The final Nature Night of the season is taking place this Thursday (Aug. 25) at The Woodlands (40th and Woodland), and it will be a Bat Night/Moth Night double feature event since July’s Nature Night was cancelled due to rainy weather. The Nature Night will run from 6 – 10 p.m. This is a great chance to visit the cemetery grounds after dark (the gates usually close at 6 p.m.), explore the mystery surrounding bats and learn why moths are cool.

The Academy of Natural Sciences and the Sewall Lab of Temple University will be onsite providing bat and moth education, and well-known West Philly business Lil’ Pop Shop will be selling sweet treats. In addition, kids can get creative with University City Arts League. Feel free to bring a picnic!

This event is FREE and open to the public. For more information, visit: http://woodlandsphila.org/events-calendar/naturenight2016.

PennFuture and The Clean Air Council are bringing representatives from different city agencies to University City this Tuesday (Aug. 23) to discuss transportation pollution and are hoping to form a more streamlined policy that reduces traffic and pollution. A roundtable discussion will take place at International House Philadelphia (Asia Room, 3701 Chestnut St) from 6 – 8 p.m.

The latest American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report shows that Philadelphia has very poor air quality, which creates a critical public health issue.

“By bringing key stakeholders together, we’ll determine concrete policy and programmatic actions that each sector can implement to reduce transportation-related pollution in the Philadelphia region,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director.  Continue Reading

The Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change (Facebook page) brought a lot of joy to the field near 40th and Walnut last night as part of the 40th Street Summer Series. Group members Fatu Gayflor, Marie Nyenabo, Tokay Tomah, and Zaye Tete performed traditional songs and called for unity in the Philadelphia community. Some audience members joined them in singing and dancing. (Photos by West Philly Local).

The Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change! (Image from the Philadelphia Folklore Project).

The Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change is performing Saturday in the green space near the Walnut West Library at 40th and Walnut in one of the summer’s most anticipated neighborhood events.

Part of the University City District’s 40th Street Summer Series, the free performance begins at 6 p.m. and also includes Modero Dance Company, which were founded to combine traditional and modern Indonesian dance disciplines.

The Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change combines traditional song with a social message to promote strong and safe communities. Made up of accomplished singers, dancers and musicians, the chorus’s focus is awareness and dialogue about domestic violence and other concerns of Philadelphia-area Liberian immigrants.  Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) is launching a free seasonal community screening program, Movies on the Block, this Saturday (Aug. 20). This will be the second year of Movies on the Block, an initiative designed to support established community organizations in neighborhoods that have little access to film by providing film programming and facilitating engagement.

PFS has chosen weekly lead partners through a public application process. All partners worked with PFS to develop Movies on the Block events in collaboration with other community leaders, stakeholders and organizations.

The first screening (Ernest & Celestine) will be this Saturday at Kingsessing Playground (51st & Chester), and on Saturday, Sept. 17, Belmont and Mantua community members are invited to a screening of Shake the Dust at Belmont Charter School. Here are more details for each screening:  Continue Reading

Hillary Clinton is coming back to Philadelphia and this time she will visit a voter registration event in West Philadelphia, according to local media reports. The event will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 16 at West Philadelphia High School (4901 Chestnut St), beginning at 1:15 p.m. (doors open to the public at 11:15 a.m.).

The purpose of the event is to encourage people to register to vote before the October 11 deadline.

To RSVP, please go to the event’s page on the Hillary Clinton website.