| News Archives |
 |
Plant Stewardship Index: new analytical tool for land conservationists, preservationists, stewards and landowners
For more information about the Plant Stewardship Index Program, fees and a detailed course outline, please click here.
(This information is in PDF  format and can only be opened through Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, please click here and download it for free.)
New Hope, Pennsylvania -
- Do you want to be able to assess the quality of your landscape ecologically?
- Do you need a practical tool to monitor management or preservation of property?
- Do you just want to get a sense of the quality of common plants and plant communities you may see when exploring the region?
Many of us strive to be better stewards of the land we own, whether privately or publicly. S ome plants seem to thrive in disturbed areas and roadsides, whereas others actually are in decline and found only in more specialized plant communities. Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve has developed a Plant Stewardship Index database that rates approximately 900 of the plants found in the piedmont plant communities of the Delaware River Basin in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The database includes native or naturalized plants, invasive plants and selected threatened and endangered plants.
The Plant Stewardship Index clearly shows which plants are introduced and which are native to the area as well as their likelihood of occurring in their natural habitats. By using this scale, you not only can learn about the relative ecological quality of each plant and plant community on a given property, but also calculate an overall standardized rating.
In conjunction with the Plant Stewardship Index, the Preserve will roll out an educational program in the spring and summer of 2005 that includes:
- an introductory workshop focusing on the Index, its use, and general tips on identification of invasive species and common species you might encounter in the Delaware Valley region
- Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve’s series of plant classes on spring ephemerals, ferns, asters, etc.
- a field workshop on a selected property with experts demonstrating use of the Index, sampling, taking specimens and identification of plants
You can sign up for the full program (all three of the above-listed educational components) or the introductory workshop only.The introductory workshop will be held on Saturday, April 2 at 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. The field workshop will be held in the summer, with the date to be announced.
For more information, including fees, and to register for the programs, please contact the Preserve at (215) 862-2924. Availability in the Preserve’s series of plant classes and the field workshop may be limited.
In the future, the Preserve plans to offer an advanced course in connection with the Plant Stewardship Index, including botanical identification, sedges and grasses, and specific habitats.
The Preserve is located at 1635 River Road (PA Rt. 32), 2.5 miles south of New Hope, Pennsylvania and convenient to I-95. For directions, call (215) 862-2924 or visit www.bhwp.org (select “Visiting BHWP” from main menu).
For information about year-round educational programs at the Preserve, see the Calendar of Events at www.bhwp.org or contact the Preserve at (215) 862-2924 or by e-mail at bhwp@bhwp.org.
Press Contact: Nancy Beaubaire, Director of Communications (215) 862-2924
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
P.O. Box 685
New Hope, PA 18938
Phone: (215) 862-2924 Fax: (215) 862-1846
E-mail: communications@bhwp.org
www.bhwp.org
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve is managed by the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve Association Inc., in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
|
