Green Lane Nature Trail -
Reforestation removing porcelain berry, mile a minute, and knotweed at Green Lane and along Mill Creek Rd. across from Truman High School and Benjamin Franklin Middle School (in Bristol Township, Pa)
Remediation Project Description
Location: GPS location for directions
Excel Events acquired a land owner agreement with Bucks County, PA to remediate 20 acres of dilapidated 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.
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:
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:
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
Partners
Excel Events
Bristol Township
Truman High School environmental club
Ben Franklin Middle School
Bucks County Conservation District
Scope of Reforestation Project
trash clean up
remove invasive plants
remove climbing vines from trees
establish native grass and wildflower meadow
plant native trees
plant native shrubs
establish a new nature trail
establish a new no mow meadow
Volunteer Dates
Fall 2024 tree plantings:
Sunday 9-8-24 (9am - 4pm)
Saturday 9-14-24 (9am - 4pm)
Saturday 10-26-24 (9am - 4pm)
Sunday 10-27-24 (9am - 4pm)
Monthly Tree Tending and Watering
Saturday 9-21-24 (1pm - 4pm)
Saturday 10-19-24 (1pm - 4pm)
Video - Truman Reforestation explained
Video - 6-4-2024 update
Google Map of Mill Creek Rd forest remediation
(2-24-2024) Truman Trash Clean up
CFS (youth volunteer group)
6 bags of trash
Cut climbing vines from trees
Across Truman High School - (Saturday 2-24-24)
(3-9-2024) Truman Vine Removal
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)
(3-14-2024) Truman First Tree Planted / Vine Removal
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)
(3-22-2024) Bristol Township came through with the backhoe clearing the Truman planting site.
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)
(3-24-2024) Native grass and wildflower seed
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
(3-30-2024) Site Prep with Sewa and CSF
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.
4-5-24 (Tree Pickup and wood chip delivery)
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
4-5-24 (Clear debris and seed)
Blow/Clear Weed Whacked Debris
Aerate
Seed Native Meadow Grass and Wild Flower
Straw for erosion control and protect seed from birds
4-12-24 (Tubex and Oak Stakes Pickup)
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.
4-13-24 (Day 1 of planting 110 Excel Events funded Trees)
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.
4-28-24 (Knotweed removal , purple cone flower and pin oak planting)
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
5-3-24 (Day 1) (1000 Trees received, 6 trees planted and 100 white spruce repotted to have students take home)
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.
5-6-24 (Day 2) (11 more trees planted after school with Truman Highschool Students)
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.)
5-7-24 (Day 3) (19 more trees and 5 shrubs planted after school with Truman Highschool Students)
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.)
5-8-24 (Day 4) (25 more trees and 1 shrub planted after school with Truman Highschool Students)
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.
5-9-24 (Day 5) (14 more trees planted after school with 7 Truman High school Students)
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.
5-10-24 (Day 6) (90 more trees planted during school by Ben Franklin Middle School Students)
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)
5-17-24 (Day 7) (50 more trees planted during school by Truman High School Students)
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.)
5-19-24 (Day 8) (64 more trees planted by Sewa with local students)
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.)
5-24-24 (Day 9) (Ben Franklin middle school students finished planting all of the White Spruce Trees in the field across from Truman)
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.)
7-8-24 (After weeks of pulling huge roots of established porcelain berry, the native wild flower and meadow grass shows)
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.)
9-5-24 (Fall 2024 Day 1) (Truman High School students start planting KeepPABeautiful / Giant Groceries Grant trees in the field across from Truman)
Truman High School Environmental Club - 1 teacher, 3 students and Heritage Conservancy helped plant 10 trees in Metal Caging
Thursday 9-5-2024
9-6-24 (Fall 2024 Day 2) (Excel Events Volunteers planted 10 trees with cages from KeepPABeautiful / Giant Grant)
3 Excel Events Volunteers planted 10 more trees across from Truman
Friday 9-6-2024
9-12-24 (Fall 2024 Day 4) (Truman High School students planted 10 trees from KeepPABeautiful / Giant Groceries Grant in the field across from Truman)
Truman High School Environmental Club - 1 teacher, 3 students helped plant 10 trees in Metal Caging
Thursday 9-12-2024
Species of trees
Persimmon
Bears edible fruit in 4 to 9 years
Height : 35 ft– 60 ft
Canopy Diameter: 20'– 35'
full sun, partial sun/shade
River Birch
pioneer species rapid initial growth
80 yrs
Height : 60 ft
wetland loving
colonizing
full sun
Sweet Bay Magnolia
Fragrant white flowers
Fragrant red berry
thicker leaves
Height: 30 ft
White Spruce
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.
Species of Shrubs
Lowbush Blueberries
pink to white bell flowers in spring
berries in summer
scarlet color in fall
red twigs winter
NineBark
Height : 7 ft
Width : 7 ft
full sun
shrub
Silky Dogwood
Height : 6 to 12 ft
Width : 6 to 12 ft
Invasive Plants on property
Mile-a-Minute
Current management of Mile-a-Minute on this Property:
(April - May) Manually picking up-rooting
Japanese Knotweed
(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
Porcelain Berry / Climbing Vines
(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.
Native Northeastern Wildflower planted
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
Native Northeastern Wildflower pictures
Native Grasses planted
Big Bluestem
Virginia Wildrye
Switchgrass
Partridge Pea
Indiangrass