Reforestation removing porcelain berry, mile a minute, and knotweed on Bucks County Corridor land at Green Lane and along Mill Creek Rd. across from Truman High School and Benjamin Franklin Middle School (in Bristol Township, Pa)
Location: GPS location for directions
Excel Events acquired a land owner agreement with Bucks County, PA to remediate 20 acres of dilapidated Bucks County corridor forest land across from Truman High School, and Ben Franklin middle school along Mill Creek Rd in Bristol Township, PA. Everything from concept to project design, providing tools and equipment needed, volunteer instruction, purchasing of trees, connecting seedling for schools grant, and coordinating multiple partners, Excel Events has started it's largest multi-year reforestation project to date. The intention of this project is to establish a nature trail and food forest using only native trees, shrubs, wildflower and grasses in an area that was an invasive plant overrun eye sore.
Learn more about our overall goal of connecting, preserving, and remediating property into native habitat as part of Pennsylvania Wildlife Corridor Foundation / PAWcorridor.org
2026 Tree Plantings
The spring tree planting with the mighty labor of Ben Franklin Middle school on Friday 4-10-26, we had nice weather which turned out to be a great event which started out with a visit from 3 screeching fighting raptors overhead. A red tail hawk with prey being harassed by both an osprey and a bald eagle with its talons out going at the red tail hawk.
The students and teachers planted 60 native canopy trees. Pin oaks are considered pioneer species trees which within 7 years should develop a canopy about 25 foot tall.
Excel Events funded 106 Trees and shrubs (Spring 2026):
Native Trees
50 pin Oak
25 white fringe tree
Native Shrubs
25 Red Osier Dogwood
6 Hazelnut
Excel Events funded 85 Trees(Fall 2025):
5 Paw Paw
5 Burr Oak
25 Black Cherry
25 Service Berry
25 Shagbark Hickory
(Some of these trees are for a community tree give away to get more trees planted in our community.)
Keystone 10 million Trees (Fall 2025):
Trees:
Sycamore 5
Basswodd / Linden 5
Pin Oak 10
Fall 2024 Tree Plantings
Excel Events was awarded a $3000 Healing the planet grant from Giant Grocery Stores through Keep PA Beautiful.
We purchased 67 (4ft) trees, 50 Black plastic mesh tree protects, 300 ft of metal caging and upost with this funding.
We also are planting an additional 75 shrubs and 100 trees from Keystone 10 Million Trees in October.
Healing the Planet Trees(Fall 2024):
10 Acer saccharinum - silver maple #2 - 4'
10 Cercis canadensis - redbud #2 - 2'-4'
12 Fagus grandifolia - American beech #2
10 Liriodendron tulipifera - tulip poplar #2 - 2'-4'
10 Prunus americana - American plum #2 - 4'
10 Tilia americana - basswood #2 - 12"-24"
5 Ostrya virginiana - hop hornbeam #3 - 2'-4'
10 Quercus bicolor - swamp white oak
Keystone 10 million Trees (Fall 2024):
Shrubs:
Arrowwood 25
Black Chokeberry 25
Black Chokeberry 25
Trees:
Chesnut Oak 25
River Birch 25
Swamp White Oak 25
Sycamore 25
Spring 2024
Truman High School and Ben Franklin middle school students will participate in developing this site and also benefit by gaining an outdoor classroom to help learn about the environment through STEM education. This site also has access to Mill Creek on Green Lane where a new Ghost Forest has developed. We will also provide erosion control through a riparian buffer and planting some wetland trees to help re-green the ghost forest wetland.
None of this is possible without the help of Bucks County Conservation District, Bristol Township Public Works, and Sewa.
Truman High School and Benjamin Franklin Middle School students will get 1000 trees/shrubs. Truman High School Environmental club ordered Bareroot saplings from PA Game Commission - Seedlings for schools program from Howard County Nursery.
Students will plant one tree per student of these species:
550 White Spruce (may not tolerate climate in area)
350 Nine Bark
100 Silky dogwood
130 trees/shrubs nursery trees, funded by Excel Events, will be planted by Excel Events volunteers that sign up, Sewa, and CFS.
25 Persimmon
50 River Birch
25 Sweetbay Magnolia
25 Low Bush blueberry
5 Sycamore
Excel Events (made it happen, and made it succeed.)
Bristol Township (in 2024 helped with priceless heavy machinery help removing the fallen forest invasive plant mess)
Ben Franklin Middle School (planted trees and shrubs in 2024,2025,2026)
Bucks County Conservation District (guided best practices, and grant guidance, and help coordinate)
Sewa (planted 2024, 2025)
Truman High School environmental club (planted about 30 trees in 2024, prompted the planting of the feild via their request and got the advised seedlings for schools grant.)
trash clean up
remove invasive plants
remove climbing vines from trees
reforestion - new native forest canopy in defuct invasive overrun area that once was farm land then became an invasive overrun forest
establish native grass and wildflower meadow
plant native trees
plant native shrubs
establish a new nature trail
establish a new no mow meadow
PH / Acidity: 6.5
2026 opportunities:
Volunteer groups are welcome to request a volunteer event email volunteer@excelevents.org
Eventbrite link for SEO and future volunteer opportunities:
CFS (youth volunteer group)
6 bags of trash
Cut climbing vines from trees
Across Truman High School - (Saturday 2-24-24)
Removed Vines from trees - (The rest of the forest was taken down by the blanket of vines which prevented the trees from getting sun.)
Removed sticker bush
Across From Truman High School (Saturday 3-9-24)
Truman Environmental Club
First tree planted (Red Maple) - Advanced PHS Tree Tender / Master Watershed Steward instruction
Window Cutting Vines
Across From Truman High School (Thursday 3-14-24)
Bristol Township Public Works
Just under an acre was cleared Friday 3-22-2024
remediation project just become 99% easier
disposal of vegetation there will probably be a dumpster that goes to waste management organic waste
Across From Truman High School (Saturday 3-23-24)
blower used to clear mulched invasive off top soil
area was aerated
Native Grass Mix: Big Bluestem, Virginia Wildrye, Switchgrass, Partridge Pea, Indiangrass, Black-eyed Susan, Purple Coneflower, and Oxeye Sunflower.
Native Northeastern Wildflower Mix: Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Butterfly Weed, Swamp Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Blue False Indigo, Spotted Joe Pyeweed, Golden Alexanders, Black-eyed Susan, Lupine, Wild Bergamot, Blanket Flower, Partridge Pea, Hairy Beardtongue, Heath Aster, Smooth Blue Aster, New England Aster, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Brown-eyed Susan.
straw was also spread on the property to prevent birds from eating the seed it and erosion control
Sewa used weed whackers, racked, and pulled sticker bushes manually clear a large area preparing for our tree plantings on 4-13-24, 4-14-24, and 4-20-24.
CFS used shovels, picks and racks leveling ruts.
Sewa prepared a trail with some downed trees.
We had the first wood chip drop and picked up the Excel Events funded trees for the Green Lane nature trail.
Native Trees and Shrubs:
5 - (2) gallon Sycamores
50 River Birch Saplings
25 Persimmons
25 Sweet Bay Magnolia
25 Low bush Blueberry
Blow/Clear Weed Whacked Debris
Aerate
Seed Native Meadow Grass and Wild Flower
Straw for erosion control and protect seed from birds
Deer Protection
Provided by Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership
1280 Tree Tubex
120 Bio Degradable Tree Tubex
300 Shrub Tubex
300 Short Shrubs Oak Stakes
1400 Oak Stakes
Thank you Bucks County Conservation District and Penn State - Master Watershed Stewards for picking the Deer protection up.
25 Sweet Bay Magnolia
25 River Birch
18 Persimmon
10 Low Bush BlueBerry
1 Sycamore
Thank you Sewa and CFS around 50 volunteers from Sewa, and 9 from CFS planted many trees and cleared Sticker Bush to prepare the site to plant more trees the following day.
4 native purple coneflower plugs
3 Pin oaks
Knotweed removal
Multiflora Rose removal
I spent the morning meticulously picking knotweed from the road side. Then in the afternoon 11 volunteers from Sewa planted 3 pin oaks, and the 4 coneflower plugs in and surrounding the knotweed (2 to see if it can retake the area the knotweed was removed from even with its' allelopathic effect then 2 coneflower around the knotweed to type to contain it. ConeFlower colonizes and spreads) then Sewa cleared Multiflora rose making room for White Spruce with Truman Students.
This week we asked the PA Game Commission to lessen the 1600 Trees and shrubs to a total of 1000 before they bareroot them and send them out this week. This was due to the available space and the participation expected in the seedling for school program trying to abide by their one tree per student policy.
New Native Tree and Shrub order:
550 White Spruce
100 Silky Dogwood
350 Ninebark
1000 Native Trees and Shrubs received
100 White Spruce repotted
6 planted with 2 students and a teacher from Truman High Friday 5-3-2024
On Thursday 5-2-2024, 10:30 am 1000 trees were received Excel Events purchased soil and provided containers to repot the bareroot saplings to give to students.
Ben Franklin and Truman thought that the UPS Same day notification on Thursday and communicating that we can plant on Friday 5-3-2024 was not sufficient notice, but we did schedule 5-3-2024 as a planting day.
We intend to plant next week with Classes from Truman and Ben Franklin (possibly other Bristol Township Schools).
894 trees to be planted.
11 more trees planted with 8 students and a teacher from Truman High Monday 5-6-2024
On Monday 5-6-2024, after school 11 more white Spruce trees were planted across from Truman High School.
After weed whacking the grass and preparing the planting location, and trees and materials needed, students learned about how to plant trees from a PHS: advanced Tree tenders, learned about environmental best management practices, land grant colleges, and how nonprofit remediation projects work from a Penn State Master Watershed steward.
(883 trees more to be planted.)
19 more trees planted with 8 more students and a teacher from Truman High Tuesday 5-7-2024
5 Ninebark shrubs planted
On Tuesday 5-7-2024, after school 19 more White Spruce trees were planted across from Truman High School.
5 Native Shrubs were planted, then a large area was prepared making room for a larger tree planting at the end of the week, after weed whacking that grass, the water was collected from Mill Creek in buckets, wood chips gathers, stakes, tubex, trees, and tool were set up and ready to go to start planting.
Students learned about how to plant trees from a PHS: advanced tree tender, learned about environmental best management practices, land grant colleges, and how nonprofit remediation projects work from a Penn State Master Watershed steward.
(859 trees and shrubs to be planted.)
25 more trees planted with 20 more students and a teacher from Truman High Wednesday 5-8-2024
1 Ninebark shrub was planted
On Wednesday 5-8-2024, after school 25 more White Spruce trees were planted across from Truman High School.
We got some water from Mill Creek to plant today.
Students learned about how to plant trees from a PHS: advanced tree tender, learned about environmental best management practices, land grant colleges, and how nonprofit remediation projects work from a Penn State Master Watershed steward.
(838 more trees and shrubs to be planted.) 25 planted.
14 more white spruce trees planted
7 more students and a teacher from Truman High
On Thursday 5-9-2024, after school 7 more White Spruce trees were planted across from Truman High School.
Students learned about how to plant trees from a PHS: advanced tree tender, learned about environmental best management practices, land grant colleges, and how nonprofit remediation projects work from a Penn State Master Watershed steward.
(838 more trees and shrubs to be planted.) 14 planted.
90 more white spruce trees were planted
Over 60 students from 4 classes with 4 teachers
Friday 5-10-2024
Ben Franklin Middle School
Students learned about how to plant trees from a PHS: advanced tree tender, learned about environmental best management practices, land grant colleges, and how nonprofit remediation projects work from a Penn State Master Watershed Steward.
(737 more trees and shrubs to be planted.)
(163 White Spruce planted total)
50 more white spruce trees were planted
Over 70 students from 4 classes with a teacher
Friday 5-17-2024
Truman High School
Students learned about how to plant trees from a PHS: advanced tree tender, learned about the project.
(676 more trees and shrubs to be planted.)
(224 White Spruce planted total)
(100 white spruce to tend in a Nursery or give to students for them to take home for their lawn.)
64 more white spruce trees were planted
Over 12 students and 10 parents from local schools planted across from Truman High School
Sunday 5-19-2024
Truman High School
Students learned about how to plant trees from a PHS: advanced tree tender, learned about the project, Land Grant Colleges, and Environmental Laws.
(612 more trees and shrubs to be planted.)
(288 White Spruce planted total)
(100 White spruce to tend in a Nursery or give to students for them to take home for their lawn.)
Over 75 students and 4 teachers from planted trees across from Truman High School
Friday 5-24-2024
Ben Franklin Middle School Students with 4 teachers
Students finished planting all the White spruce trees in the grass field across from Truman.
(TBD more trees and shrubs to be planted.)
(TBD White Spruce planted total)
(100 White spruce to tend in a Nursery or give to students for them to take home for their lawn.)
The first season of Native Wildflower and Warm weather meadow grasses we planted that grew over the last 4 months.
After weeks of weeding mile a minute, pulling knotweed and porcelain berry (which has 2 inch diameter established roots throughout the whole property, pretty bad but we will remove it over the next few years.)
Truman High School Environmental Club - 1 teacher, 3 students and Heritage Conservancy helped plant 10 trees in Metal Caging
Thursday 9-5-2024
3 Excel Events Volunteers planted 10 more trees across from Truman
Friday 9-6-2024
Truman High School Environmental Club - 1 teacher, 3 students helped plant 10 trees in Metal Caging
Thursday 9-12-2024
Ben Franklin Middle School
replanted planted 25 trees
Friday 10-25-24
2 teachers and 20 students
Species:
River Birch
Sycamore
Chestnut Oak
CSF - 3 coordinators, and 15 kids doing community service and other some other volunteers
Saturday 10-26-2024
Species:
River Birch
Sycamore
Chestnut oak
Arrow wood
7 volunteers
Sunday 10-27-24
Species:
River Birch
Sycamore
Swamp White oak
Black Choke berry
2 volunteers
Pick removal of Porcelain Berry vine invasive removal
Sunday 9-29-25
Species:
Sycamore
Basswood / Linden
Pin Oak
2 volunteers
Pick removal of Porcelain Berry Vine roots
Sunday 10-5-25
Species:
Shagbark Hickory
Service Berry
Paw Paw
Pick axe removal of Porcelain Berry vine invasive
Installed by Boy Scouts in October 2025
Pick axe removal of Porcelain Berry vine invasive
Bears edible fruit in 4 to 9 years
Height : 35 ft– 60 ft
Canopy Diameter: 20'– 35'
full sun, partial sun/shade
pioneer species rapid initial growth
80 yrs
Height : 60 ft
wetland loving
colonizing
full sun
Fragrant white flowers
Fragrant red berry
thicker leaves
Height: 30 ft
Height : 50 ft -100 ft
Canopy width : 24 ft
** thrives in cooler climate and may not tolerate above 94 degrees - important to water summer 2024
for biodiversity and research
only native tree species available from the PA game commission seedlings for school program when ordered.
pink to white bell flowers in spring
berries in summer
scarlet color in fall
red twigs winter
Height : 7 ft
Width : 7 ft
full sun
shrub
Height : 6 to 12 ft
Width : 6 to 12 ft
Current management of Mile-a-Minute on this Property:
(April - May) Manually picking up-rooting
(How to remove) Japanese Knotweed
Current management of Japanese Knotweed on this Property:
River Birch to shade it out and limit Spread
(February - May) Manually picking up-rooting from road side and limiting spread into property
(April) Replanting coneflower to try to hold it back.
(June) Saw Blade Weed Whack
(How to Remove) Porcelain Berry
Porcelain Berry vine that took down the whole forest.
(February - March) Completely uproot vines under the ground when have the time. There is a massive network throughout whole property to uproot, may seek roto tilling.
(June) - manually picking when aggressive, to allow wildflower to take root
(July) - Continually Removing the blanket of growth to allow Native Wild Flower and Warm Weather Meadow Grasses to take root
(mid - July) Weed Whack Wood line with Porcelain Berry to limit berry Growth where there is too much to pull.
Lance-leaf Coreopsis
Butterfly Weed
Swamp Milkweed
Purple Coneflower
Blue False Indigo
Spotted Joe Pyeweed
Golden Alexanders
Black-eyed Susan
Lupine
Wild Bergamot
Blanket Flower
Partridge Pea
Hairy Beardtongue
Heath Aster
Smooth Blue Aster
New England Aster
Narrowleaf Mountain Mint
Brown-eyed Susan
Big Bluestem
Virginia Wildrye
Switchgrass
Partridge Pea
Indiangrass