Planting seeds of discovery, knowledge, and stewardship, LandHealth Institute (LHI) is a grassroots nonprofit grounded in the belief that healthy land is at the root of healthy communities. Their native plant nursery in West Philadelphia was created on one of the city’s 40,000+ vacant lots, in a city where overburdened and underserved residents are 41% Black and 22.8% live below the federal poverty line. A once abandoned bus stop and overgrown, trash-filled wasteland has been transformed by LHI into a teaching nursery and retail platform. Other projects include a river restoration project on Cobbs Creek, tree planting at Mt. Moriah Cemetery, and an educational interactive podcast series. They conduct weekly WonderWalks, after school programs, and summer camps to educate community members on issues related to environmental stewardship. LHI’s mission – to put nature back and restore community connections – is at the core of every action.
LHI’s native plant nursery in Parkside, West Philadelphia, specializes in growing locally-adapted plants that are low maintenance and provide food and cover for other beneficial creatures, including pollinating insects and hummingbirds.
Founded in 2014, LHI focuses on exploration, immersive environmental education, and community-based land revitalization. Illustrating this commitment is LHI’s newest wetland restoration work to protect communities and habitats across the Delaware River Basin. Funded by the 2023 National Coastal Resilience Fund, this project uses nature-based solutions to mitigate coastal hazards for flood prone low-income, Black and Latinx communities, particularly those historically underserved in Philadelphia and Camden. LHI’s small staff, including co-op students from Drexel University, are making a big impact across the City of Brotherly Love. Their ongoing LHI efforts include the Philadelphia Watershed Stewardship Program, a sustainable urban environmental education program for high school students; City Wild an interactive day camp for middle school students, featuring ‘city as classroom’ to unique urban ecological destinations; and the ProFESS Summer Program, a 10-week paid experience for future environmentalists and stewards to explore ecology, watersheds, sustainable practices, and environmental justice.
The Philadelphia Watershed Stewardship (PWS) initiative is empowering high school students to become environmental scientists and stewards.