🦅 Tour the John Heinz refuge | Outdoorsy Newsletter
And see Philly’s secret, lush gardens
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Let’s get away from city life and visit America’s first urban wildlife refuge right here in our region. It’s a sacred space that many endangered animals call home.
And while beavers are known to help the environment by building aquatic ecosystems — and be somewhat cute — not everyone’s a fan. Jason Nark caught up with one New Jersey man fed up with the critters gnawing away his patience, one tree at a time.
Plus: Stick around for a reveal of Philly’s most beautiful private gardens.
⛅ Your weekend weather outlook: Canadian wildfire smoke should no longer be a threat for now. Expect daytime highs in the 80s. Conditions look good for outdoorsy activities today, but showers are possible Saturday and Sunday.
— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)
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Tucked away near I-95 and Philadelphia International Airport lies John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, the first of its kind in America.
More than 100,000 nature lovers enjoy the park every year, from birdwatchers and hikers to wildlife observers and photographers. The refuge has a big boardwalk that sprawls across the wetlands and marshes, and is home to 10 miles of trails that are open every day from sunrise to sundown.
Hundreds of species of plants, trees, birds, insects, and mammals live here. Some creatures include:
🐢 Northern red-bellied turtles
🐝 Lemon cuckoo bumble bees
🐸 Atlantic coast leopard frogs
📮 Have you seen these or other rare wildlife at John Heinz? Send me an email (with a photo) telling me about your experience.
Take a virtual walk across the boardwalk with me and discover some of what John Heinz has to offer through our illustrated tour of this treasured slice of nature.
🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to Jason Nark. You’ll always find his work here.
“Arrogant” and “selfish” beavers are gnawing away at Chris Ritter’s peace of mind.
While North America’s largest rodent is generally considered to be one of earth’s master architects, building whole aquatic ecosystems from felled trees, the beaver is the destroyer of Ritter’s world, particularly the swampy backyard beyond his pool and hot tub in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.
“That’s not a pond, that’s my lawn,” Ritter said on a recent February afternoon.
Ritter owns 30 acres of land in New Egypt, Ocean County, and a small creek, Jumping Brook, meanders through his property. His land is adjacent to a preserve that’s dotted with old, defunct cranberry bogs. Those man-made bogs are ideal for beavers to dam and flood, making safe, swimmable ponds that coyotes, their only natural predator in New Jersey, can’t get to.
“Beavers are just doing what beavers do, realistically. It’s hardwired into them to create this perfect atmosphere for themselves,” said Adam Burnett, executive director of the Beaver Institute, a nonprofit that aims to resolve “beaver-human conflicts in a science-based manner.” — Jason Nark
It’s all in Nark’s full feature story. Keep reading on the ongoing challenges of coexisting with beavers.
News worth knowing
Hurricane Ernesto won’t impact the Philly region directly, but forecasters warn “very dangerous rip currents” may shake up beaches in Delaware and down the Shore.
Swarthmore College has taken a giant step toward its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035, columnist Inga Saffron writes. That means no more oil, gas, or coal-generated power.
We finally got to meet miracle baby Jambi the orangutan at the Philadelphia Zoo this week. He’s the first Sumatran orangutan born there in 15 years, which is considered a “major conservation win” for the critically endangered species.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants a subspecies of the regal fritillary butterfly to be placed on the federal endangered species list. It can only be found in one location in North America: a military base in Pennsylvania.
If you needed another reason to get outdoors with the kids, research shows that children benefit from time spent in nature by improving cognition, mood, self-esteem, and social skills. It can also make them physically healthier and less anxious.
Philly gets bragging rights as America’s Garden Capital. But some of the most captivating and lush landscapes in the region are out of reach — because they’re owned and maintained by private homeowners.
Consider this your all-access pass inside the city’s most beautiful (and obscure) private gardens. Get a sneak a peek inside five gorgeous spots, from hillside splendor in Chestnut Hill to an “explosion of nature” in East Falls.
10 seconds of calm
🎤 Jason Nark says: This is from a recent trip to Animas, New Mexico.
A crisp view. Not one cloud in sight.
🌳 Your outdoorsy experience
It’s a good weekend to hop on for a bike trail ride. For those of us who are newbies, reader Peter McLoone has one smart life hack to share:
My pro-tip for beginner cyclists in the area: If you’re unsure about cycling on a particular road, the best time of the week to test a new route is during an Eagles game. Roads will be at their lowest traffic levels during daylight hours.
And Drew Nantais (howdy, former colleague!) pitched in with another tip:
Sing a song. Helped me as a kid. Your mind focuses on singing the lyrics and you just naturally start to balance on the bike. My go-to was “Old MacDonald.” Although, if I’d begun biking nowadays, I’d have to go with “Apple” by Charli xcx.
Solid choice. If I had to pick just one song, I’m going with Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love.”
Speaking of biking, there’s a cool event coming up in Mercer County, New Jersey, called the Full Moon Bike Ride. Check out more details here if it sounds like your kind of fun.
📮 Email me back with a review of your outdoors adventures (photos are a plus) for a chance to be featured in this newsletter.
We’re approaching that sweet spot between the summer and fall.
I’m watching Mad Men for the first time, and well into season 3, they’re deep in the heat of the dog days of summer. Ken Cosgrove said: “New York in August? It’s like a great big melting wax museum.” How would you describe the Philly region in August?
👋🏽 Nature calls.
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