Love Philly? So do we. Let’s be friends. The Billy Penn newsletter keeps you informed about everything Philly, with a quirky vibe of healthy skepticism and persistent optimism. Join us and sign up today.
A group of cyclists rolled through North Philly Wednesday night — cutting the gray blanket of fog with neon reflective vests and tires flashing with rainbow-colored lights. Every few blocks, one of the riders reached into a pocket and tossed a small brown ball into a vacant lot.
From the sidewalk, it might have looked like littering. Come summer, however, those same empty lots could be covered in purple coneflowers, bee balm and black-eyed Susans. The riders are vigilantes for biodiversity.
Each ball — called a “seed bomb” — contains a collection of native plant seeds.
Planting native plants
The idea for the ride comes from the educational non-profit, Skype a Scientist. Executive director Sarah McAnulty — aka Philly’s “friendly neighborhood squid scientist” — teamed up with the social cycling group Wednesday Nights Rides, as part of a guerilla marketing approach to get Philadelphians planting native plants.
“It’s really heartwarming to have two groups of people that get together regularly crossover,” McAnulty said. “It’s a perfect Philadelphia moment for me.”
Before the group set out for their 7:10 p.m. start, they gathered at Penn Treaty Park along the Delaware to arm themselves.
“This is the first time we’ve ever had a Wednesday ride, where we’ve asked people to throw clods of dirt from their bikes,” organizer Stefan Zajic instructed. “So please think about that a little. Be thoughtful as you’re throwing your clods of dirt. Don’t throw them at people or cars or anything that will be very angry at you for doing that.”
According to McAnulty, the damp, cold weather of early March meant perfect conditions.
“A lot of the seeds that evolved in Philly, they’re used to having a winter, so they want to get cold and soggy for a couple weeks before they sprout,” she said. “So on a cold, soggy night, like right now, this is the perfect time for them to get into the soil.”
Around 50 people took part. The goal was to hit areas like rain gardens, empty lots and verges on the side of the road that don’t have anything growing on them. In doing so, the riders not only add to the city’s green spaces, but also help out native insects and animals who need local plants to thrive.
“We’ve got hundreds of seed bombs,” Zajic said. “Please take them.”
Nick Dugan, a Fishtown resident, has followed Wednesday Nights Rides on social media for years. He finally came out to be a part of the seed bomb project.
“Biodiversity and saving our species, helping out insects, birds, is something super important to me,” Dugan said. “I’m a bird watcher, so any little things we can do to help the planet.”
“The last few weeks, I’ve seen some like statistics about diversity in bird species declining,” he added. “I want to live in a world where we have these beautiful things, and where we live in a world full of nature.”
We too at Billy Penn like beautiful things and helping native species, so we decided to hop on our bikes, follow along and throw some seeds.
The ride
Riding a bike at night in Philadelphia is not necessarily a fun experience. Often, cars park in bike lanes (if there even is a bike lane at all). It’s not unusual to get honked or yelled at for just being on the road. All the while, 10% of your brain can’t help but wonder if you’re going to get seriously injured — a parked car door could suddenly open, or one of your tires could get caught in a trolley track.
The Wednesday Night Ride experience adds safety in numbers. The group travels in a pack, with organizers in the front and back — yelling for things like broken glass, pot holes and red lights.
“I live around here, so I’ve ridden a lot of these streets before, but it’s a different vibe when you’re with a group,” said Dylan Sharpe, a local nurse. “Because you don’t have to worry as much about cars — things like that — it’s a safety in numbers kind of situation.”
The added brain space also gave us a chance to look around and take in the city a bit more, appreciating Philly’s brick row homes and industrial structures.
The pace stayed around 9 miles per hour. The idea is a mellow, beginner friendly ride where no one gets left behind. At one point a commuter on her bike crossed paths, and happened to join in.
“I’m just coming home from work!” she exclaimed, seemingly happy to have found other cyclists.
During the ride, we kept our eyes peeled for the right opportunities to throw our seed bombs. It wasn’t always easy. For starters, it was dark out. What’s more, throwing a little ball of clay, while riding, takes coordination. The balls were light and didn’t have too much heft for throwing purposes.
Often, riders chucked them one handed from the middle of the road. Other times, we waited to throw at natural stopping points. Not all throws were successful.
“Somebody hit me with one at one point during the ride by accident,” Sharpe reported.
“It was hard to find fully empty lots or bare dirt patches where there wasn’t grass or trees,” Dugan said.
Still, everyone did their best to give all the seeds a chance.
“Luckily, we had some people at the front of our group that were yelling, ‘Seed bomb left. Seed bomb, right,’” Dugan said. “Hopefully some stuck.”
The entire ride was seven miles long. We went up 13th and then back down American. There was also some ire from cars, with the group receiving the occasional honk. Still, the Wednesday Night Riders were undeterred — happy to flip the script and be the majority on the road. Near the end of the ride, a woman shouted from her second story window to cheer us on.
“We’re the members of the community,” said Shea Plunkett, an engineer from East Kensington. “If the city isn’t gonna work to make the spaces nice for people not in cars, might as well take the beautification into our own hands.”
“Taking back our native world”
The ride concluded at the Monkey Club in Kensington, where cyclists could grab a beer. As an added bonus, the bar had special pint glasses with native plant-inspired designs from Skype a Scientist.
One featured a nice bug in pink shades on a bike with the words, “I’ve got a need for seed.” Billy Penn ended up stealing two of said glasses. (You’re also encouraged to head to the Monkey Club — or the other 12 spots that have the glasses available — and do the same, while also donating to the cause as penance.) There are currently around 1,500 glasses out there.
At the Monkey Club, riders had the opportunity to chat with each other and reflect on the experience.
“I prefer to go on a ride in the winter, because groups are much smaller and you have more of a chance to talk to other riders,” said Adrahos Petrucha, a regular from West Philly. “You can make friends.”
Sharpe and his wife Chelsea Olansen were decompressing at the bar after the ride. They were talking with Dugan, who they had just met, reflecting on the experience together.
“It’s nice to change it up,” Sharpe said. “We live in a very car-centric world. I’m kind of forced to commute by car because of where I work, so it’s nice to get out there. And I think seed bombing is a little bit of a rebellion against that — taking back our native world from all the asphalt and grass and lack of diversity out there.”
