Invasive Plant ID & Management at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve — New Hope Workshop

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, Pennsylvania, is the meeting place for Knowing Native Plants: Invasive Species ID and Management, a three‑hour field session that turns everyday trails into a living classroom. Led by naturalist Mary Anne Borge, the program focuses on recognizing the region’s most aggressive nonnative plants and learning chemical‑free options for control. The Preserve’s mix of open meadows, oak‑hickory woods and river floodplain edges provides an ideal backdrop: invasive shrubs and vines often announce themselves where canopy opens and soil has been disturbed, so this landscape becomes both subject and laboratory. On this Saturday class, expect a short orientation at the preserve entrance followed by guided walks through distinct plant communities. Key features you’ll study include meadow forbs, understory shrubs, and climbing vines that alter forest regeneration; the course highlights species most common to the Delaware Valley and explains how each species changes soil, light and pollinator dynamics. Mary Anne pairs practical ID cues — leaf arrangement, seedhead shape, growth habit — with low‑impact management techniques like targeted hand‑pulling, timed cutting and strategic planting of native competitors. This program is part of the annual Knowing Native Plants series and also supports the Native Plant Advocate Program. That institutional continuity matters: repeated seasonal classes let participants track phenology — when species leaf out, bloom and set seed — an essential skill for timing interventions. The class emphasizes stewardship: learning to recognize invasives is only the first step; participants leave with actionable plans for backyard or neighborhood projects and pointers to volunteer opportunities. Plan for three hours on uneven, sometimes muddy trails; shoes with grip and a field notebook are musts. The content balances scientific detail with practicable tactics, so it suits gardeners, land managers and curious hikers who want to make measurable improvements to local habitat. Photography is welcome, but participants are asked not to transport plant material between sites. Bowman’s Hill connects directly to the Delaware River corridor and to nearby community initiatives like Lambertville Goes Wild; that local network is part of what makes this program special. It’s less a one‑off lecture and more a recurring, place‑based practice that sharpens observation and channels care into on‑the‑ground action. For anyone wanting to reduce invasive pressure and increase native plant success in Bucks County and beyond, this three‑hour session is a compact, effective primer. Spaces are limited and the class runs on Saturday, June 27th; check Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve's schedule or use the booking link to reserve a spot. Bring water, sun protection and a willingness to kneel or stoop for close inspection. Whether you are starting a native garden or organizing a neighborhood pull, this session hands you field‑tested methods and local connections for action.