GA police, and the other environmental activists being held without bail on trumped-up charges of domestic terrorism. Meanwhile, in our neck of the woods, Norfolk Southern is responsible for the worst toxic spill in the NE United States in decades. Follow the money, and vou will find that Vanguard Group and Blackrock are majority stakeholders in Norfolk Southern AND are funders of the Cop City project.
So, we ask, who are the real domestic terrorists?
What is Cop City?
Cop City is specifically designed to train police in "crowd control" and urban warfare techniques. The City of Atlanta has leased 381 acres of Weelaunee Forest in Southeast Atlanta for $10/ear for Cop City, despite public opposition. Cop City is a military threat to Atlanta's Black and brown communities & and an environmental health hazard in primarily Black neighborhoods. Cop City perpetuates the legacy of violence and racism enacted in Weelaunee Forest.
Cosponsored by:
@savethemeadows
@fff.philly
@xrphilly @xrdelaware
@workersvoicesocialistmovement
@iglesiasgardens
@sunrisemvmtphilly
FLYERING at events in your community is a great way to raise awareness about what’s happening to Philadelphia’s public lands. Many of the events listed here are great opportunities to spread the word. Feel free to use one of these flyers, or create and share your own!