A new guide to Wild Philly

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manger.

One of these days I’ll write about books on my night table again, or write about podcasts I listen to while working. But I am really excited about a new book that I keep at my fingertips: Wild Philly, by Mike Weilbacher (Timber Press, 2023).

Of course I’m thrilled that Crow’s Nest Preserve is one of two Natural Lands Preserves highlighted in the book as a great place to see nature around Philadelphia (the other one included is Cheslen Preserve). Among other things, Mike is the “All-natural science guy” on WXPN’s “Kids’ Corner” radio show, so sharing Crow’s Nest with him was a blast.

But this book is so much more than a guide to places to visit: that’s only the last section. Much of the book is a field guide to what to look for wherever you go—a field guide to the woody and herbaceous plants, birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians, and invertebrates right here. There are also sections on what you can do to attract these species at home, and what makes the Philadelphia region unique for nature: for example the region straddles the “fall line” between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain physiographic provinces and is home to distinct plant and animal communities unique to each.

The photographs also make this a beautiful guide, and I look forward to exploring some of the sites I haven’t yet visited. See you out here, and there, and there…