The inaugural Climate Education for Writers program ran from September 20 – November 20, 2026, with weekly meetings that alternate between field trips and online sessions. The program culminated with a public salon featuring Buried Creek Collective writers and multidisciplinary artists engaged with the Philadelphia environment.
Program schedule
Class 1: What even is Philadelphia?
Sunday, September 20 from 1 – 4 p.m.
Field trip: The Discovery Center
Topics: Philadelphia geology, hydrology, and climate; environmental intersectionality; creative climate resilience
Class 2: Climate and environmental challenges in Philadelphia
Wednesday, September 23 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Zoom
Topics: Climate change 101, climate impacts, environmental impacts
Class 3: Water and watersheds
Saturday, October 3 from 1 – 4 p.m.
Field trip: Fairmount Water Works
Topics: Philadelphia water history, water quality, green stormwater infrastructure
Class 4: Community and political action
Thursday, October 8 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Zoom
Speaker: Cesali Morales, Director of Community Organizing and Public Programs for Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership
Speaker: Molly Parzen, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania
Class 5: Ecology and wildlife
Saturday, October 17 from 2 – 5 p.m.
Field trip: The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
Topics: Ecology 101, biodiversity, challenges for urban wildlife, community science
Class 6: Climate justice
Monday, October 19 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Zoom
Speaker: Emily Abendroth, Senior Program Coordinator of Philly Climate Works (PCW) and Here 4 Climate Justice
Speaker: Harrison Watson, Conservation and Justice Fellow for American Bird Conservancy
Class 7: Land use
Saturday, November 7 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Field trip: Agricultural Resource Center and Fair Amount Food Forest
Topics: Land use, urban agriculture
Class 8: National and global perspectives
Monday, November 9 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Zoom
Speaker: Jesse Keenan, Director of the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism, Tulane University and author of North: The Future of Post-Climate America
“Class” 9: Celebration!
Daylight after Dark: Artists and Writers on Climate Change
Friday, November 20 from 6 – 9 p.m.
Free and open to the public
