Welcome back Loopers - it’s packed in here and beautiful out there.

Find me in the sunshine and say howdy! -Ed

Have a Lancaster local business that pours into the communty & interested in partnering with the Loop?

Good vibes only

Did you know Lancaster City has a peninsula?

Semi-hidden in the southern end of the city there’s a big bend in the Conestoga River that loops around over 70 wooded acres (see what I did there). The Sunnyside Peninsula is being transformed into Lancaster’s very first nature preserve.

A massive protected natural habitat that’s being designed for Lancastrians to explore, hike, and kayak.

Want some say in the final design?

This is a community project, which means your perspective is the most important part of the process. Take 5-10 minutes and complete the survey below.

Across 70 of those acres, an Environmental Center is in the works to become homebase for county orgs like the Lancaster Conservancy, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and many more. It’s going to be a hub for workshops, nature-based learning, and exhibits that really show how connected we are to our local environment…no screens allowed.

I made that last part up, but we should def post signs 📵

There are two site concepts under review and your input will decide what will serve our community best. Complete the survey and let’s see Sunnyside become a place we all cherish.

Near the bottom of the page you’ll see a button that says “take the survey“

who / what / where / when / why

April 22 is Earth Day.

Want to give the Earth a big hug that also saves you time & money this year?

Consider letting your yard be a bit more "weedy." By mowing less often and committing to a "no-spray" lawn, you not only save time and money but you create a vital sanctuary for bees…our tiny pollinators.

Random fact: Male bees can’t sting!

You’ve probably seen the news…bees are having a tough go of it. Habitat loss, pesticide and herbicide exposure, viruses, parasites, and climate shifts have all stacked the cards against the hive.

Curious to learn more about bees and how you might support them? The Lancaster County Beekeepers Society (LCBS) is the oldest beekeeping club in the US!

The LCBS is committed to the art and science of beekeeping. The mission is to educate the public, support local beekeepers, and ensure that honey bees continue to thrive in Lancaster.

This is also the time of the year you might see a honey bee swarm which is a natural part of a bee colony’s life cycle. Don’t panic. These bees are typically docile, but they do need a safe place to call home.

Spot one? Find a dedicated swarm collector in your area who can safely relocate these bees to professional apiaries. bzzzzzz

All your support goes directly towards keeping the Lancaster Loop alive and well.

The Loop will always be 100% free to read while being independently and locally written.

It’s a one human operation, supported by my beautiful wife of 23 years…she’s my not-so-secret reason these newsletters arrive grammar & spell-checked. So technically, “one human”, +1.

Many thanks to her & all of you -Ed

Step # 1 is the “URL”. A weekly orchestrated email for you, by me, to grow us.

Step #2 is the “IRL” (in real life) Neighbors meeting neighbors.

DINNER CLUB: Take the quiz, get paired with 5 readers, receive your restaurant invite the morning of June 4th, pay your way and enjoy your meal with neighbors and make some new friends. Then an optional rad afterparty.

June 4th 630p Lancaster City

LOOPERS LEARN MAHJONG: Bonus Perk for Round 2 on April 28th: If you’ve signed up for the second sold out event, watch your email & text for a fun update to the event this week!

IRL EXTRA EXTRA!

I’m on a Dinner Club high and I’ve been tinkering with a new idea. What if Instead of filling our bellies, we also filled our brains?

Alright, twist my arm…of course food & drinks would still be on the menu.

There’s a new event idea I’m noodling on…Loopers Learn: Social Studies

I LOVE learning and…alliterations, clearly. I’d keep this “no homework” style, but I really NERD out when I find people with deep passion for a topic. Any topic.

Here’s what I’m thinking…I’d source an expert, lock in a local tavern, cafe, diner, brasserie, or beanery and we’d settle in for a SME (subject matter expert) to share a short & fun lecture on topics from local history, to food, to bees, to the Conestoga, to really anything that’s rad.

We’ll learn new things, meet new neighbors, and get out into the real world to connect with people.

If you want it, I’ll start start building this next Loop conduit for community IRL.