Lori Litchman

Recent Actions

• Posted Green Scene: Growing the Grange to Phillyist
  How can we feed Philadelphia? And we’re not talking about cheesesteaks and soft pretzels here, folks. We’re talking about locally grown, healthy food. If you’d like to know the answer to this question, there are two upcoming events that might be of interest to you. The first one is titled, “How Can we Feed Philadelphia: Growing the Grange,” and is the latest Urban Sustainability Forum. The forum will address the issue of urban agriculture...
• Posted Green Scene: Guerilla Gardening to Phillyist
  We all know there are a few more criminals in Philadelphia than we would like. Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! We’re talking about guerilla gardening here folks, which is a misdemeanor and technically illegal, but unlikely to get you arrested. Guerilla gardeners take over vacant lots and other public spaces that have become ugly trash heaps and green it up. Usually by cover of night, armed with shovels and rakes, they...
• Posted Green Scene: Rain Barrels to Phillyist
  Now that our heat wave is only a memory and we’re back to Spring showers, let’s talk about rain barrels and why they are important to the health of our watershed. A rain barrel is essentially any storage container that catches rain water and prevents it from going down into the storm drain. See, Philadelphia has an archaic combined sewer system, which means that rain water and sewage often flow through the same pipes....
• Posted Green Scene: Native Plants to Phillyist
  First and foremost, Happy Earth Day! Go outside and do something nice for the planet. Pick up some trash, eat some locally-grown, sustainable food (get some ideas here), and maybe plant a tree, shrub, flower, or vegetable. Speaking of planting, let’s talk about why it’s better to plant native plants over non-native ones. Let’s say you have a tiny patch of urban green space. Some folks’ initial instinct is to plant grass. While grass...
• Posted Green Scene: Greening Philly to Phillyist
  Picture this: Empty, garbage-strewn lots replaced with vibrant community gardens; Abandoned factories retrofitted and revitalized; Green infrastructure popping up everywhere in the city. While this may sound like a dream, it is totally possible in our post-industrial, beloved Philadelphia. Enter the Drexel University’s Engineering Cities Initiative. They, too, think it is possible to revitalize Philadelphia and are hosting a conference to get all the movers and shakers in the city together to discuss how...