In neighborhoods across Philadelphia, communities from the Philippines, Burma, Puerto Rico, Vietnam and the African Diaspora steward gardens and farms filled with ancestral plants, where cultural heritage and community science converge

Join us for the next Academy Town Square where Maiken Scott, host of WHYY’s The Pulse, speaks with seedkeepers, farmers and botanists who share how preserving ethnobotanical histories and practices help to advance science and expand our understanding of the natural world — and ourselves. This conversation is in conjunction with Heirloom Plants: Ancestral Seeds in Philadelphia, an exhibition in our Spotlight Gallery on view through February 17, 2025.

Join us for a deep dive into Earth’s remarkable history on Thursday, September 26, timed with the closing weekend of our exhibition Life Onto Land: The Devonian, which is on view through Sunday, September 29.

In this in-depth Academy Town Square conversation, you’ll hear about the Devonian, a transformational period hundreds of millions of years before the age of the dinosaur — when Earth’s forests first began to appear and first limbed animals emerged. Learn about this fascinating time from Academy scientist Ted Daeschler, paleoecologist Diana Boyer and paleobotanist Jonathan Wilson, whose research contributes to our shared understanding of evolution and Earth's history.

Our planet is so old, it’s hard to wrap your head around – let alone fathom how short our lifespans on earth are – when compared with just about anything in the realm of geology. Join us for the WHYY & Academy Town Square where Maiken Scott explores with geologist and author Marcia Bjornerud how thinking like a geologist can have immeasurable impacts beyond our time.

Academy Town Square that originally took place February 15, 2024. A conversation hosted by WHYY’s Maiken Scott on the Atlantic Sturgeon, a fish that “epitomizes the global biodiversity crisis,” as well as other vulnerable fishes in the mid-Atlantic region. Panelists include Mariangeles Arce H. of the Academy, David Keller of the Academy, Eric J. Hilton of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Dewayne Fox of Delaware State University.

Maiken Scott, host of WHYY's The Pulse, and bird conservationist Zoe Warner discuss a 10-year study conducted in Chester County that has led to greater insights into bird habitat needs and a visionary plan to protect them.

During the fall 2020 migration season, a perfect storm of events led to the tragic deaths of thousands of birds from window strikes. This sorrowful occurrence galvanized a volunteer group called Bird Safe Philly, which is determined to prevent something similar from happening again.

Through their Lights Out Philly campaign, the group was able to convince many of the city’s building owners to turn out their lights at night during the spring and fall migration periods.

Join us for a conversation hosted by Sophia Schmidt, environmental reporter for WHYY, to better understand the challenges that birds face in urban environments and the ways that we can better protect them.

In this special Academy Town Square, residents of Eastwick will share their challenges as well as their determined spirit — describing the history of a remarkable community organizing effort and raising awareness of what we can do to support it.

As we adapt to our changing climate, unexpected benefits may follow — especially for marginalized communities. Efforts to reduce heating and flooding bring more green spaces that are known to strengthen mental health and improve communities.

Emergency preparedness efforts create more accessible areas for older and disabled members of the community. Join us to explore how these solutions to climate change provide an opportunity for equity to marginalized Black and Latino communities.

Views and opinions expressed by the speakers are solely their own and do not necessarily represent any associated institutions.

Climate change is causing Philadelphia not only to heat up, but also to experience more frequent and intense flooding events.

In this program we’ll explore how local communities are dealing with increasing temperatures exacerbated by the urban heat island effect; natural cycles of flooding; and how urbanization and climate change impact flooding risks in our city. But where there are challenges, there are people ready to step up and face them.

Find out how, from community groups to city government, Philadelphians are making efforts to understand and mitigate the effects of a warmer, wetter Philadelphia.

Gideon Mendel joined us for an Academy Town Square on May 6 to discuss his engagement with social issues as a photographer and artist, including the challenge of making climate change visible.

“Voting for the Environment,” a free program in the Academy Town Square series, features a roundtable discussion with leaders of the League of Conservation Voters, Clean Air Council, and other key environmental and advocacy organizations.

Learn about the important issues that affect the local and global environment and how the upcoming election will influence them. Join us for this interactive discussion that will help you become a better citizen.