🐜 Feeling antsy | Outdoorsy Newsletter

Feeling whiplash from the weather? Same here. I spent a few days down the Shore for my birthday and was lucky enough to catch some sun.

There’s plenty to do outside this weekend, including a plant swap in Northern Liberties and a splashy, kid-friendly celebration for a new Philly park. Check our full calendar here.

Today’s lineup:

🌧️ Keep an umbrella handy: Random rains and the icky-sticky moisture will stick around for a bit.

— Paola Pérez ([email protected])

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Sorry for the jump scare, but we need to talk about the newest creepy-crawly thing that’s apparently in town. Just thinking about it gives me chills — and typing this isn’t helping.

The creature in question is called a stinging Asian needle ant.

But don’t fret just yet. Here’s a rundown of what we know about them right now:

🐜 First detected in 1932, this ant has been spreading across the United States largely undetected. Their only reported sightings in Pa. are in the Philly area. So far, no stings out of New Jersey.

🐜 Its sting packs a painful punch, as its name suggests. This can cause life-threatening anaphylaxis in some people, especially those already hypersensitive to other stinging insects.

🐜 But experts say we shouldn’t panic. They are not yet a threat to homeowners or picnickers. Still, their sting — and the potential environmental damage they could cause — are certainly unwelcome.

The way I see it, these folks won’t ruin our summer. But it’s good to know what to look out for, and to report them if you notice any lurkers around. Read on for more important takeaways.

🎤 Now I’m passing the microphone to Jason Nark.

Long before John McPhee’s The Pine Barrens was published, New Jersey’s vast, dreamlike swath of sand and scrubby pines was seen as a wasteland by the unfamiliar, a place full of pirate lore, monsters, and recluses.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Princeton native is credited as being the first to paint the Pinelands as a place worth preserving with his 1968 creative nonfiction book, inspiring everyday readers to canoe its tea-colored waters and elected officials to save it.

Today, the Pinelands National Preserve covers about 1.1 million acres, the largest body of open space on the East Coast between Boston and Richmond, a biological island of sorts, filled with unique flora and fauna.

McPhee, who is 94, was always modest about his book’s impact, telling the Philadelphia Daily News in 2013 that he “didn’t go there on a mission.”

“I went to find interesting people in interesting places and tell some stories,” he said at the time. His book was first published in the New Yorker. — Jason Nark

Keep reading to learn how McPhee’s impact on the landscape will endure long after he’s gone.

When Rob Thuener and his husband, Dave Jones, bought their bungalow in Camden County, the outside was sparse. It had only grass, a few shrubs, and five trees.

Today, there are 60 trees — including pawpaw, Granny Smith, and heirloom apple — and several hundred plants and shrubs. It’s artistically designed and planted for year-round color.

Get lost in this Westmont property garden.

Doug Dash, a retired postal worker, says painting tree trunks is not just for decorative purposes — it’s a traditional technique in orchards and landscapes around the world, good for pest prevention and sun protection.

I recently tried kayaking at an open house hosted by the Philadelphia Canoe Club, and it was an absolute delight. In a future edition, we’ll talk about them and other outdoors clubs you should check out across the Philadelphia region.

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, I’d love to hear about your experience in the wild. In 200 words, share your favorite adventures or special outdoor memories. Pictures, if you have them, are awesome. You might see it featured here.

Until next time!

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