7/4/2024: Celebrate 90 Years of Conservation Action

In October 1934, the Washington Crossing Park Commission set aside 100 acres of Washington Crossing Historic Park. At the urging of two dedicated visionaries, these acres became Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve.

Mary K. Parry, then the chairman of the Bucks County Federation of Women's Clubs, and W. Wilson Heinitsh, employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Forest and Waters as a consultant for Washington Crossing Historic Park, spearheaded the Preserve’s creation. Together, they rallied support from the Federation of Garden Clubs of Pennsylvania, W.E. Montgomery of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters and the Council for the Preservation of Natural Beauty in Pennsylvania for their vision of a Pennsylvania native plant sanctuary.

This October, 90 years later, the Preserve is looking back on the history that brought us here and the future we strive to reach. We have come so far as an organization and a community because of the support from board members, visitors, staff, volunteers, members, students and everyone who sees the unique potential of this growing, living museum. You have made these past 90 years possible, and it’s with you we will reach beyond the next 90.

Join us in celebrating 90 years of conservation action! Look forward to a longer feature in our annual Twinleaf Newsletter, incorporation into our guided naturalist tours, posts on our social media highlighting historical photos and articles and more throughout the rest of the year. Learn more about the Preserve’s history and future here:

• History Timeline of the Preserve
• A Sense of Place: Land Acknowledgement, Geology and Historical Land Use
• Our Mission and What Makes the Preserve Unique
• Our Strategic Plan