Knowing Native Plants
30Jul
Knowing Native Plants: Meadow Magic with Mary Anne Borge (July 30, 2022)
Join Naturalist Mary Anne Borge and discover, virtually, the Preserve’s 4-acre meadow. This program will introduce you to native plants that thrive in a meadow habitat, including wildflowers, grasses, sedges and rushes. Learn what defines a meadow, the benefits it provides, meadow successional stages, the actions necessary to maintain a meadow and the animals that depend on this type of ecosystem. Find out why it is important to plant native species and avoid non-native ornamentals that may escape from cultivation. Whether you are looking for ideas for your own meadow or want help identifying plants in the meadows where you hike, this program is for you. Mary Anne Borge is a naturalist, photographer, author and educator. She is the editor of Butterfly Gardener Magazine, a naturalist and instructor at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and a Pennsylvania master naturalist. She is the team leader for Lambertville Goes Wild, a volunteer organization that successfully led Lambertville to certification as a community wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. On her blog, Mary Anne writes about and illustrates with her photography the importance of native plants to all life. Additional Information: Online registration for this program closes 12 hours before the start of the class. If you need help with registration, please email education@bhwp.org. If you need assistance with your membership code, please contact development@bhwp.org. You will receive an email with a Zoom meeting invitation before the program begins and after registration closes. Registration Fees: In-Person: $30 SOLD OUT Virtual: $25
27Aug
Knowing Native Plants: The Amazing Aster Family: Confusing Yellow Composites with Mary Anne Borge (Aug 27, 2022)
Join Preserve Naturalist Mary Anne Borge as we focus on the confusing late summer and fall-blooming yellow composites, including goldenrods (Solidago spp.), sunflowers, coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) and beggar-ticks (Bidens spp.). She will cover the features that make aster family members unique, as well as the relationships these plants have with the insects, birds and other animals that depend on them. Find out which of these species might be good candidates for your own garden. Mary Anne Borge is a naturalist, photographer, author and educator. She is the editor of Butterfly Gardener Magazine, a naturalist and instructor at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and a Pennsylvania master naturalist. She is the team leader for Lambertville Goes Wild, a volunteer organization that successfully led Lambertville to certification as a community wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. On her blog, Mary Anne writes about and illustrates with her photography the importance of native plants to all life. Additional Information: Online registration for this program closes 12 hours before the start of the class. If you need help with registration, please email education@bhwp.org. If you need assistance with your membership code, please contact development@bhwp.org. You will receive an email with a Zoom meeting invitation before the program begins and after registration closes. Registration Fees: In-Person: $30 SOLD OUT Virtual: $25
24Sep
Knowing Native Plants: The Amazing Aster Family: Classic Asters and Their Colorful Companions with Mary Anne Borge (Sept. 24, 2022)
Join Preserve Naturalist Mary Anne Borge to find out what makes aster family members different from all other plants and their importance to both wildlife and people. You’ll learn about classic asters such as New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) and many other species found in different habitats; some that bloom into November; as well as bonesets (Eupatorium perfoliatum), white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) and mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum). Learn which of these species might be good candidates for your own garden. Mary Anne Borge is a naturalist, photographer, author and educator. She is the editor of Butterfly Gardener Magazine, a naturalist and instructor at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and a Pennsylvania master naturalist. She is the team leader for Lambertville Goes Wild, a volunteer organization that successfully led Lambertville to certification as a community wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. On her blog, Mary Anne writes about and illustrates with her photography the importance of native plants to all life. Additional Information: Online registration for this program closes 12 hours before the start of the class. If you need help with registration, please email education@bhwp.org. If you need assistance with your membership code, please contact development@bhwp.org. You will receive an email with a Zoom meeting invitation before the program begins and after registration closes. Registration Fees: In-Person: $30 Virtual: $25
08Oct
Knowing Native Plants: Trees of the Preserve with Ed Lignowski, Ph.D. (Oct. 8, 2022)
Learn about many of our native tree species in the glory of their fall color with former botany/plant physiology college instructor Ed Lignowski, Ph.D. Do you know which native tree was originally used to flavor root beer? Or why leaves change color? This class will cover these topics and more, as well as provide tips on how to identify the trees of the Preserve, both deciduous and evergreen. Additional Information: Online registration for this program closes 12 hours before the start of the class. If you need help with registration, please email education@bhwp.org. If you need assistance with your membership code, please contact development@bhwp.org. You will receive an email with a Zoom meeting invitation before the program begins and after registration closes. Registration Fees: In-Person: $30 SOLD OUT Virtual: $25
05Nov
Knowing Native Plants: From Flowers to Seeds with Ed Lignowski, Ph.D. (Nov. 5, 2022)
How do angiosperms reproduce sexually? Former botany and plant physiology college professor Ed Lignowski, Ph.D., will discuss the life cycle of flowering plants, from pollination to fruit and seed dispersal. The general anatomy of flowers will be covered along with specific examples of native plants that illustrate the many interesting differences in floral structure and function occurring in nature. Additional Information: Online registration for this program closes 12 hours before the start of the class. If you need help with registration, please email education@bhwp.org. If you need assistance with your membership code, please contact development@bhwp.org. You will receive an email with a Zoom meeting invitation before the program begins and after registration closes. Registration Fees: In-Person: $30 Virtual: $25
Thursday Night Nature
07Jul
Pollinators in the woods? Exploring the many ways wild bees nest and forage in woody habitats, with Kass Urban-Mead, Ph.D. (Thursday Night Nature, July 7)
Did you know that there are over 4,000 different wild bee species in the United States? Most are solitary, don't live in hives, and don't make honey. These wild, native pollinators have long evolutionary relationships with our beloved wildflowers and provide important pollination services which ensure the stability of many of our favorite fruits, nuts and vegetables. We usually think of wild pollinating bees in our gardens, flower patches and meadows, but that is not the only place they can be found! In the northeastern US, up to a third of our wild bee species prefer, and rely on, forest habitats. Some are specialized to only collect pollen and nectar from spring ephemerals on the forest floor, while others nest in rotting logs and in leaf litter deep in the woods. Bumble bees, beloved on your roses and garden plants, prefer nesting in the forest; and apple orchard pollinators regularly collect forest canopy pollen before the apple orchards bloom. Join us for an adventure exploring how wild bees use the woods--from the leafy forest floor to the tippy top of the canopy! Kass Urban-Mead, Ph.D. is a Pollinator Conservation Specialist with Xerces Society and an NRCS Partner Biologist. Her doctoral work at the Cornell Entomology Department characterized the wild bee species active in early spring forests and forest canopies. It looked at how the movement of bees between forests and orchards supports orchard pollination. Kass grew up raising 4-H dairy goats in the Hudson Valley. She completed her master's at Yale Forestry, part of Yale’s School of the Environment. She has also worked for a summer at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard and conducted ecological research in southern France. In her position with the Xerces Society, Urban-Mead provides technical assistance on pollinator conservation in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. She assists with planning, designing, installing, and managing habitats for pollinators and other beneficial insects and also works to develop technical guidelines and provide training on pollinator conservation practices. All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time. Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)
07Jul
Thursday Night Nature Summer 2022 Bundle
The Preserve is proud to announce the continuation of Thursday Night Nature. In the same vein as our popular Winter Lecture Series, the Preserve will host a guest lecturer 7 pm - 8 pm every Thursday night for six weeks beginning April 7. Using easy-to-use Zoom webinars, these virtual lectures will feature an impressive list of experts from across the country. Lecturers will discuss a wide range of topics from raptors to rain gardens.
14Jul
A Celebration of Moths with Elena Tartaglia, Ph.D. (Thursday Night Nature, July 14)
National Moth Week is a global-scale community science project celebrating the importance and beauty of moths and other nocturnal biodiversity. This lecture highlights the essential roles moths play in ecosystems as pollinators, links in food webs, decomposers and their importance to humans. Learn about conservation threats to moths and how to attract them for close observation. We will also discuss how and where to participate in and contribute data to the National Moth Week project. Elena Tartaglia is a co-founder of National Moth Week and a professor of Biology at Bergen Community College in NJ. Tartaglia earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University and has worked in science outreach and environmental education since 2005, including interning for Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve. She is an expert on moths of the family Sphingidae, having studied various aspects of their ecology and behavior. Her current research focuses on long-term ecological change and plant invasions in urban ecosystems. All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time. Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)
Exploring Nature
23Jul
North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Butterfly Count 2022
Join us for a citizen science extravaganza focusing on our fluttering friends. Why count butterflies? It helps scientists piece together the big picture of the distribution and population size of each species counted, and how they change over time. It is also a lot of fun! Join Mary Anne Borge, Preserve naturalist, who will teach you to identify the different butterflies we encounter and the native host plants they depend on for nectar and caterpillar food. Please bring binoculars or a camera with a zoom lens, and a field guide, if you have one. Make sure you have plenty of water, snacks and appropriate sun protection. Join us for all or part of the morning; all experience levels are welcome, from beginners to seasoned butterfliers. Mary Anne Borge is a naturalist, photographer, author and educator. She is the editor of Butterfly Gardener Magazine, a naturalist and instructor at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and a Pennsylvania master naturalist. She is the team leader for Lambertville Goes Wild, a volunteer organization that successfully led Lambertville to certification as a community wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. On her blog, Mary Anne writes about and illustrates with her photography the importance of native plants to all life. Registration is required for this event.