For National Public Lands Day*, Friends of Glen Providence Park will again plant native trees and shrubs in the glen, this time on the Mountain Laurel Trail. This is our 11th annual NPLD project, working to improve wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, and beautify the park! 

Native Tree & Shrub Planting on the Mountain Laurel Trail!

Saturday, October 7
Rain date Sunday, October 8
9:00am-12:00 noon
Glen Providence Park – Main entrance
State Street

Our planting day is one of our most popular and fun events, and we are a part of the largest nationwide volunteer effort for public lands! We are incredibly grateful to Delaware County Parks & Recreation for providing funds for this project, and to the Delaware County Conservation District for the use of its Conservation Planting Trailer and supplies.

To help us plan our time effectively, and to plan for refreshments, we ask that you RSVP for this event – please let us know the number of volunteers in your party.

Volunteering details:

We will update this description as we identify other relevant details for volunteers, and we will email registered volunteers with more details and logistics.

Estimated time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Lunch and drinks will be provided for registered volunteers.

Activities will include:

• digging holes for the trees and shrubs
• planting trees and shrubs
• installing deer protection around trees and shrubs
• watering as needed

More logistics:

• We will provide the equipment, including shovels, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows – but if you have favorite tools, feel free to bring them! If you do bring your own tools, please label them with your name.
• Bring work gloves if you have them.

Rain plan:
Our rain date is Sunday, October is 8 at 9:00 am. If the weather is not clear, we will post here and on our facebook wall by 8:45 am Saturday advising whether we will use the rain date.

Thank you, we hope to see you on National Public Lands Day!

Enjoy a gallery of past NPLD days in the park!

*National Public Lands Day is held this year on September 23rd, but we are celebrating two weeks later.

After being postponed by the rain and wind brought by Hurricane Ian, on Saturday Friends of Glen Providence Park held our 10th annual plantings for National Public Lands Day. Twenty-six adults and teens volunteered for a combined 94 hours digging, planting, mulching, installing deer fencing, and watering, all to improve wildlife habitat in Glen Providence!

This was Phase Four of our Kirk Lane project, which we started on National Public Lands Days in 2015, 2016 and 2019. We expanded on previous plantings with an additional 17 native trees and shrubs, and 13 native woodland plants – the complete list is below. The plants benefit wildlife by providing seeds, nuts, fruits, and nectar for mammals, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators, all while helping to slow down and absorb surface storm water runoff.

In addition, many of the plants provide food for humans – adding to the food forest we have started by the Kirk Lane entrance in previous years.

Thank you to the 26 volunteers who worked diligently all morning (and some into the afternoon!), and all who made this project possible:

Delaware County Parks & Recreation provided the funding for the plants and delivered a new bench and the mulch. Delaware County Conservation District delivered their Conservation Planting Trailer full of all of the tools we could need! Garden Influence and Redbud Native Plant Nursery provided invaluable expertise, Taylor Memorial Arboretum donated additional woodland plants, and Friends of Glen Providence Park donors funded the deer fencing and posts, snacks, two special trees, and other supplies for this project.

Additional groups of volunteers from Penncrest High School and Springton Lake Middle School provided invaluable manpower, and neighbors of the park allowed us to run a hose from their house to water the plantings. Cafe Isla donated coffee to fuel our volunteers, and Pinocchio’s Restaurant donated pizza for lunch. We are grateful to all of these people for making the plantings possible!

Here’s our native plant list from October 15, 2022.

And check out our photos (and video!) below:

This year was our 10th National Public Lands Day volunteering in Glen Providence Park! On Saturday, October 2, 27 lovely adults and kids volunteered a combined 101 hours removing and reusing deer fencing, installing tree guards, weeding, digging, planting, mulching, and watering. In addition, eight volunteers worked on site more than 20 combined hours the Friday before, preparing the site and carrying supplies down the hill.

Over the past ten years, we had planted over 222 native trees and shrubs in the glen. At this year’s event, we prioritized the maintenance of the existing plantings – we removed deer fencing from trees and shrubs that outgrew them, replacing a number of them with tree guards. We reused most of that fencing on new native trees and shrubs! We worked in the area of our 2017 Wildlife Habitat Plantings below the sledding hill fence, and our 2012 and 2014 Streamside Buffer Plantings below the pavilion and along the streambank. We also removed 21(!) contractor bags of invasive Japanese Stiltgrass from around the plantings!

The native trees, shrubs, and woodland plants help to restore the forest, protect the stream, and stabilize the hillside and streambank. In addition to helping control erosion, the plants benefit wildlife by providing habitat and seeds, nuts, fruits, and nectar for mammals, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. We planted 27 native trees and shrubs, and 17 woodland plants – the complete list is below.

Thank you! We have so many to thank for their help with this project… starting with all those wonderful volunteers! It is inspiring to work with people who are generous and dedicated enough to our environment to spend a beautiful Saturday morning working to care for and plant trees.

Delaware County Parks & Recreation provided the funding for the plants and delivered the mulch. Delaware County Conservation District delivered their Conservation Planting Trailer full of all of the tools we could need! Friends of Glen Providence Park donors funded the tree guards, pizza, water, and coffee for volunteers, and other supplies for this project. Neighbors of the park allowed us to run a hose downhill from their house to water the plantings. Carol Carmon volunteered her time to video the bustle of activity. Keep Media Green and Media Rotary both helped recruit volunteers!

Garden Influence and Redbud Native Plant Nursery provided invaluable expertise selecting 20 native trees, shrubs, and perennials, Taylor Memorial Arboretum donated nine additional trees and shrubs, Garden Influence donated six additional woodland plants, and Patrick Burke donated five additional trees (and donuts)!

As a bonus, John Wenderoth donated three American Chestnuts, back-crossed with Chinese Chestnut pollen, which were grown at Mount Cuba’s nursery in Delaware. These were planted by the Kirk Lane entrance with our previous American Chestnut plantings – read more about American Chestnuts in Glen Providence Park and the efforts to restore this magnificent tree!

We are grateful to all of these people for making the plantings possible!

The next time you are in Glen Providence Park, look for these native plants, and check out the photos below – just click on any for a closer look or to scroll through them. Carol Carmon’s video on YouTube of our planting gives an excellent overview of the morning’s purpose and activity!

Trees:

• White Spruce, Picea glauca – 4
• Arborvitae, Thuja sp. – 1
• American Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana – 2
• Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis – 1
• Paw Paw, Asimina triloba – 3
• Washington Hawthorne, Crataegus phaenopyrum – 1
• Fringetree, Chionanthus virginicus – 1
• (At Kirk Lane) Hybrid American Chestnuts, Castanea dentata – 3

Shrubs:

• Virginia sweetspire ‘Merlot’, Itea virginica – 3
• Black Chokeberry ‘Viking’, Aronia melanocarpa – 1
• Black Chokeberry ‘Low Scape’,  Aronia melanocarpa – 1
• Blueberry ‘Jersey’, ‘Elizabeth’, & ‘Patriot’ Vaccinium corymbosum – 6

Woodland plants:

• Dixie Wood Fern, Dryopteris australis – 2
• Royal Fern, Osmunda regalis – 2
• Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum – 3
• Hairy alum root ‘Autumn Bride’ Heuchera villosa – 3
• Wild Geranium ‘Espresso’, Geranium maculatum – 3
• Northern Sea Oats,  Chasmanthium latifolium – 3
• Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense – 1

Photos by George Tate, Stephanie Gaboriault, and Carol Carmon. Video by Carol Carmon.

We were saddened to cancel our annual native tree planting for National Public Lands Day this fall due to COVID-19, as it is one of our favorite events! However, in 2019 and 2020, volunteers have planted 32 native trees and shrubs – and dozens of woodland plants – by the Kirk Lane entrance to Glen Providence Park.

In October 2019, we completed Phase Three of our Wildlife Habitat Plantings at the entrance and along the Scouts Loop trail. In both April 2019 and November 2020, our PA State Representative Chris Quinn planted a tree for Arbor Day. And in July 2020, volunteers planted three hybrid American Chestnut trees. All of these native plantings will benefit future generations of humans and wildlife!

National Public Lands Day
Saturday, October 5, 2019

Last Fall, 40 lovely adults, teens, and kids volunteered a combined 107 hours digging, planting, mulching, installing deer fencing, raking, and watering, all to improve wildlife habitat in Glen Providence!

This was Phase Three of our Kirk Lane project, which we started on National Public Lands Days in 2015 and 2016. We expanded on previous plantings with an additional 27 native trees and shrubs, and 50 native woodland plants – the complete list is below. The plants benefit wildlife by providing seeds, nuts, fruits, and nectar for mammals, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators, in addition to helping to slow down and absorb surface storm water runoff.

This project demonstrated the wonderful range of community groups and volunteers who come together to help in Glen Providence Park:

Delaware County Parks & Recreation provided the funding for the plants and delivered the mulch. Delaware County Conservation District delivered their Conservation Planting Trailer full of all of the tools we could need! Garden Influence and Redbud Native Plant Nursery provided invaluable expertise, Taylor Memorial Arboretum and Garden Influence donated additional woodland plants, and Friends of Glen Providence Park donors funded the deer fencing, posts, and other supplies for this project.

Additional groups of volunteers from Media Rotary and Springton Lake Middle School provided invaluable manpower, and neighbors of the park allowed us to run a hose from their house to water the plantings. Cafe Isla donated coffee to fuel our volunteers, and our PA State Rep. Chris Quinn both helped with the planting, and paid for and picked up pizza for lunch. We are grateful to all of these people for making the plantings possible!

❖

Plantings by PA State Representative Chris Quinn
Arbor Day 2019 & November 2020

Chris Quinn has planted two other native trees in the park by Kirk Lane – a Willow Oak for Arbor Day in 2019, and a magnificent “Green Gable” Black Tupelo today! He purchased both trees and planted them with us. We are grateful for his generosity, and that he chose Glen Providence Park for Arbor Day plantings!

❖

Trees from the American Chestnut Foundation
July 2020

Ron Brzowski and Pat Burke planted three hybrid American Chestnut saplings near two hybrids we planted with Ron in 2016. We were able to re-use deer fencing from some of our previous plantings. The trees were donated by Tyler Arboretum’s American Chestnut Nursery via The American Chestnut Foundation, and they were grown at the Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, Delaware. It’s all part of a decades-long effort to restore the majestic American Chestnuts that once dominated our eastern woods, but were decimated by a blight in the early 1900’s.

To learn more, visit the American Chestnut Foundation website or read about the chestnut’s local history and the two surviving pure American Chestnuts we found in Glen Providence. Thank you to Ron and Pat for planting and tending to the Chestnut trees in Glen Providence!

❖

Here’s our native plant list from National Public Lands Day in October 2019. And check out our photos from our planting days!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

For National Public Lands Day*, the Friends of Glen Providence Park will again plant native trees and shrubs in the glen. This is our 8th annual planting project, working to improve wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, and beautify the park! 

Native Tree & Shrub Planting!

Saturday, October 5
rain date Sunday, October 6
9:00-12:00noon
Glen Providence Park – Kirk Lane entrance
Kirk Lane & Third Street, Upper Providence, PA

Our planting day is one of our most popular and fun events! We are incredibly grateful to Delaware County Parks & Recreation for providing funds for this project, and to the Delaware County Conservation District for the use of its Conservation Planting Trailer and supplies.

To help us plan our time effectively, and to plan for refreshments, we ask that you RSVP for this event at FriendsoftheGlen [AT] gmail.com – please let us know the number of volunteers in your party.

Volunteering details:

We will update this description as we identify other relevant details for volunteers. Please contact us to register.

Estimated time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Lunch and drinks will be provided for registered volunteers.

Activities will include:

• digging holes for the trees and shrubs
• spreading woodchips
• installing deer protection around trees and shrubs
• watering
• Squashing any invasive Spotted Lanternflies…

More logistics:

• We will provide the equipment, including shovels, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows – but if you have favorite tools, feel free to bring them! If you do bring your own tools, please label them with your name.
• Bring work gloves if you have them.

Rain plan:
Our rain date is Sunday, October 6 at 9:00 am. If the weather is not clear, we will post here and on our facebook wall by 8:45 am Saturday advising whether we will use the rain date.

Thank you, we hope to see you on National Public Lands Day!

* National Public Lands Day is on Saturday, September 28, but we’re celebrating it one week later. 

For our 8th National Public Lands Day on Saturday, October 6, we installed wildlife habitat plantings along the 1941 Trail in Glen Providence Park! This year, 25 lovely adults, teens, and kids volunteered a combined 76 hours digging, planting, mulching, installing deer fencing, raking, and watering. Our volunteers were so efficient, they finished planting early, and cleared trash along the trails!

The native trees, shrubs, and woodland plants help to restore the forest, protect the stream, and stabilize the hillside along the 1941 Trail, where several trees fell during storms last winter. In addition to helping control erosion, the plants benefit wildlife by providing habitat and seeds, nuts, fruits, and nectar for mammals, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. We planted 19 native trees and shrubs, and 34 woodland plants – the complete list is below.

This short trail is named for “The Nature Guide to Glen Providence Park,” a pamphlet from 1941 that leads the visitor on a self-guided tour through the park, starting on this trail. You can view the PDF version of the 1941 Nature Guide, and take its tour!

We have so many to thank for their help with this project… starting with all those wonderful volunteers!

Delaware County Parks & Recreation provided the funding for the plants and delivered the mulch. Delaware County Conservation District delivered their Conservation Planting Trailer full of all of the tools we could need! Garden Influence and Redbud Native Plant Nursery provided invaluable expertise, Garden Influence donated additional woodland plants, and Friends of Glen Providence Park donors funded the deer fencing, posts, food and coffee for volunteers, and other supplies for this project. Neighbors of the park allowed us to run a hose downhill from their house to water the plantings. We are grateful to all of these people for making the plantings possible!

The next time you are on the 1941 Trail, look for these native plants, and check out the photos below – just click on any for a closer look or to scroll through them.

Woodland plants:

Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides – 10
New York Fern, Thelypteris noveboracensis – 2
Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense – 6
Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis – 8
Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata – 2
Blue Wood Aster, Aster cordifolius – 2
Spiderwort, Tradescantia – 2
Blue mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum – 2

Photos by author, George Tate, & Marcia Tate

For National Public Lands Day*, the Friends of Glen Providence Park will again plant native trees and shrubs in the glen. This is our 7th annual planting project, working to improve wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, and beautify the park! 

Native Tree & Shrub Planting!

Saturday, October 6
rain date Sunday, October 7
9:00-12:00noon
Glen Providence Park – main entrance
550 W. State Street, Media, PA

Our planting day is one of our most popular and fun events! We are incredibly grateful to Delaware County Parks & Recreation for providing funds for this project, and to the Delaware County Conservation District for the use of its Conservation Planting Trailer and supplies.

This year, we’ll be planting along the 1941 Trail, which suffered the loss of several trees in last winter’s storms. The trail is named for the Glen Providence Nature Guide from 1941 that we discovered, which leads the visitor on a self-guided tour through the park, starting down the 1941 Trail! 

It’s our second tree planting this year, after working with Media Rotary, Media Providence Friends School, and Delaware County on canopy tree plantings for Earth Day this spring.  

To help us plan our time effectively, and to plan for refreshments, we ask that you RSVP for this event at FriendsoftheGlen [AT] gmail.com – please let us know the number of volunteers in your party.

Volunteering details:

We will update this description as we identify other relevant details for volunteers. Please contact us to register.

Estimated time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Lunch and drinks will be provided for registered volunteers.

Activities will include:

• digging holes for the trees and shrubs
• spreading woodchips
• installing deer protection around trees and shrubs
• watering
• Of course, we also welcome anyone who wants to participate by picking up trash along the trails and stream!

More logistics:

• We will provide the equipment, including shovels, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows – but if you have favorite tools, feel free to bring them!
• Bring work gloves if you have them.

Rain plan:
Our rain date is Sunday, October 7 at 9:00 am. If the weather is not clear, we will post here and on our facebook wall by 8:45 am Saturday advising whether we will use the rain date.

Thank you, we hope to see you on National Public Lands Day!

* Ok, technically National Public Lands Day is on Saturday, September 22. We’re celebrating it 2 weeks later. 

For our 7th National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 30, we installed wildlife habitat plantings at the base of the sledding hill in Glen Providence Park! This year, 15 lovely adults, teens, and kids volunteered a combined 60 hours digging (at times with pick axes!), planting, mulching, installing deer fencing, raking, and watering. A volunteer cleared trash along the trails, and a hiker happened upon us while walking his dog, then stopped and helped us dig one of the most difficult (rocky) holes! 

We planted canopy trees that will someday shade the path, flowering understory trees for spring beauty, and fruit-bearing Pawpaws and Flowering raspberries for culinary adventures! The planting site was downhill of the wooden fence and berm on the sledding hill – in an area where Delaware County Parks & Recreation has been battling erosion – and uphill from our 2014 streamside buffer plantings. As they grow, these trees and shrubs will help further control erosion and slow stormwater runoff to Broomall’s Run.  

In addition to helping control erosion, the plants benefit wildlife by providing habitat and seeds, nuts, fruits, and nectar for mammals, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. We planted 21 native trees and shrubs, and protected 9 existing native saplings with deer fencing – the complete list is below.

Our hours spent planting are preceded by many hours of planning and site preparation. The day before our planting, our Weed Warriors crew cleared invasive Japanese stiltgrass to make room for the plantings, installed deer fencing on some native tree saplings in the planting area, and moved materials down to the planting site.

We have so many to thank for their help with this project… starting with all those wonderful volunteers!

The volunteers were fueled by delicious coffee generously donated by Seven Stones Cafe, by donuts thoughtfully contributed by one of our volunteers, and an amazing 3′ x 3′ square pizza (four pizzas in one!) donated by Pit Stop Pizza & Steaks!  

Delaware County Parks & Recreation provided the funding for the plants and delivered the mulch. Taylor Memorial Arboretum donated native trees and shrubs again this year, and Delaware County Conservation District donated deer fencing, and gave us access to their Conservation Planting Trailer full of all of the tools we could need! Garden Influence and Redbud Native Plant Nursery provided invaluable expertise, and Friends of Glen Providence Park donors funded the fencing posts and other supplies for this project. Neighbors of the park allowed us to run a hose downhill from their house to water the plantings. We are grateful to all of these people for making the plantings possible!

The next time you are at the sledding hill, look for these native plants, and check out the fun in the photos below – just click on any for a closer look or to scroll through them.

Shrubs:

Bottlebrush buckeye, Aesculus parviflora – 3
Blackhaw viburnum, Viburnum prunifolium – 1
Silky Dogwood, Cornus amomum – 6
Flowering raspberry, Rubus odoratus – 2

Before & After: 

Before: the area was overgrown with invasive weeds, including plenty of Japanese stiltgrass, providing little benefit to wildlife

After: we planted 21 native trees and shrubs, each rich with benefits to wildlife, which will also help reduce erosion and someday shade the path

Photos by Shannon Davidson, Marcia Tate, George Tate & Stephanie Gaboriault

On National Public Lands Day, the Friends of Glen Providence Park will again plant native trees and shrubs in the glen. This is our 6th annual planting project, working to improve wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, and beautify the park!

Native Tree & Shrub Planting!

Saturday, September 30
rain date Sunday, October 1
9:00-12:00noon
Glen Providence Park – main entrance
550 W. State Street, Media, PA

This is one of our most popular and fun events! We are incredibly grateful to Delaware County Parks & Recreation for providing funds for this project, to the Delaware County Conservation District for the use of its Conservation Planting Trailer and supplies, and to Taylor Memorial Arboretum for donating some of the trees and shrubs.

To help us plan our time effectively, and to plan for refreshments, we ask that you RSVP for this event at FriendsoftheGlen [AT] gmail.com – please let us know the number of volunteers in your party.

Volunteering details:

We will update this description as we identify other relevant details for volunteers. Please contact us to register.

Estimated time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Lunch and drinks will be provided for registered volunteers.

Activities will include:

• digging holes for the trees and shrubs
• spreading woodchips
• installing deer protection around trees and shrubs
• watering
• Of course, we also welcome anyone who wants to participate by picking up trash along the trails and stream!

More logistics:

• We will provide the equipment, including shovels, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows – but if you have favorite tools, feel free to bring them!
• Bring work gloves if you have them.

Rain plan:
Our rain date is Sunday, October 1 at 9:00 am. If the weather is not clear, we will post here and on our facebook wall by 8:45 am Saturday advising whether we will use the rain date.

Thank you, we hope to see you on National Public Lands Day!

As we post details for each month, we will link to that event with information and logistics.  All events are free, family-friendly, and open to the public – we hope to see you in the park!

Friends of Glen Providence Park
2017 Schedule of Events

Schedule subject to change – please check back to confirm times, details, and meeting locations.

Citizen Science: Winter Tree Mapping with Shannon Davidson & Marcia Tate
Saturday, January 28, 2-4:00pm
Meet at 3rd & Kirk entrance
Rain/snow date Sunday, January 29

Winter Naturalist Walk & Talk with Chris McNichol
Saturday, February 11, 10:00-12:00 noon
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

Early Spring Clean-up – snow date!
Saturday, March 25, 9:30-11:00am
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain/snow date Sunday, March 26

CRC Streams Clean-up – on Earth Day!
Saturday, April 22, 9-11:00
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain or shine

Spring Bird Walk with Tom Bush
Saturday, May 6, 7:30-9:30am
Meet at 3rd & Kirk entrance
Rain or shine

Arts in the Park: Master Storyteller Odds Bodkin
Saturday, June 3, 5:00-6:30
Rain date Sunday, June 4

Arts in the Park: Splintered Sunlight
Saturday, July 8, 5:00-6:30
Rain date Sunday, July 9

Arts in the Park: Jeffrey Gaines
Saturday, August 12, 5:00-6:30
Rain date Sunday, August 13

Arts in the Park: Eco del Sur
Saturday, September 9, 5:00-6:30
Rain date Sunday, September 10

National Public Lands Day
Saturday, September 30, 9–12:00 noon
Rain date Sunday, October 1

Kids Nature Walk with Holly Hoffmann & Aura Lester
Saturday, October 7, 10:30-12:00 noon
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain date Sunday, October 8, 10:30-12:00 noon

History & Nature Walk with Stephanie Gaboriault & Marcia Tate
Saturday, November 4, 2:00-4:00pm
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain date Sunday, November 5

Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 16, 8-10:00am
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

And don’t forget the Great Media Easter Egg Hunt held by Media Lions & McCarrin Chiropractic – it’s the park’s longest-running event, held annually since 1954!  This year’s date is Saturday, April 8 at 11:00am (sharp!), with a rain date of Sunday, April 9 at 1:00pm.