A note from our Co-Chairs

~Beth & Andrea

Q1 Board Updates

The big-ticket items from our past few Board meetings included reviewing our 2026 Grant and Scholarship applications, selecting a date and location for our Touchstones event this year, and continued updates from all of our committees!

Phield Notes

Different Roots, One Shared Garden

Marie Forney, PE

Water Resources Engineer, CWP

Outreach Committee Chair & ExCom Secretary

I’ve been shopping for garden flags. Over the years, I’ve been cultivating a native and pollinator-friendly oasis of wildflowers in front of our house. I’ve also added a few decorations: a couple statues here, some painted stones there, a ball of nesting material for birds, and a small flag stand. I like to switch the flags out for the seasons or holidays: pumpkins in the fall, hummingbirds in summer, and an Eagles flag if the Birds are in the playoffs. But as our country is approaching the 250th anniversary of its founding, I’ve been contemplating adding a patriotic banner to the mix. And the search for the perfect one has been far more difficult than I anticipated.

On one hand, I grew up reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school every morning. I’ve closely followed NASA’s pursuit of exploring the stars, visited several astoundingly beautiful national parks, and enjoyed the relative comfort afforded by living in one of the most powerful nations on Earth. I have relatives in the military, I vote in every election, and I believe that there is a lot of good in these United States.

But on the other hand, I am keenly aware of the country’s imperfections. It’s hard to remain optimistic about our future when we have tenuous human rights, homelessness in the same country as billionaires, science and climate skepticism, high costs and low availability of healthcare, and especially an exponentially polarized partisan system. My search of flags yielded plenty of flags with calls to action, to stand up against injustice. I do tend to lean towards one side of the political spectrum, but seeing flags with messages of hate, even towards a certain individual with whom I vehemently disagree, made me uneasy.

Our country has often been described as a melting pot. Our origins and life stories and beliefs and circumstances are all as diverse as the ingredients in a recipe, the landscapes we inhabit, or indeed, the flowers in a garden. Although lately I’ve been troubled over many current events, I have also recognized that the only way we can move forward is if we do so together. United. Indivisible.

As my search continued, I saw a design with all kinds of flowers on it, emblazoned with the message: “Different roots, one shared garden.” Nature is at its most stable when there are numerous species filling different niches. And I believe that humanity shares this principle. Our country’s roots have been tangled and trampled, but also fruitful and beautiful. So as we approach the Semiquincentennial, my call is to embrace our differences, our individuality, our dreams, and ultimately, each other.

Next month, SWEP GP will be issuing a special edition newsletter for the Semiquincentennial, focused on the environmental history of the Greater Philadelphia region. We are uniquely situated in the birthplace of the United States, and so much of our history is reflected in this microcosm: from the Native American tribes to colonial times, through conflicts and triumphs, industrialization and conservation. Our city is a hallmark of both history and hope, and we’d like to highlight that as we approach the 250th Anniversary.

If you have any interest in contributing to this special edition, please reach out to our Outreach Committee!

Upcoming Events

2026 Networking Night at the Ballpark - SWEP GP & BCONE Joint Event

This year we are bringing the heat and teaming up with BCONE to make a grand slam of a time! Catch up with colleagues, meet some new people, enjoy the food, drinks, fireworks, and (of course) baseball as we cheer on the Reading Fightin Phils in their game against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies! 

Thank you to ALS USA Environmental for sponsoring this event!

Monthly Member Poll 

You may have noticed that we haven't published a newsletter since February. As Outreach Committee Chair, I take full blame for its absence, which coincided with my own. After almost ten years following a particular path in the environmental field, I decided that I needed a fresh start. On June 1st, I began my dream job as a Water Resources Engineer at an environmental nonprofit. And so for this month's poll, I'd like to ask our members about their satisfaction with their career. For my part, I don't think I'll be going anywhere anytime soon.

In February, we asked what your favorite sport to watch was at the Winter Olympics. It was a five-way tie between Freestyle skiing / ski jumping, Curling, Bobsleigh / luge / skeleton, Snowboarding, and Ice hockey.

Touchstone Updates

Scholarships & Grants Updates 

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