Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society
2014 Field Trip Schedule
Please note that all field trips begin at 10 AM at the appointed meeting place, unless otherwise stated in the description. Some trip leaders request that you notify them that you will be participating, as noted in the trip descriptions. Please feel free to provide feedback or comments that may enhance our offerings to the Field trip coordinator, David Lauer DML1000@comcast.net.
If anyone is interested in carpooling, please let David Lauer know at the above email address at least 2 weeks before the trip, and include your name, contact information and place where you are located. I will send out a trip announcement the week before each trip, and will include the information within that announcement of anyone seeking carpool partners.
Many of these trips are being held jointly with the Philadelphia Botanical Club (PBC). The PBC will be hosting additional trips, so feel free to check their website for additional opportunities.
April 19 (Saturday): Shenk’s Ferry, Lancaster County, PA
This is an informal trip to one of the best local concentrations of spring wildflowers. As described on PPL’s website, “Shenk's Ferry Wildlife Preserve" is one of the most impressive wildflower areas in the eastern United States and certainly one of the most popular natural locations in Lancaster County. PPL takes pride in preserving the glen as a wildflower sanctuary. Located just north of Pequea along the Susquehanna River in southern Lancaster County, the 50-acre glen surrounds Grubb Run off of Green Hill Road. The main wildflower trail is approximately 1 mile long and follows Grubb Run along an easy walking path on fairly flat terrain. At least 73 species of flowers bloom from mid-March until the end of May. More than 60 other species of flowers bloom during the summer and fall. Some of the more common flowers include Dutchman's breeches, wild geranium, wild ginger, Virginia bluebells, mayapple, trillium and spring beauty.” This trip is informal, and there should be many folks from other botanical groups present that day. PBC and Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society members will meet at the usual time of 10 AM, but you can arrive at any time and go at your own pace. Joan King, President of the Lancaster-based Muhlenberg Botanical Society will be leading a trip begin-ning at 1 PM. (http://paplantings.blogspot.com/search/label/Muhlenberg%20Botanic%20Club%20Field%20Trips%20up%20coming).A joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club.
Directions: Go south through Lancaster on Route 272, and then southwest on New Danville Pike (Route 324), and go through the town of Conestoga. At the post office veer left onto River Corner Road. In 1.3 miles you will cross River Road and the name changes to Shenks Ferry Road. At the “T” intersection with Green Hill Road, turn left, head downhill and under the railroad through the tunnel. About 200 feet ahead, bear left and drive to the parking areas near the stream crossing.
April 20 (Sunday): Haddington Woods, Cobbs Creek Park, Philadelphia, PA
This site within the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation system and formerly known as Bocce Woods, has seeps, a former quarry (presently a wetland, and an approximately 100 year old stand of trees. This woodland is transitioning from an early succession stage with tulip poplar to oak-hickory. There is also floodplain habitat, a wetland that was reconstructed in the late 1990s and an upland alder stand. A joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club
Directions: We will meet at 11 AM in the Bocce Club parking lot, 6600 Vine Street, Philadelphia PA 19109.
Leader: David Hewitt, email: Hewitt@wagnerfreeinstitute.org
May 3-4 (Saturday, Sunday) “Little Cove,” and Shippensburg area, Franklin, Cumberland and Adams Counties, PA
Our leader, Larry Klotz, is a resident botanist in this area and very familiar with the local flora. On Saturday we will visit “Little Cove,” in the scenic southwestern corner of Franklin County. The varied topography and substrates support a rich vernal flora including Trillium sessile, Delphinium tricorne, Jeffersonia diphylla, Chaerophyllum procumbens, Hydrophyllum macrophyllum, Phacelia dubia, Opuntia humifusa, Primula (Dodecatheon) meadia, Ptelea trifoliata, and many other species. We'll stay overnight just south of Shippensburg PA (Super 8 motel, 3648 Old Scotland Road, I-81 Ext 20 on Right of 696, Scotland, PA 17201). Breakfast at 8 AM on Sunday, and then we'll head to several sites as follows and as time permits: 1. Mountain Run Pond, a Nature Conservancy Preserve in eastern Franklin County, to see a large population of Golden Club (Orontium aquaticum) in bloom. 2. Michaux State Forest, northern Adams County, at the crossing of State Route233 and Shippensburg-Arendtsville Road, to see Iris verna in bloom. 3. The Appalachian Trail in the floodplain forest of the Conodoguinet Creek in Middlesex, near the interchange of the PA Turnpike with I-81, to see nice stands of Virginia bluebells plus many other species. The Bluebells would typically be in peak bloom around the last weekend of April to the first weekend of May, but every year is different. 4. The Conodoguinet Creek floodplain forest in Camp Hill to see a vast population of Virginia Bluebells on a steep slope, plus some White Trout-Lilies (Erythronium albidum). The trip will end by 3 PM. Pre-registration requested to ensure proper communications etc. Please email David Lauer, Field Trip Coordinator, (DML1000@comcast.net) if you plan to attend. Participation is possible for only Saturday or only Sunday; just let us know when you expect to participate and provide contact information. This is a joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club
Directions: Meet on Saturday at the Milky Way Restaurant, 99 Path Valley Road (State Route 75), Fort Loudon, north of the intersection of U.S. 30. We will then carpool or caravan to the junction of State Route 456 (Little Cove Road) and Red Rock Road, within view of the Maryland border. Moderate walking is required. Long pants and boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. Please make your own motel reservations; the Super 8 mentioned above is advised, but if you stay elsewhere, please let us know.
Leader: Larry Klotz, larry_klotz@hotmail.com, 717-532-8979 (home), 717-377-2678 (cell). Please pre-register at DML1000@comcast.net if you will be attending.
May 10-11 (Saturday-Sunday): Retracing the Bartrams' travels in the Catskill Mountains of New York
This meeting will commemorate the 1740s collecting trips to the Catskills of John and William Bartram. On Saturday we will visit Diamond Notch in Hunter-West Kill Wilderness Area, Greene County, to observe a rare first growth Fir-Spruce Forest and to see the “Balm of Gilead” (Abies balsamea) that the Bartram’s collected. Hopefully we will also sight Bartram’s serviceberry (Amelanchier bartramiana). On Sunday we will hike to McKinley (McKenley) Hollow in Big Indian Wilderness Area, Ulster County, to see spring ephemerals. in-cluding spring beauty, giant blue cohosh, hepatica, trout lilies, baneberries, bloodroot, trilliums, and others. Joel Fry, Curator at Bartram’s Garden in west Philadelphia will give a talk on the Bartram’s travels in the Catskills. This will be from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm at Haines Falls Train Station, Mountain Top Historical Society, Rt. 23A, Haines Falls, NY and will be titled “Flowers on the Frontier.” The talk will include a special focus on the Catskill trips of John and William 1741-1754 -- including notes from John Bartram’s draft Journal from September 1753 and discussion of herbarium specimens collected in the Catskills. The long correspondence and friendship between Cadwallader Colden of Coldenham and the Bartrams will also be discussed. Be prepared for uphill hikes with climbing on both hikes. Bring beverage, lunch, insect repellant or head net and proper waterproof footwear. We will be at fairly high elevation, so it would be prudent to bring weatherproof and warm outerwear . A list of overnight accommodations will be provided by the trip leaders. This is a joint trip with the Torrey Botanical Society, the Philadelphia Botanical Club, the Delaware Valley Fern and Wild-flower Society, the Olive Natural Heritage Society and the Catskill Wildflower Society.
Directions: Saturday: We will meet at 10:00AM at the Diamond Notch trail head DEC parking lot. The trail follows a path 1.3 mi along Hollow Tree Brook to the height of land at 2650 feet between Southwest Hunter Mtn and West Kill Mtn.; then on to Diamond Notch at 1.5 mi and beautiful Diamond Notch Falls and the junc-tion with the Devil's Path at a total of 2.5 miles (5 miles roundtrip.)This delightful route passes first growth northern hardwoods and spruce-fir forests such as John Bartram would have experienced. Take Exit 19 – Kingston off the NYS Thruway. At circle take 28 west 23 miles to Phoenicia. At Phoenicia take right onto Rte 214. Take Rte 214 east 5 miles to Diamond Notch Road. Make left onto Diamond Notch Road and con-tinue approximately 1 mile to trailhead parking lot.
Saturday, May 10 at 7:00PM
Directions to the Saturday evening lecture: Exit the NYS Thruway (I-87) at Exit 20 at Saugerties. Follow Rte. 32 north for approximately 6 miles to Rte. 32A to Rte. 23A west. Stay on Rte. 23A to the village of Haines Falls. Just before intersection with Route 18 make a right into Mountain Top Historical Society Campus. Follow the asphalt road from the Visitor Center parking lot, past the outbuilding and make a right at the intersec-tion of the three roads where you will see the Train Station Building.
Sunday: North-South Lake Hike – We will meet at 10:00AM on Sunday, May 11 at Scutt Road Parking Area near North-South Lake Park Entrance. We will follow along an approximate route the Bartrams may have taken in their 1753 trip to the North-South Lake area and Kaaterskill Falls. Hopefully we will also have time to hike the Escarpment with expansive views to the east and visit the site of the Catskill Mountain House. Exit the NYS Thruway (I-87) at Exit 20 at Saugerties. Follow Rte. 32 north for approximately 6 miles to Rte. 32A to Rte. 23A west. Stay on Rte. 23A to the village of Haines Falls. Make first right turn in Haines Falls onto County Rte. 18, Take Rte 18 (North Lake Road) approximately 2 miles and just before tollbooth, make a right on Schutt Road. Make first right into parking lot.
Lodgings: Please contact the leaders for suggestions
Leaders: Paul Harwood (917) 502-8010, pharwood27@me.com and Uli Lorimer (917 676 6991), ulilorimer@bbg.org, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225
May 17 (Saturday): Kelly's Run and Tucquan Glen, Lancaster Co., PA.
Both Kelly's Run and Tucquan Glen are wooded ravines that run down the eastern flank of the Susquehanna River gorge in southern Lancaster County, and both are excellent sites for unusual ferns. We'll begin by hik-ing down into Kelly's Run to examine a hemlock-shaded schist gorge with two species of independent fern gametophytes (Crepidomanes intricatum and Vittaria appalachiana). We will then carpool and/or shuttle to Erb's Mill at the head of Tucquan Glen and examine a similar glen in schist where Asplenium bradleyi, A. montanum, and A. pinnatifidum are present. Wear sturdy hiking boots. This is a joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club.
Directions: We'll meet at the Holtwood Recreation Area parking lot. From the intersection at Buck of Routes 272 and 372 (this is south of Lancaster on 272 and west of Quarryville on 372) head west on Route 372, Holtwood Road. Shortly after passing the Muddy Run Camping area on the left, you will bear right onto Old Holtwood Road. If you miss the turn, then take the next right turn onto Hilldale Road and then immediately turn left onto Old Holtwood Road. Continue on Old Holtwood Rd, crossing River Road, and then bear right at at the fork onto Street Road. Almost immediately you will come to the Holtwood Recreation area parking lot on the right.
Leader: Chris Hoess, choess@stwing.upenn.edu
May 24 (Saturday): Unionville Serpentine Barrens, Chester County, PA and a brown bag lunch at the gardens of Roselyn and David Malarek
The initial part of this trip in the morning is to one of Pennsylvania's highest-quality serpentine barrens and it comes near the 51-year anniversary of a field trip led on 27 April 27 1963 by Dr. Robert B. Gordon of West Chester University and Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, retired Penn professor and president of the PBC and co-founder of the DVFWS. Two-thirds of the Unionville Barrens are protected within the Natural Lands Trust's ChesLen Preserve. The grasslands and post oak (Quercus stellata)–Bush oak (Q. ×bushii) woodlands are remnants of a landscape managed for centuries by American Indians using fire. With fire exclusion, the species-rich serpen-tine grasslands declined from nearly 60 acres in 1937 to less than 9 acres in 2010, but have subsequently in-creased to 21 acres. This loss in area has resulted in species extirpation: 10 state-listed species have disap-peared, although 20 remain. The Trust plans to restore and maintain at least 40 acres of serpentine grassland. The blueprint for that effort is the Unionville Barrens Restoration and Management Plan (http://www.continentalconservation.us/Roger Latham publications_files/Unionville_Barrens_plan_NLT.pdf), which describes the site's history, flora and ecology. Appendix A is a survey by Janet Ebert listing 174 vascular plant species. We will see the globally rare serpentine aster (Symphyotrichum depauperatum) and many other species unusual for the northern Piedmont, for instance Virginia snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria), low bind-weed (Calystegia spithamaea), Bicknell’s sedge (Carex bicknellii), Richardson’s sedge (C. richardsonii), bar-rens chickweed (Cerastium velutinum), tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), Heller’s witchgrass (Dichanthelium oligosanthes), Bicknell’s hoary rockrose (Helianthemum bicknellii), Small’s ragwort (Packera anonyma), moss phlox (Phlox subulata), Faxon oak (Quercus ×faxonii), few-flowered nutrush (Scleria pau-ciflora) and white-topped aster (Sericocarpus asteroides). Wear footgear suitable for wet walking. The morning part of this trip is a joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club.
DVFWS members are invited to have a brown bag lunch at the home of Roselyn and David Malarek beginning at 1 PM. They are located only a mile away from the above mentioned site. Drinks and dessert will be provided, but bring your own brown bag staples. You need not attend the morning session at the Unionville Barrens to attend this lunch, and members who attend the barrens trip need not necessarily attend the lunch. But do please join us, and please let the Malareks know 4 – 5 days ahead of the trip if you plan to visit with them. (rlmal@verizon.net)
Directions: To Unionville Barrens: Meet at the intersection of Cannery Road and Kelsall Road, 5 miles north of Kennett Square, Chester County, PA (39°54'36"N, 75°43'05"W). Park either in the graveled area on the west side in the acute angle of that intersection or along the north side of Cannery Road just east of the inter-section, in the wide grassy berm. Leader: Roger Latham—office 610-565-3405; email rel@continentalconservation.us; cell phone (to call only on the morning of the field trip) 484-682-9648.
To the Malareks: Directions: Left out of main entrance to Natural Land Trust -- Cheslen (north and down hill). Left at T onto Rt. 162. Right in about 2 tenths of a mile at STOP onto Powell Rd. Right at STOP onto Brandy-wine Creek Rd. We are on the right about 3 tenths of a mile, behind deer fence. We’ll have a sign. Roselyn Malarek: rlmal@verizon.net
May 25 (Sunday): Blackbird State Forest, Delaware
Details: To be announced
Leader: Chris Hoess; choess@stwing.upenn.edu
June 8 (Sunday): Edison Bog, Sparta Mountain Preserve, Sussex County, NJ
No two bogs are exactly alike, and Edison Bog is certainly living proof of this fact. It fits nicely on the spec-trum between a mineral-poor acid bog and a calcareous bog or fen. Within its borders, surrounded and pro-tected by Sparta Mountain WMA, are plants normally found in both habitats. We will follow trails through forested uplands to the bog and back, experiencing a variety of habitats, and we may add a few species to the list of well over 300 recorded for the site. The history of this site is of some interest, as Thomas Edison once owned the land and conducted mining operations here. The mine entrances are still clearly visible. Now the New Jersey Audubon Society owns and protects a potion of the site and maintains it as a preserve for bird watching. Bring lunch, beverage, insect repellent, and wear suitable clothing. Wet areas may be avoided by anyone wishing to do so. For those who need to leave early, the parking area should be no more than a mile or so away most of the day. A joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club.
Directions: Meet in the parking area by the Edison Monument. Follow Route 517 to Ogdensburg, either north from Rt. 15 or south from Rt. 23. Turn east onto Edison Avenue, which shortly becomes Edison Road, and follow it for about 2.5 miles, the parking area is on the left.
Leader: David Austin davidaustin@verizon.net Cell 973-714-0013
June 14 (Saturday): Hausman Road, Salford Twp, Montgomery Co., PA
The Hausman Road Area is in Salford Township, Montgomery County and is just west of the main entrance to the Natural Lands Trust's Fulshaw Craeg Preserve. We will explore a region further down the creek from where we usually go when visiting this Preserve. Through this area flows the Ridge Valley Creek and, in addition, there is a forested area, a cleared 100’ wide area under a high tension line, and a nice meadow. The walking is easy; if time permits, we can also explore the five meadows of Fulshaw Craeg.
Directions: From the Lansdale exit on the NE extension. Take Rt 63 west 6.9 mi to Barndt Road. On the way, you will pass through Harleysville and cross over Rt 113. Go through the traffic light at Shelly Road. Turn right on Barndt Road which is the next traffic light. At the stop sign, (.3 mi) turn left on Ridge Road - Rt 563. Go .2 mi and turn right on Township Line Road. In .3 mi, bear right on Camp Green Lane Road. At the stop sign, (.3 mi) turn right into the parking lot at the kiosk.
Leader: Link M. Davis, H 610-287-6635, C 610-316-0036
June 30 (Monday): Houston Meadows, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA
Joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club. Houston Meadows is a surprisingly high-quality native grassland within the city of Philadelphia. Historically, the meadows were kept open by a combination of infertile soil, grazing, and fire, but during the 20th century the meadows shrank considerably. However, in 2009 the city began an ambitious restoration program. The restored areas change yearly, so what we see there will be an adventure. In the core long-term grassland we will see such native grasses and forbs as green milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora; hopefully in bloom), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), whitetop aster (Sericocarpus asteroides), and several bonesets (Eupatorium spp.) Shrubby areas offer various ericaceous shrubs, notably deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum). We will also see a few of the many oddities one finds in Fairmount Park (in this case, shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria) and male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas).
Directions: Meet in front of the Houston Recreation Center, which is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. Anyone who wants to take public transportation can contact the leader, who will arrange a car-pool from stations on the Chestnut Hill West or Chestnut Hill East train lines. By car, take Ridge Avenue to the intersection with East Cathedral Road (marked by Cathedral Village Retirement Community on the north-west corner and Andorra Shopping Center on the southeast corner). Drive east on East Cathedral Avenue for about 0.6 mile. Turn left onto Wissahickon Avenue at the Courtesy Stables and go one short block to Grakyn Lane. Turn right on this one-way street and park in front of the Houston Recreation Center.
Leader: Janet Novak, botany@indri.org; cell 215-534-6700
July 12 (Saturday): Basic Fern Identification Workshop
Joint workshop with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society and the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. In this workshop, you can learn to identify the most common ferns of our area. We will go over the characteristics that distinguish fern species, using fresh fronds as examples. We will also identify ferns in the field in the Pennypack Creek vicinity. No prior experience with fern identification is required, nor is equipment necessary, although a hand lens will be helpful if you have one. Bring a fron of any native fern that you want to identify. The workshop will end at approximately 2 PM. Participation in the workshop is limited to those who are members of the Philadelphia Botanical Club, the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society, or the Pennypack Trust, and there is a limit of 20 participants. Register, therefore, first-come-first-served as soon as possible by contacting the leader.
Location: Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. Directions will be sent upon registration with the leader.
Leader: Janet Novak, botany@indri.org; cell 215-534-6700
July 26 (Saturday): Native Fern Propagation Workshop and picnic at meeting at Morris Arboretum.
Full description page 7 May 1st registration deadline.
August 10 (Sunday): Spring Mountain and the Perkiomen Trail, Montgomery County, PA
Joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club. Spring mountain offers some small but nice grasslands and a lot of rocky woods with rich, diabase-based soil. This trip is timed to see meadow flowers, notably Sabatia angularis (rose pink). Another goal is confirming Acer spicatum (mountain maple), as Spring Mountain is one of the southernmost lowland sites reported for this species, and on a winter trip last year, we believe we found the plant.
Directions: From Schwenksville, take route 73 north. At the north edge of town, turn right on Park Ave./Schwenksville Road (at the light with Ortino's Restaurant on the corner). After 0.3 mile, make a sharp left onto Cedar Road. Take 1st left into a large parking lot.
Leader: Janet Novak, botany@indri.org; cell 215-534-6700
13 September (Saturday): Abbott Marshlands, Mercer County, NJ
This trip is intended as an introduction to aquatic plants for beginners in this area, also known as the Hamilton/Trenton/Bordentown Marsh, but all are welcome. In the morning, we will examine common wetland species in and around the lake, but Heteranthera multiflora and Wolffiella gladiata, NJ rare species, are likely. After lunch, we will visit a tidal marsh or swamp site, part of the northernmost tidal freshwater wetland on the Delaware River. Hip boots or VERY old footwear are recommended. In PM unless site is filled in, we will look for Ammania coccinia, last seen in NJ 100 years ago; Bidens bidentoides is also a possibility. Bring lunch, beverage, and insect repellent. For information about the Abbott Marshlands see: www.marsh-friends.org. (This area is also known as the Hamilton-Trenton- Bordentown Marsh). This is a joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club
Directions: Meet at the Mercer County Roebling Park parking lot at Spring Lake, Hamilton, NJ. For directions and map, see www.marsh-friends.org. Take South Broad St. (NJ. 206) in Hamilton to Sewell Ave.; at the end of Sewell, turn left and drive down the hill.
Leader: Mary Leck, 105 Kendall Road, Kendall Park, NJ 08824; 732-821-8310, leck@rider.edu.
October 4, 2014 (Saturday): Saddler’s Woods, Haddon Township, Camden County, NJ
Saddler’s Woods is a 25-acre urban woodland in the inner coastal plain containing a fragment of oldgrowth beech-oak forest and hardwood floodplain forest along Saddler’s Run. We will expect to see
Symphyotrichum spp., Solidago spp., Hamamelis virginiana, Epifagus virginiana, and Ageratina
altissima in flower, as well as Euonymus americanus and Viburnum dentatum in fruit.
A myriad of artifacts has been found in Saddler’s Woods, including Leni Lenape arrowheads, pottery
remnants, and a midden heap. Ownership of the site can be traced back to Joshua Saddler, a runaway
slave who escaped a Maryland plantation in the early 1800s. Saddler found good work farming in the
area, bought a plot of forested land and built a small house. Laying the foundation for future protection
of his wooded plot, Saddler wrote into his will that “none of the timber shall be cut thereon”. The
Saddler’s Woods Conservation Association, borne of many activists efforts over the past 30 years, is in
its 10th year of managing the now-protected site for invasive species, erosion and human impacts. .An
American beech near Saddler’s Run would have been over 100 years old during Saddler’s time there.
This is a joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club
Directions: Meet at the main trailhead and tool shed across from the Haddonview Apartments. From
Routes 70 or 38, take the Cuthbert Boulevard ramp south toward Collingswood, Oaklyn, Haddon
Township. Take Cuthbert Blvd south about 1.9 miles and make a left at the sixth light onto MacArthur
Boulevard. Continue down MacArthur Boulevard just past the entrance to the Westmont Plaza.
Saddler's Woods is on your right. Parking is available on the street. For internet map searches enter 250
MacArthur Blvd, Haddon Township, NJ 08108.
Leader: Robyn A. Jeney, robynjeney@gmail.com; 856-287-3727.
October 18 (Saturday): Woody Plant Propagation Workshop and Greenland Nursery Tour, Philadelphia PA.
Greenland Nursery is operated by the Philadelphia Department of Parks & Recreation, but has been a Fair-mount Park facility since the late 1800s. After years of neglect, it is being restored to serve as a source of local provenance native plants for use in projects throughout the city. We will tour the nursery, looking at the current production setup and the relics of the nursery's past. There will be an introductory talk on woody plant propagation techniques, and everyone will try their hands at propagating a few natives before the day is done. This area was the site of the 1876 national Centennial Exhibition. The surrounding woods are interesting, and contain a number of exotic species that date from the time of the exhibition. When the workshop and tour conclude, we should have time to explore these woods. Workshop participation is limited to 15 individuals and pre-registration is requested. To register, Email David Lauer, field trip coordinator, at DML1000@comcast.net and provide your name, email address and telephone number. Registration is on a first come/first served basis, but a waiting list will be maintained. A donation of $10 is suggested but not required.
Directions: Greenland Nursery is located in West Fairmount Park. For Google Maps, 3750 Ford Rd.
Philadelphia, PA 19131 is the best address. From 76 take the Montgomery Drive Exit and travel west
on Montgomery (left if coming from 76W, right if from 76E). Turn right at Belmont Ave and go half a
mile. Turn right at the second light, Belmont Mansion Dr. and take the first left onto Chamounix Drive.
After half a mile you will come to a stop sign at Ford Rd, turn right here. A few hundred feet down on
the right look for the sign for the Recycling Center, and go through the yellow gates into the driveway.
Greenland Nursery will be on your right, park along the gravel road.
Leader: Maximilian (Max) Blaustein - Nursery Manager, (215) 410-9120,
maximilian.blaustein@phila.gov
December 7 (Sunday): Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve, Ambler, Montgomery County, PA
Joint trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society. The Gwynedd Preserve is a large
property of the Natural Lands Trust. It has lots of meadow, a small marsh, and some second-growth
woodlands. These varied habitats will offer plenty of scope for working on winter identification of
plants. A joint trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club
Directions: From the southwest, take US 202 northbound, then about 2 miles after you pass under the
Northeast Extension, turn left onto Township Line Road. After 0.3 miles, take the first right onto
Swedesford Road. After 0.6 miles, turn left into the preserve's driveway and park in the parking lot on
the left. From the east, take the PA Turnpike to exit 339 and get onto highway 309 north. After 3.3
miles, take the Norristown exit, turning left onto Norristown Road, which becomes Sumneytown Pike.
After 3 miles, turn left onto Swedesford Road, then after 1.1 miles, turn right into the preserve's
driveway and park in the lot on the left.
Leader: Janet Novak, janet@indri.org; cell 215-534-6700