Neshaminy State Park - River Trail
Neshaminy State Park Reforestation
1236 Native Trees and Shrubs were planted in Neshaminy State Park from 2020-2022 by volunteers for Nonprofit Excel Events funded by Treevitalize and in Partnership with Keystone 10 Million Trees.
This is a Reforestation project remediating 2.5 acres covered by invasive plants back into native habitat. First we remove invasive plants then plant native trees and shrubs that can handle both drought and wet conditions. The funding came initially from a riparian buffer grant to help divert storm water in a priority flood zone. This will provide natural habitat for wildlife and migrating birds while native flowering shrubs feed pollinators and flowering native trees help feed other insects.
Dates of volunteer events
We have ongoing volunteer opportunities tending this 2.5 acre area in Neshaminy State Park along the (River Trail).
(Spring/Fall 2025 Tree Tending) 9am - 12 noon
Saturday 4-5-25 (9 am-12 noon)
Saturday 6-28-25 (9 am-12 noon)
Saturday 7-5-25 (9 am-12 noon)
Saturday 7-19-25 (9 am-12 noon) - (Tree Tending/Weeding) (lots of weeds this time of year)
Saturday 8-2-25 (9 am-12 noon)
Saturday 11-29-25 (9 am-12 noon)
Species totals
We planted 961 Trees of 14 native to Pennsylvania species from 2020 to 2022.
225 trees in 2020, 325 trees in 2021 and 411 trees in 2022.
275 Shrubs from 8 native berrying species were planted between 2020 and 2022.
100 shrubs in 2020, 25 in 2021 and 125 more 2022.
2 persimmon and and 3 blueberry bushes added (4-6-2024)
7 trees (1 American Plum, 1 Basswood, 1 Silver Maple, 1 Swamp White Oak, 2 Red Buds, 1 Beech) 2024 Fall (9-7-24)
Trees
183 Sycamore
150 River Birch
130 Pin Oaks
125 Tulip Poplar
100 Paw Paw
50 Sassafras
20 Sweet Bay Magnolia
25 Black Gum
25 Black Willow Oak
25 Red Oaks
8 Red Buds
6 Sweetgum
5 White Pine
2 Persimmon
Shrubs
50 Elderberry
50 Winterberry
50 Black choke berry
25 WitchHazel
25 Red Choke Berry
25 Grey dogwood
25 Red Dogwood
25 Spice Bush
3 Blue berry
History and Progress of this project:
We continually need help tree tending the weeding 1236 Native Trees and Shrubs.
Project Updates
(9-7-24) Tree planting and Tending
On Saturday 9-7-24, 7 trees were planted with the help of 5 volunteers. We purchased these trees with funding from KeepPABeautiful / Giant Grocery stores grant. 2024 Fall.
We also tended the many trees uncovering sycamores from mile a minute. Some Sycamores regrew from the root after being eaten by Voles as 20 ft tall 3 inch trunk trees this year.
1 American Plum
1 Basswood
1 Silver Maple
1 Swamp White Oak
2 Red Buds
1 Beech
(7-12-24) River Trail video update
2020 planted trees have a complete canopy which prevents sun from hitting the soon-to-be forest floor. the 2022 still need another year or 2 before it can hold back the mile a minute on its own. Annual weed whacking in the beginning of July is necessary.
(4-6-24) Tree planting and Tending
2 Persimmon and 3 blue berry were planted to add to the edible riparian buffer and floodplain. As 5 volunteers, tree tended and removed weeds.
Project History
First, in September 2020, we planted 100 Native trees / 22 Native shrubs with a fancy metal cage and large tree riparian grant from TreeVitalize.
In October 2020 we planted an additional 125 trees and 75 Shrubs from a different grant from Keystone 10 million trees in the 2nd phase of the project.
In Spring 2021, in our the 3rd Phase of the Neshaminy State Park Reforestation Project we planted 125 nice larger trees in fancy deer protection metal cages from TreeVitalize.
In the 4th Phase also in the spring of 2021 we planted another 200 bare root trees (Sycamore, Tulip Poplar) in Tubex from a different grant from Keystone 10 million trees.
In the 5th Phase in Spring of 2022 we planted 2 areas in Neshaminy State Park with an additional 655 trees. 30 larger trees for a separate grove funded by Excel Events while an additional 600 trees and shrubs were provided through our partner Keystone 10 Million Trees (Chesapeake Bay Foundation).
Feedback from this project:
Don't plant Black gum in a field with voles. All the 25 black gums we instantly eaten by voles the first winter 2020.
Sweet bay magnolia don't plant Sweet Bay Magnolia anywhere near the shade of existing forest.
Pin oaks and Swamp white oaks are doing well but they grow slower. When using caging you have to constantly monitor branches from growing into the holes in caging and reset them so they grow up inside the cage until tree branches are above the cage.
Windy area use black mesh instead of caging for tulip poplar- Where there is potential for wind, tulip poplar can bed over metal caging and break. Better to have trunk hugging black plastic mesh for windy area.
The sycamores grow taller and fill out the canopy slower, they are also being eaten by voles.
River birch had less deer rub; they haven't really rubbed on it even while the tree didn't have caging.
Fastest trees species to develop a canopy (River Birch and Tulip Poplar). It took 5 years to complete the section. That is attributed to the fast growing pioneer species of native trees planted here, the River Birch and Tulip Poplar were the most successful to reach out horizontally the fastest to develop a connected canopy the fastest, 5 years with 12 foot spacing and done.