Our walk around the city perimeter picked up today where we left off at Fox Chase. It was raining when we left, which informed how close we could get to border. The city limits mostly followed roads but sometimes those roads disappeared.

Today I walked with a group from Somerton Station in Northeast up to the northernmost point of Philadelphia, then southwest toward Fox Chase-- part of what I think of as the heart shape of the city perimeter. I didn't take many pictures, but here are some cows.

Whenever there's another internet meltdown over someone's AI superintelligence claim my first stop is to @timnitgebru.blacksky.app , @irisvanrooij.bsky.social , @olivia.science. People cry "We must listen to the experts," so I listen to the experts.

Timnit Gebru@timnitgebru.blacksky.app · 6d ago

The last few days is like a DDOS attack from these companies 🙄 I just finished drafting an op-ed and then see another OMG Machine god is going to kill everyone 😱 post Ok walk me through the step by step action this super intelligent chatbot takes to render everyone us extinct?

Yesterday I walked from Bridesburg to Cherry Street Pier with a merry band of explorers. Our route--mostly following the Delaware River with some detours around obstacles--took us through abandoned rail lines, metal graveyards, decaying piers, and contaminated sites revitalized as parks.

This week you can read about rising waters, explore murals and Fairmount Park services, and prepare for fall planting.

What you can do: Week of September 7, 2026

A weekly round-up of Philadelphia news and events related to the environment.

buriedcreekcollective.com

Took a short lil trip to the Adirondacks and it was just. SO pretty.

It should not be up to natural history museums to monetize their collections in order to justify their existence. defector.com/how-the-u-s-...

How The U.S.'s Oldest Natural History Museum Might Meet Its End | Defector

In 1858, William Parker Foulke, a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences—a group of naturalists committed to public education and outreach—was on vacation in the quiet Quaker community of…

defector.com

Please repost! Drexel announced that it will close the Academy of Natural Sciences public museum- the oldest nat history museum in the US. There are 2 petitions to support the academy. Please sign both & come to our rally Tues. actionnetwork.org/petitions/pe... www.change.org/p/the-academ...

Attention Philadelphia! We're hosting a rally to demand that Drexel University maintain The Academy of Natural Sciences Museum open to the public. Join us on Tuesday morning at 10am in front of the academy. Please spread the word, we need all hands on deck! RSVP here: luma.com/1qwnrqz2

WAKE UP, THE INQUISITION JUST DROPPED A NEW SIN www.americamagazine.org/news/2026/09...

Vatican theological commission defines ‘sin against creation and the Creator’ in new document

The more than 29,000 word text calls for ecological conversion due to “sin against creation and the Creator.”

americamagazine.org

I hope this inspires more advocacy around the country. We made noise, we presented the data, we spoke at city hall, we testified before the PEP. We were heard! It’s not perfect but it’s a big step in the right direction. Thank you for listening @mayor.nyc.gov

Marisa Kabas@marisakabas.bsky.social · 2w ago

AI is not inevitable. resistance works!

I guest-edited this week's issue of www.whatareyoudoing.today --whew! hard work! Gave me new appreciation for this amazing resource for Philly folks who want to get out more, especially if you're looking for artsy events, free stuff, and cool offbeat things to do. It's free to subscribe!

This month I read RETRO, THE WATERBEARERS, POOL HOUSE, NATURE POEM, and THE PINE BARRENS. I also reread some Tana French, for fun. 💙📚 #BookSky

Reading Roundup: August 2026

Retro, The Waterbearers, Pool House, Nature Poem, and the Pine Barrens.

literarysara.net

I want to bring back the plastic metaphor here, too. Refusal and creating space for refusal *now*, while we are still relatively early in this process, is especially meaningful. >>

Emily M. Bender@emilymbender.bsky.social · 2w ago

Very much this. Holding space for refusal of this tech is a key resistance strategy. That means advocating for that option in e.g. school policies (if we can't get a full ban) but also simply being visible in our own refusal, so that others see it as possible.

This week you can read about Philadelphia water and power, learn about SEPTA from a cartographer, and make your Labor Day plans at the Lakes.

What you can do: Week of August 31, 2026

A weekly round-up of Philadelphia news and events related to the environment.

buriedcreekcollective.com

The dissertation defense for my PhD in literature was 10 years ago today. I was already working outside academia, so after I passed my defense I called my mom, cried on the phone a bit, and then went back to work. For whatever reason, I have felt tense and antsy on August 26 every year since.

This week you can read up on potentially good news regarding data centers and, uh, crappy news regarding local waterways. You can also sign up for Tree Tender training--a great way to contribute to the environment in your neighborhood.

What you can do: Week of August 24, 2026

A weekly round-up of Philadelphia news and events related to the environment.

buriedcreekcollective.com

What gets me about these sorts of incidents is that they illustrate how many people are using AI for COMPLETELY USELESS purposes. There are already a million US maps and periodic tables! You can get them anywhere! What conceivable reason is there to have an LLM make one? It doesn't even save effort!

'Venecky' instead of Kentucky: JCPS middle school parents suspect school agendas are AI-generated

A Farnsley Middle School parent found bizarre errors in student agendas, prompting JCPS to warn families.

wdrb.com

This week you can learn about solar in the city, take free gardening workshops, look for bats at night, and respond to calls for art and stories.

What you can do: Week of August 17, 2026

A weekly round-up of Philadelphia news and events related to the environment.

buriedcreekcollective.com

And if you're a literary journal or another small creative outfit who feels sad or mad about this because you don't have the budget to commission real art, I have great news for you! There is art you can get for free without stealing! Thread of recs to follow. General caveat: check terms of use.

Matt Jakubowski (he/him)@mattjakubowski.bsky.social · last mo.

I for one think that if you’re a literary journal who opposes AI in any writing submissions, you should also never use AI for any artwork on your site. Seems like a no-brainer! Support all artists, not just writers. And yet! A lot of journals seem ok with AI art. Please change this policy, folks!

This week you can observe the ceremonial signing of treaties and declarations, learn about butterflies or subway systems, and read about data centers in PA.

What you can do: Week of August 10, 2026

A weekly round-up of Philadelphia news and events related to the environment.

buriedcreekcollective.com

Eugenia has already said here everything I was going to say about this. One thing I will add is that the lasting thing I gained following this project was a deep hatred for AI slop and LLMs as anyone who has heard me speak on ths subject since knows. I saw how the sausage was made and rejected it.

Eugenia Triantafyllou@foxesandroses.bsky.social · last mo.

In 2022, before Chatgpt and everything that came next, I participated in this study. It was framed as a research on a new tool that I could try and offer my opinion on. I didn't know that it was trained on copyrighted material.

This is the main reason I'm so angry about the "AI" bubble. All this enormous effort could have been spent combatting the climate crisis and the opportunity cost of your fucking chatbot is going to be the very climate we live in Imagine what we could have done with those 3 trillion dollars?

Both my work laptop and my personal laptop are refusing to charge, no matter which cord I use or which USB-C port I put it in. The ports get fiery hot, too. Both laptops are Dells and since this is happening at the same time, I wondered if it was happening to anyone else--weird driver update, maybe.

First visit to a new endocrinologist (I see one 2x/year to manage Hashimoto's thyroiditis): "So, are you healthy or are you one of those people who used the pandemic as an excuse to gain weight?" (That was also my last visit to that endocrinologist.)

Heather Hill@rollin-academic.bsky.social · last mo.

A question from Reddit that I'll answer here: "What's the most unhinged thing a doctor has said to you with a straight face?"

I put a call out for mural walls yesterday and I got a lot of VERY good walls for projects of a variety of scales. Unfortunately I have only sold enough shirts this summer to cover 2 of those walls. This means more people need to buy shirts. Thems the breaks. More shirts more art. SquidFacts.Net

This week you can read up about air pollution, learn about trees, preserve blackberries, and practice smartphone photography.

What you can do: Week of August 3, 2026

A weekly round-up of Philadelphia news and events related to the environment.

buriedcreekcollective.com

Just unbelievably excited to work with these folks this fall.

Buried Creek Collective@buriedcreek.bsky.social · last mo.

Buried Creek Collective is proud to announce our cohort of 25 environmental writers who will be participating in the inaugural Climate Education for Writers program this fall.

In July I read FAT SWIM, YESTERYEAR, THE COMPANY OF OWLS, FUN HOME, and AWAKE in the FLOATING CITY. I also reread PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and PIRANESI for comfort. 💙📚 #BookSky

Reading Roundup: July 2026

Fat Swim, Yesteryear, The Company of Owls, Fun Home, Awake in the Floating City.

literarysara.net

This week you can explore some virtual maps of Philadelphia and view films related to the natural world.

What you can do: Week of July 27, 2026

A weekly round-up of Philadelphia news and events related to the environment.

buriedcreekcollective.com