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:

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!

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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!

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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!

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

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Join us for a late fall history and nature walk in Glen Providence Park! We’ll follow part of the self-guided route from the 1941 Nature Guide as we share historical photos, maps, stories, and descriptions of the glen. Learn about the park’s native shrubs and plants, as we look for wildlife and take in the last of the fall foliage! 

History & Nature Walk

Saturday, November 10*
2:00-4:00pm
Rain date Sunday, November 11
Main entrance, 550 W. State Street, Media

The walk will be led by me (the park history buff) and our native plant expert Marcia Tate.

Logistics:

• Estimated distance: 1-1.5 miles
• Estimated time: 2 hours
• Free!
• Be prepared for stream crossings, steep hills, and uneven (possibly icy or muddy) terrain: wear sturdy walking shoes, bring a hiking pole if you use one, and you never know when you’ll want binoculars!
• If the weather is iffy, we’ll post on our website and facebook by 12:00 noon on Saturday whether we will use the Sunday rain date.

 
* This is a new date. The walk was originally scheduled for Saturday, November 3.

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

As we prepare for our annual fall tree planting this weekend, we are thinking of the loss this spring of the iconic White Oak on the sledding hill in Glen Providence Park. The June 23, 1937 Chester Times announced the first concert in Glen Providence, stating the conductor “has chosen for the orchestra stand a position under a large oak tree where the surroundings in part form a natural amphitheatre.” That majestic White Oak provided shade and beauty for generations of concert audiences and park visitors – and centuries of food and shelter for wildlife!

This year on March 2, that majestic tree fell in a Nor’easter. Based on its diameter, we believe the oak was over 200 years old! We are grateful that Delaware County Parks & Recreation preserved its standing, hollow portion as a natural playhouse. As a part of succession planning for the loss of it and future trees, volunteers planted trees on the sledding hill for Earth Day in April – and we continue the annual native tree plantings that we started in 2012. We hope some of the saplings that we plant grow to be canopy trees that provide shade and beauty for future generations!  

A chronological photo tribute… click on any photo for a closer look, or scroll through them all. We’ll add more photos as we come across them! 

Unless otherwise noted, current-day photos by author

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. 

In honor of Earth Day, community volunteers, elementary school students, and local government officials worked together to plant canopy trees on the sledding hill in Glen Providence Park. Thank you to The Rotary Club of Media, Media Providence Friends School students and teachers, Delaware County Council, and Delaware County Parks & Recreation for planting seven trees with Friends of Glen Providence Park this Wednesday!

This winter, Media Rotary had reached out to Media Providence Friends School (MPFS) and Friends of Glen Providence Park about collaborating on an educational tree planting in the Glen for Earth Day. On March 2, when the iconic White Oak on the park’s sledding hill fell in a Nor’easter, we knew where we would plant! This beloved tree was estimated to be well over 200 years old, and the community profoundly felt its loss. As a part of succession planning for the loss of this and future trees, we planted six canopy trees – including four oak species which are particularly beneficial to wildlife – and a Flowering Dogwood to replace one that is nearing the end of its expected life. 

The native trees help control erosion, provide food and habitat for wildlife, and beautify the park. This supplements the two trees planted for Earth Day in 2015 after another large tree had fallen by the stage. The species planted are White Oak, Black Oak, Chestnut Oak, Swamp White Oak, Black Gum, Black Birch, and Flowering Dogwood – we hope some of these saplings grow to be canopy trees that provide shade and beauty for future generations!

Volunteers from Rotary, MPFS, and Friends of the Glen worked together with Delaware County Parks & Recreation to organize the planting. Rotarians and Friends arrived early on Wednesday to prepare the site and start planting the trees. MPFS 3rd and 5th grade students helped dig the holes, plant the trees, mulch, and water – in addition to adding educational plant tags to our National Public Lands Day plantings from last fall! We were joined by Delaware County Parks & Recreation, and County Councilmen Michael Culp and Kevin Madden helped plant the final tree. 

In addition to all of the wonderful volunteers and students who helped with the plantings, we would like to extend tremendous thank you’s to:

The Rotary Club of Media originated the idea, and the Media Rotary Foundation and Gundaker Foundation funded the native trees and the deer fencing to protect them. Media Providence Friends School is creating educational tree tags for these and last year’s plantings, and its teachers regularly use the park as an outdoor classroom to educate and inspire their students. Delaware County Parks & Recreation provided the mulch, and a portalet so the students could extend their class time in the park. Delaware County Council helped plant the Chestnut Oak (in their suits!) and spoke thoughtfully about Earth Day. 

Seven Stones Cafe donated delicious coffee that fueled the early-arriving volunteers, and Pinocchio’s Restaurant donated enough pizza for the students and adults! Additional supplies were donated by AllScapes, Inc.; Honey Fix It, Inc.; and Pierce L. Shallis Landscaping & Design LLC. Last but not least, Garden Influence and Redbud Native Plant Nursery provided invaluable guidance on the best species to plant, and how to properly plant the trees.

Check out the photos of the morning below! 

Photos by Media Providence Friends School and Friends of Glen Providence Park

What’s the Name of that Tree and What Can It Do for Me?

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!