Date/Time
Date(s) - August 6, 2025
7:30 am - 9:30 am

Location
Forbidden Drive at Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19128

Love reading? Love hiking? Love chatting about books with other hikers? Join us for an early morning hike and book discussion! Let’s celebrate summer—read a book/poem/short story/essay focused on Birds—fiction or non-fiction. Here are some suggestions:

The Goldfinch—Donna Tartt
The Atomic Weight of Love—Elizabeth J. Church
The Nightingale—Kristin Hannah
The Spectator Bird—Wallace Stegner
H is for Hawk—Helen Macdonald
The Backyard Bird Chronicles—Amy Tan
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings—Maya Angelou
Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World—Christian Cooper

We will walk up to Andorra meadow to enjoy the early morning air (and hopefully spot some wildlife) and then continue on both the wooded trails around Andorra and Forbidden Drive. If you can’t get to (or finish) a book, come anyway! You might get a few good book recommendations, and you will always have a nice chat with other FOW hikers. Dress for the weather and bring along water and snacks as needed. Long pants are always recommended to protect from ticks and poison ivy. The walk will be at a moderate pace and there will be some hills.

Distance: 3 miles

Level: Moderate (some inclines and declines, uneven surfaces)

Registration is required for all hikes so that participants can be informed of weather or other emergency cancellations. 

Unless otherwise specified, Trail Ambassador Walks may be on rocky, rugged trails that may be wet and slippery. Wear sturdy shoes or boots with socks. Walks are cancelled in heavy rain. Service animals are always welcome. For more information contact Marisa Miller at miller@fow.org. Visit www.fow.org for updates.