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)

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Remediation Project Description

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.

2025 Tree Plantings

We will have a native shrub planting in the spring and a native shrub and tree planting in the fall 2025. Other volunteer dates to help pull weeds, weed whack, or water with ongoing maintenance. Sign up to volunteer

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.

Writeup on Excel Events from KeepPABeautiful 2024 grants highlighting other grant recipients as well.

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
Sewa
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

2025 tree plantings:

Saturday 5-3-25 9am-1pm

(planting shrubs)

Sunday 5-4-25 9am-1pm

(planting shrubs)

Saturday 10-25-25 9am-1pm

(planting trees and shrubs)

Sunday 10-26-25 9am-1pm

(planting trees and shrubs)

Tree Tending and Watering

Saturday 3-29-25 9am-12pm
Saturday 4-19-25 9am-12pm
Saturday 6-21-25 9am-12pm
Saturday 7-12-25 9am-12pm (Weeding/Watering)
Saturday 8-9-25 9am-12pm

Sign up to volunteer

Remediation Project Description

Partners

Scope of Reforestation Project

Volunteer Dates

Video - Truman Reforestation explained

Video - 6-4-2024 update

Google Map of Mill Creek Rd forest remediation

(2-24-2024) Truman Trash Clean up

(3-9-2024) Truman Vine Removal

(3-14-2024) Truman First Tree Planted / Vine Removal

(3-22-2024) Bristol Township came through with the backhoe clearing the Truman planting site.

(3-24-2024) Native grass and wildflower seed

(3-30-2024) Site Prep with Sewa and CSF

4-5-24 (Tree Pickup and wood chip delivery)

4-5-24 (Clear debris and seed)

4-12-24 (Tubex and Oak Stakes Pickup)

4-13-24 (Day 1 of planting 110 Excel Events funded Trees)

4-13-24 (Day 2 of planting 110 Excel Events funded Trees)

4-28-24 (Knotweed removal , purple cone flower and pin oak planting)

5-3-24 (Day 1) (1000 Trees received, 6 trees planted and 100 white spruce repotted to have students take home)

5-6-24 (Day 2) (11 more trees planted after school with Truman Highschool Students)

5-7-24 (Day 3) (19 more trees and 5 shrubs planted after school with Truman Highschool Students)

5-8-24 (Day 4) (25 more trees and 1 shrub planted after school with Truman Highschool Students)

5-9-24 (Day 5) (14 more trees planted after school with 7 Truman High school Students)

5-10-24 (Day 6) (90 more trees planted during school by Ben Franklin Middle School Students)

5-17-24 (Day 7) (50 more trees planted during school by Truman High School Students)

5-19-24 (Day 8) (64 more trees planted by Sewa with local students)

5-24-24 (Day 9) (Ben Franklin middle school students finished planting all of the White Spruce Trees in the field across from Truman)

7-8-24 (After weeks of pulling huge roots of established porcelain berry, the native wild flower and meadow grass shows)

9-5-24 (Fall 2024 Day 1) (Truman High School students start planting KeepPABeautiful / Giant Groceries Grant trees in the field across from Truman)

9-6-24 (Fall 2024 Day 2) (Excel Events Volunteers planted 10 trees with cages from KeepPABeautiful / Giant Grant)

9-12-24 (Fall 2024 Day 4) (Truman High School students planted 10(of 67) trees from KeepPABeautiful / Giant Groceries Grant in the field across from Truman)

10-25-24 (second Fall 2024 planting) (Ben Franklin Middle School students planted 25 trees from Keystone 10 million trees partnership in the field across from Truman)

10-26-24 (second Fall 2024 Day 2) (CFS and other volunteers planted 44 trees from Keystone 10 million trees partnership in the field across from Truman)

10-27-24 (second Fall 2024 Day 3) (Sewa and some other volunteers planted 38 trees from Keystone 10 million trees partnership in the field across from Truman)

Invasive Plants on property

Mile-a-Minute

Japanese Knotweed

Porcelain Berry / Climbing Vines

Native Northeastern Wildflower planted

Native Northeastern Wildflower pictures

Native Grasses planted

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

Sewa

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
Bristol Township helped with another county floodplain project last year in Bristol township 2023 (Learn More)
Next we will use an aerator and seed native grass and wildflower (and feed the birds). Native meadows eventually become native forests, the native grasses and wild flower lessen storm water and also helps prevent invasive plants from taking root. The native meadow is also wildlife habitat for ground nesting animals such as native meadowlark, or our ruffed grouse has been Pennsylvania's official state bird since 1931. (Learn more about establishing a native meadows by adjusting Municipal or HOA mowing schedules.)

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.

4-13-24 (Day 2 of planting 110 Excel Events funded Trees)

15 River Birch
2 Persimmon
10 Low Bush BlueBerry
2 Sycamores

Thank you Sewa. 30 volunteers from Sewa planted many trees and cleared Mile a Minute from a planting area making room for White Spruce with Truman Students.

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.

(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.

(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

(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)