Gasoline has become expensive, and for some, carpooling is attractive. If you would like to carpool to any specific event, please advise Janet Novak (; cell 215-534-6700) at least 2 weeks prior to that event, giving her your contact information and your specific location. Janet will then include this information in her 1 week pre-trip email announcement and invite other interested participants to contact you for specific arrangements.

Field trip leaders can download instructions for trip reports.

March 17 (Sunday): Lichens of the Delmarva Peninsula; Blackbird State Forest, DE
We will explore the lichens of a series of Coastal Plain habitats in Blackbird State Forest on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Directions: Meet (10 AM) at the Smyrna rest area along Route 1 and Route 13 just north of Smyrna, DE. We will then travel to the first site, which is a nearby picnic area at 500-598 Blackbird Forest Rd., and then, as time permits, to several other areas. Bring a hand lens.
Leader: James Lendemer; / 215-801-6948 (cell) 718-817-8629 (office)

April 13 (Saturday): Shenk's Ferry, Lancaster County, PA
This is an informal trip to one of the best local concentrations of spring wildflowers. As described on PPL's website, "Shenk's Ferry Wildlife Preserve is one of the most impressive wildflower areas in the eastern United States and certainly one of the most popular natural locations in Lancaster County. PPL takes pride in preserving the glen as a wildflower sanctuary. Located just north of Pequea along the Susquehanna River in southern Lancaster County, the 50-acre glen surrounds Grubb Run off of Green Hill Road. The main wildflower trail is approximately 1 mile long and follows Grubb Run along easy walking path on fairly flat terrain. At least 73 species of flowers bloom from mid-March until the end of May. More than 60 other species of flowers bloom during the summer and fall. Some of the more common flowers include Dutchman's breeches, wild geranium, wild ginger, Virginia bluebells, may apple, trillium and spring beauty." This trip is informal, and joint with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society.
Directions: Go south through Lancaster on Route 272, and then southwest on New Danville Pike (Route 324), and go through the town of Conestoga. At the post office veer left onto River Corner Road. In 1.3 miles you will cross River Road and the name changes to Shenks Ferry Road. At the "T" intersection with Green Hill Road, turn left, head downhill and under the railroad through the tunnel. About 200 feet ahead, bear left and drive to the parking areas near the stream crossing.
Leader: David Lauer, , 215-357-2646

April 21 (Sunday) 1 to 5 PM: Trillium sp. Collection, Clarksboro, Gloucester Co., NJ
Note the time for this trip, a joint field trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society to view John Gyer's collection of Trillium species at his "Fern Hill" Property. John, one of our long-term members, has been gardening at Fern Hill since 1960. This garden is dedicated to the propagation of Trilliums and other species. The oldest propagation area is below a seep and is bordered by Ostrich Fern and a showy Asian skunk cabbage, Lysichiton camtschatcensis. A grove of white pine planted in 1966 houses a patch of self-sown Cypripedium acaule in the accumulated pine duff. A stream provides a setting for Tibetan hellebores. Away from the stream, pecan trees are a canopy for mosses and crane-fly orchids. The slope toward the house is a moss garden planted with blueberry bushes and Magnolias (grandiflora & ashei) and dove tree. There is a deciduous azalea border with hollies interspersed (yellow- berried and red). There is an old silted in pond—now dry—that was the site of Jessup's Mill in the mid 1800's. Up toward the house lies the first efforts at woodland gardening - now mainly spring bulbs with Cyclamen and a nice growth of 3 species of Oriental ginger. Please note that this is NOT a manicured display garden. Some storm damage etc. from Hurricane Sandy may be in evidence and should be politely ignored!
Directions: The address is 243 Jessup Mill Road, Clarksboro NJ 08020. From the Commodore Barry Bridge take the first exit labeled for Camden - North on Route 130. This will merge into I-295. Go to Exit 18 of I-295. At the light at the top of the ramp turn right, then take the next right onto Cohawkin Road. Go through Clarksboro, pass a large cemetery on the right, and then across the NJ Turnpike. IMMEDIATELY across the turnpike turn hard left onto Jessup Mill Road. At the bottom of the hill on the right there will be a gravel drive flanked by an American flag and a post with barely visible numbers 243 but no mailbox. There is a deer fence about 100 feet in from the road. Go to the top of the drive and park anywhere there is room.
Heading South on I-295, take exit 18 and refer to the directions above.
Leader: David Lauer, , 215-357-2646.

April 27 (Saturday): Introduction to Spring Flora, Crosswicks Creek, Mercer County, NJ
This trip is for people who are just getting started in botany or who aren't familiar with the plants of this area. The floodplain of Crosswicks Creek and adjacent bluffs are good areas for spring wildflowers, such as spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica), spiderwort (Tradescantia virginica), and wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia). As we identify the wildflowers, we'll review some basic methods of plant identification. The floodplain may be somewhat muddy, so be prepared. A joint field trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society.
Directions: Meet at Bordentown Township's Northern Community Park on Groveville Road, located between Routes 130 and 206. Take Route 130 north (from Bordentown, NJ) or south (toward Bordentown, NJ); turn onto Groveville Road and drive approximately 1/2 mile to the park entrance on the right. Alternatively, the park can be accessed from Route 206 northbound from Bordentown (though not conveniently from 206 southbound, as Route 206 is a divided highway here). About a mile north of the junction with Route 130, turn right onto Groveville Road and drive approximately 1/2 to the park entrance on the left.
Leader: Janet Novak, ; cell 215-534-6700

May 11 (Saturday): Franklin Parker Preserve, Chatsworth, Burlington Co., NJ
Car caravan tour of the Franklin Parker Preserve, a tract of land that includes 9,200 acres of natural forests, a segment of the Wading River, various stream corridors, reservoirs, open wetlands, restored wetlands in former agricultural areas, maintained upland meadows, and shrub lands. It contains passive use nature trails and several nature observation platforms. There is an extensive road network, a former airstrip, agricultural outbuildings, and small sand, clay, and gravel excavation sites. The preserve is surrounded by large contiguous areas of mostly state forestland, except for large cranberry farms and pine plantations to the south, and the village of Chatsworth in its center. The preserve is closed to motorized traffic by the general public. We will drive to at least a half dozen sites and explore these on foot. Most of the vegetation communities will be characteristic Pine Barrens. Others are of interest because they represent various stages of a restoration plan that is being implemented in former commercial cranberry bogs. A joint trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society.
Directions: From the intersection of County Rt. 563 and County Rt. 532 (the center of Chatsworth), go west on Rt. 532 about eight tenths of a mile. The entrance to FPP will be on your left.
Leader: Russell Juelg, , 609-654-6455

May 18 (Saturday): Bartram's Garden and American Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA
This is a return trip to view the flora of Bartram's Garden, "America's first botanical garden," and home to John and William Bartram, under the guidance of the Curator Joel Fry. A highlight of the day will be a visit to an exhibition prepared by the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) of contemporary botanical art inspired by the Bartrams. The present ASBA director is a long term member of the PBC. See the web site: www.asba-art.org/exhibitions/bartram.
Directions: From the west, via I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway): Travel east and south through Center City to Exit 346B, Gray's Ferry Avenue. Bear left on exit ramp and turn left at light on to 34th Street/University Avenue. At next light turn right on Gray's Ferry Avenue and cross Schuylkill River. Take first left on to Paschall Avenue. Turn left at next light on to 49th Street and around bend on to Gray's Avenue. Follow trolley tracks and bear left at fork on to Lindbergh Boulevard. Just beyond 54th Street sign and immediately after crossing railroad bridge make sharp left turn into entrance, which is not visible until after crossing bridge.
Via public transit, take SEPTA 36 Trolley from Center City or University City to 54th & Lindbergh Blvd. Walk across railroad bridge and turn left to entrance for Bartram's Garden.
Leaders: Joel Fry, 215-729-5281 x106, and Robin Jess,

May 25th (Saturday): Crow's Nest Preserve, Chester Co. & Berks Co., PA
One of an ongoing series of trips over several years to complete a comprehensive botanical portrait of this Natural Lands Trust (NLT) preserve in the French Creek area. Crow's Nest is one of over 40 preserves owned by NLT, is composed of some 600-plus acres, and has been managed for about 17 years with removal of invasive species, deer population control and fire management. It is considered to be part of the "Hopewell Big Woods," an area of about 73,000 contiguous acres of woodland. A joint field trip with the Delaware Valley Fern & Wildflower Society.
Directions: From the King of Prussia area/Philadelphia, PA region, take Route 202 south to the Route 401 exit. On Route 401 continue west, on through the Route 113 intersection, continuing on to its intersection with Route 100. Now turn right and north onto Route 100, going several miles to its intersection with Route 23. At the Routes 100 and 23 intersection, turn left and west. You will go about 6 miles, looking for the Warwick Campground sign at Trythall Road and Route 23. Before seeing the campground sign you will pass through the small town of Knauertown on Route 23, going uphill to the campground sign. At Trythall Rd., turn right and proceed a short distance to Harmoneyville Road. At this intersection turn left, and very shortly you will see Piersol Rd on your right. Turn in there, passing a barn and house to quickly see a parking lot with a Natural Lands Trust sign. Pull in there and walk from the parking lot to the BARN. Come in. We will meet there first for a quick outline of this field trip.
Leader: Paul Schubert () & phone number: 610-701-8685.

June 9-13 (Sunday to Thursday): Joint Field Meeting (BotSoc), Adirondack Mountains, New York
The Joint Field Meeting is sponsored by the Botanical Society of America, the Torrey Botanical Society, and the Philadelphia Botanical Club. The 2013 meeting, exploring the unique botany of the Adirondacks, will be based in Warrensburg, New York.
Program: We will be car pooling to close-by areas including the famous ice meadows which are the place to see the most native plant species in New York. Other trips will be to the State University Forestry Field Station with its unique forest and graminoid areas. Another trip is planned for Lake George, along the shore at Tongue Mt. This trail has limey areas with rich botany. There will be speakers for the four evening programs.
Housing and meals: The basic fee for meals and room will be $360 per person. Accommodations will be in two-person cabins with half baths but with showers in a separate building. We will have a few cabins with full baths, on a "first come, first served" basis.
Meeting Chair: Ed Miller, 518-421-6677 or
Registration and additional information: Download the invitation and registration form. The registration deadline is May 15.

June 16 (Sunday): Glen Onoko, Jim Thorpe, Lehigh Gorge, Carbon Co., PA
This is a particularly rugged area for hiking, so be prepared. It is not for the frail or faint of heart. We will ascend the moist, cool, hemlock-shaded ravine of Glen Onoko to emerge on the xeric Broad Mountain plateau, covered with an acidic forest and ericaceous understory. Attractions include Huperzia porophila, Asplenium montanum, and Drosera sp. growing on sandstone ledges. We will also look for Streptopus amplexifolius (twisted stalk). Asplenium bradleyi may be a possibility. For those who are not up to the strenuous climb, a stroll north along the rail-trail to enjoy some of the ferns in the retaining wall is possible. A joint trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society.
Directions: Take the Northeast Extension (476) north from Philadelphia. Leave 476 at exit 74 (Mahoning Valley) and go left onto US 209 south (toward Lehighton). Follow 209 to Jim Thorpe. Immediately after driving through Jim Thorpe (stoplight, railroad station), turn right on Route 903 (River Street) and cross the bridge over the Lehigh River. Go up the hill on 903, and where 903 turns right as North St at the top of the hill, stop and go straight on Main Street. Follow Main Street down into a hollow, ascend, and turn left when you see the sign for Lehigh Gorge State Park. Follow the park road along the river and across it to a loop and parking at the end.
Leader: Chris Hoess, , phone: (267) 918-6803.

June 29 (Saturday): Repaupo, Gloucester Co., NJ
We will visit a number of habitats possibly including, Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) swamps and freshwater tidal wetlands along the Delaware River. A number of rare species have been historically reported from this area, including: Aeschynomene virginica, Bidens bidentoides, Cyperus engelmannii, Cyperus lancastriensis, Elephantopus carolinianus, Epilobium angustifolium, Eriocaulon parkeri,Eriophorum gracile, Gymnopogon brevifolius, Heteranthera multiflora, Pinus serotina, Platanthera ciliaris, Polygala mariana, Ranunculus ambigens, Rhynchospora inundata, Sagittaria subulata, Spiranthes laciniata, Stachys tenuifolia, and Utricularia gibba. This is a joint trip with the Torrey Botanical Society.
Directions: This trip requires advance registration. Contact the trip leaders to register and for meeting place.
Leaders: Uli Lorimer Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; 718-623-7200; and Gerry Moore, National Plant Data Team, East National Technology Support Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 2901 E. Lee St., Greensboro, NC 27401; 336-370-3337; .

June 30 (Sunday): Buck Run vicinity above Martha Furnace, Wharton State Forest, Burlington County, NJ
We will explore savannahs and quaking bogs that may have escaped bog-iron-ore mining to see Narthecium americanum, Tofieldia racemosa, Lophiola aurea, and large populations of Sarracenia purpurea. We will also evaluate the long term impacts of fire on species composition of these mineral poor fens.
Directions: Meet at 9:30 AM at Harrisville Lake on route 679. From the intersection of Routes 532 & 563, the firehouse in the town of Chatsworth, go south about 11.2 miles to the lake. Below Mick's Canoe rental in Jenkins, 563 splits. Stay left on route 679 toward New Gretna. We hope to consolidate into 4-wheel or all-wheel vehicles. Be prepared for wet walking.
Leader: Ted Gordon,

July 6 (Saturday): Exploration of bog asphodel Savannahs of Nescochaque Creek, Wharton State Forest, Atlantic County, NJ
We will take an extensive species survey and evaluate the impacts of a recent fire on species composition. Hopefully we will find Tofieldia racemosa and Rhynchospora oligantha.
Directions: Meet at 9:30 AM at the Atsion Ranger Station on Route 206 just north of Atsion Lake and Lake Shore Drive about 10.5 miles south of Red Lion Circle, intersection of Routes 206 & 70. We hope to consolidate into 4-wheel or all-wheel vehicles. Be prepared for wet walking.
Leader: Ted Gordon, . Contact the leader to sign up.

July 7 (Sunday): Workshop - Botanical Printing
This is a new type of workshop for us. We will spend 2 ‡ hours with Laura Bethmann, author of Hand Printing From Nature, learning the art of making prints of ferns and wildflowers from fresh specimens. Excerpts from her blog: "Experience is the real thing. Breathing in the teeming, earthy fragrance of a spring morning is an ordinary, sensory experience. Dipping bare feet into a rushing stream or examining faceted crystals on a frosty windowpane are common experiences that, if we pay attention, have the power to awaken a profound place of beauty within us. We have the capability to recognize the beauty and mystery of nature because beauty and mystery are at the heart of our being. It is in all the life around us—it is us. When we're hand-printing nature and reveling in all her shapes and patterns, we begin to notice similarities within the seemingly different: how wood grain looks like the ripples on a pond, how a cut lemon is like a daisy. The patterns of nature—branching, radiating, turbulence, and spiraling, to name a few—recur in different forms. The branching pattern we see in trees is typical of vascular systems. It is found in leaf veining and root growth in plants, and in lung structures and blood circulation in animals. Colonies of bacteria, ice crystals, water channels, and lightning all exhibit branching patterns. Radiating or explosion patterns take place in stars and volcanoes and can be seen in the streaming rays of the sun, yet the explosion pattern also occurs in diminutive flowers. From a daisy's golden center disk burst radiating petals. Named because it mimics the sun, daisy comes from its Old English name, 'day's eye.'" See the website: www.laurabethmann.com
There is a $25 fee for participation, payable at the door, and this includes all necessary materials. We will gather fresh specimens on site. Please register by email before June 23 with David Lauer, .
Directions: Please contact for directions
Leader: Laura Bethmann, , 609-296-7219

July 20 (Saturday): Crow's Nest Preserve, Chester Co. & Berks Co., PA
This is the second of two field trips to this area for the season, and one of an ongoing series of trips over several years to complete a comprehensive botanical portrait of this Natural Lands Trust (NLT) preserve in the French Creek area.
For directions and additional information, see the trip listed for May 25.
Leader: Paul Schubert () & phone number: 610-701-8685.

July 21 (Sunday) at 10:30 AM: Hazleton Bog (Valmont Bog Sanctuary), Luzerne County, PA
Hazleton Bog, recently acquired by the North Branch Land Trust, is a lovely cool bog famed for its orchids. Our trip is timed for blooming season of white fringed orchid (Platanthera blephariglottis), yellow fringed orchid (Platanthera ciliaris), and a swarm of their natural hybrids (Platanthera x bicolor) of variable color. The bog has many other plants we don't often see around Philadelphia, such as narrowleaf gentian (Gentiana linearis), dew-drop (Dalibarda repens, recently renamed Rubus repens), climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum), and a bog clubmoss, Lycopodiella inundata. It's also home to some rare insects: seepage dancer (a damselfly) and bog copper butterfly. Hazleton is one of the coldest spots in southeastern Pennsylvania, so this will be a good place to be on a July day. Easy walking, but come prepared for wet ground.
Directions: We'll meet in a parking lot in the Valmont Industrial Park. For GPS users, a close address is 525 Jaycee Drive, Hazleton, PA. From Philadelphia via route 309, take route 476 (the Northeast Extension). Near Allentown, take the Lehigh Valley exit, and bear right at the fork for US-22/I-78/PA-309, getting onto 22 East. In less than a mile, exit onto route 309 North. Follow 309 for 42.2 miles (in Schnecksville bear left at the fork with 873 and in Tamaqua make a slight right onto Mauch Chunk Street and then left onto Pine Street to stay on 309). In Hazleton, turn left at West Broad Street to get onto Route 93 West. Follow 93 for 2.2 miles, then turn left (at a traffic light) onto Deer Run Rd. In 3/10 mile Deer Run Rd. bears right at a "Y". Take the left fork at the "Y" and you will be on Jaycee Drive. Follow Jaycee Dr. a short distance until you cross a railroad track. Just past the RR track, on the right side, is an old industrial bldg. and gravel parking lot. Park here, but do not block the driveway. From west of Philadelphia via route 81, take route 422 West to the Reading area (taking 422 by-pass around Reading). Exit onto route 222 North and in approx. 1 mile exit onto route 61 North. Follow Route 61 all the way to Route 81 North in Frackville (it's quite convoluted going through a few small towns; continue to follow signs for Route 61). Follow Route 81 North for 21 miles and exit onto Route 93 East (right turn off the exit ramp). Go approx. 2 miles and turn right (at a traffic light) onto Deer Run Rd, then follow the directions above from Deer Run Rd.
Leaders: Janet Novak (; cell 215-534-6700) and Bob Sprague ( or 484-919-2922)

August 3 (Saturday): Fern Identification Workshop: Beyond the Basics
In this workshop, we tackle the identification of some moderately difficult ferns. A particular focus will be the small rock-loving ferns, such as Woodsia obtusa, Pellaea species, and Cystopteris species. We will also cover distinctions between Dryopteris species, though we will not cover Dryopteris hybrids in any detail. Participants are expected to have a grasp on the basics of fern identification, such as knowing where to find sori and being able to distinguish the common genera (e.g. Athyrium, Dryopteris, Osmunda). The workshop will start indoors, where we'll study fern fronds. We will then proceed into Fairmount Park to see the ferns in their habitats. Bring a hand lens. If you have any ferns you want identified, bring a frond. The workshop will end at approximately 1 PM.
Location and Registration: The workshop will be held at Cedars House in Fairmount Park, northwest Philadelphia. The workshop is limited to members of the Philadelphia Botanical Club and the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society. The workshop is free, but you must register with the leader by July 27. Participation will be limited to 20. Directions to Cedars House (not "The Cedars" in the main portion of Fairmount Park) will be sent to registrants.
Leader: Janet Novak, 215-248-2642 or

August 9 through 12 (Friday through Monday): Ferns of Vermont
This is a joint trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society, and comes one week after Janet Novak's fern workshop. Here's a chance to test your pteridophyte mettle! Vermont has a diverse fern flora (see Mike Rosenthal's web site.) 'Fess up—have you ever seen "Miss Woolson's Spleenwort"?

• Friday afternoon: Trip for early arrivals to Mt. Aeolus in Dorset. Plants to see: Cystopteris bulbifera, C. tenuis, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Asplenium ruta-muraria and many others. Although it will be late in the season for them, we may also see two moonworts that are not known from any other location in the eastern US: Botrychium ascendens and B. campestre.
• Saturday morning: Visit our home gardens. Plants to see: about 80 native Vermont ferns and Lycophytes including some rare Dryopteris hybrids. Lunch: Wayside Country Store.
• Saturday afternoon: (Less strenuous) Sharon will take a group to a garden in East Arlington. You've got to see this to believe it! (More strenuous) Mike will lead an Isoetes (quillwort) foray in Windham County. We'll visit the site of the newly discovered I. viridimontana at its only known location in the world. Carl Taylor recently submitted the article on it to the American Fern Journal. Look for it there in the near future.
• Sunday: Travel day to Morrisville in northern VT. We'll stop at a few sites (to be determined) along the way and we'll visit Cadys Cove Nursery in the afternoon.
• Monday morning: Trip to Barr Hill for Diphasiastrum x sabinifolium, D. complanatum, Spinulum canadense, etc.
• For those who can stay a little longer, trip to the Connecticut River area for Diphasiastrum x verecundum, Botrychium multifidum, Isoetes riparia, I. echinospora, and their hybrid, I. Dodgei.

August 24 (Saturday): Sadsbury Woods Preserve, Chester Co., PA
This 513 acre Natural Lands Trust preserve includes one of the largest remaining unfragmented woodlands in Chester County. It is an important habitat for interior nesting birds and small mammals, and has an excellent variety of ferns and flowering plants. Additional information and a trail map are available.
Directions: From the Philadelphia area, take route 202 South from the intersection with the Schuylkill Expressway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike and travel southwest towards Exton, where you should enter the Route 30 bypass. Follow the bypass to the very end where it merges with Business Route 30, past Coatesville. Immediately after the merge, you will turn right onto Compass Road. For detailed directions, see the trail map or Google maps directions. Travel north on Compass Rd, bear right onto Skiles or Scroggy Drive and follow that to the "T" intersection with Old Wilmington Rd. Turn right again, and after a short distance, turn right onto Northwood Drive. Proceed a short distance to the sign and parking area for the preserve.
Leader: David Lauer, 215-357-2646 (cell) and

August 31 (Saturday): Upper Maurice River, Cumberland and Salem Cos., NJ
Joint trip with the Torrey Botanical Society. This trip will focus on visiting a number of upland and freshwater wetland habitats along the Maurice River above Union Lake, including Atlantic white cedar swamps (Chamaecyparis thyoides) and bogs. Rare species that have been recorded from this area that we will be looking for include: Desmodium strictum, Eupatorium resinosum, Helonias bullata, Juncus caesariensis, Nymphoides cordata, Polygala curtissii, Polygala polygama, Schizaea pusilla, Utricularia purpurea, Vernonia glauca, and Zigadenus leimanthoides.
Directions: Contact the trip leader for meeting place and further details.
Leader: Gerry Moore, National Plant Data Team, East National Technology Support Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 2901 E. Lee St., Greensboro, NC 27401; 336-370-3337; .

September 8 (Sunday): Milford Bluffs, Hunterdon County, NJ
We will visit the Thomas F. Breden Preserve at Milford Bluffs, across the river from Upper Black Eddy, PA. View a map of the preserve. As described on their website, the preserve is famous for its breath-taking views of the Delaware River and beyond. Included in the preserve are approximately 13 acres that include the hot dry micro climates on the high westward facing red shale bluff. This feature is specialized habitat for some of New Jersey's rarest plants. Cheilanthes lanosa, the hairy lipfern, is common on the cliff edges. A curiosity for Hunterdon County, but not rare within the state, are the prickly pear cactus found growing roadside at the base of the cliff. We will visit the base of the cliffs, below the preserve, after lunch. The preserve, which sits atop a plateau, includes woodlots, old fields and a hemlock-shaded trout stream. The Trust works to manage old fields to benefit grassland songbirds such as the bluebird, meadowlark and bobolink. Periodic brush hog mowing and incorporating prescribed fire for management on over 30 acres of old fields helps keep the openings in various stages of succession. A joint trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society.
Directions: Drive north out of Milford NJ, (across the bridge from Upper Black Eddy, PA on River Road,Rte 32) on route 519 for approximately 1 miles, and look for a small gravel road marked with a newspaper box on the left. One of our members should be stationed there by 9:40 AM to guide you in. Turn left and follow the gravel road to the parking area.
Leader: Doug Kligman, 484-432-0794 (cell)

September 14 (Saturday): Lower Maurice River and its Tributaries, Cumberland Co., NJ
Joint trip with the Torrey Botanical Society. The focus of this trip will be numerous freshwater tidal habitats along the Maurice River, Manumuskin Creek, and Manantico Creek. Rare species that we will be looking for include: Aeschynomene virginica, Bidens bidentoides, Desmodium strictum, Elatine americana, Eriocaulon parkeri, Gratiola virginica, Hydrocotyle verticillata var. verticillata, IsoÎtes riparia, Quercus michauxii, Sagittaria subulata, Schoenoplectus novae-angliae and Utricularia gibba. In the freshwater tidal mudflats, we will study unusual populations of Cardamine that likely represent a tidal form of Cardamine pensylvanica (and not the globally rare C. longii). We will also visit recently discovered stands of the non-natives Kyllinga gracillima, Murdannia keisak, and Polygonum perfoliatum, the latter two invasive. An area along the Manantico Creek that is undergoing a rather striking conversion from a freshwater pond to a freshwater tidal marsh will also be visited. Previously, material of Echinochloa from here was tentatively identified as Echinochloa crus-pavonis (not reported from NJ).
Directions: Contact the trip leaders for meeting place and further details.
Leaders: Uli Lorimer and Gerry Moore. UL: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; 718-623-7200; . GM: National Plant Data Team, East National Technology Support Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 2901 E. Lee St., Greensboro, NC 27401; 336-370-3337; .

September 15 (Sunday): Plant families in the field; Delhaas Woods, Bucks County PA
If you never learned the characteristics of the plant families—or if you need to relearn them after the recent taxonomic changes—this trip is for you. Using examples found in the lovely coastal-plain site of Delhaas Woods, the leader will demonstrate how to identify some important plant families, emphasizing the Angiosperms (flowering plants). If you want to study the subject beforehand, the following resources are recommended:

• The Tree of Life project
• Angiosperm Phylogeny Website
• Haston, Elspeth, et al. "The Linear Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (LAPG) III: a linear sequence of the families in APG III." Botanical Journal of the Linnaean Society 161.2 (2009): 128-131.
• Christenhusz, Maarten, et al. "A new classification and linear sequence of extant gymnosperms." Phytotaxa 19 (2011): 55-70.
• Christenhusz, Maarten, Xian-Chun Zhang, and Harald Schneider. "A linear sequence of extant families and genera of lycophytes and ferns." Phytotaxa 19 (2011): 7-54.
• A linear classification of Angiosperms
• A linear classification of lycophytes, ferns and gymnosperms

September 28 (Saturday): A Bartram Tour Through The New Jersey Pine Barrens
This tour will follow the explorations of colonial botanist John Bartram in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Bartram's more distant trips to New York, New England, Pittsburgh, Florida and the South are better known, but Bartram collected plants in southern New Jersey and the Pine Barrens from the beginning of his work as a botanist, making collections from Egg Harbor, Cape May, and "the sandy barren deserts" of the Pine Barrens, today called The Plains. John Bartram probably traveled and collected in New Jersey in almost every year of his adult life and the Pine Barrens remained a continuing source for the Bartram family seed trade. John Bartram grew Pine Barrens plants in his botanic garden, including what he called "the grassy plant" Xerophyllum asphodeloides and the "autumnal gentian of the desert" Gentiana autumnalis. We will visit the following locations with plants Bartram was known to collect:

• Whitesbog, where modern blueberry cultivation began. Elizabeth White experimented here in the early 20th century with the cultivation and naturalization of the Bartram discovery—Franklinia alatamaha.
• The Plains (and a remnant passage of the "Keith Line," a late 17th century survey cut made to define "East" and "West" Jersey).
• Cedar Bridge Road, an eighteenth century route through the Pines.
• Little Egg Harbor Meeting, at Tuckerton, part of the Quaker settlement founded here in 1702.
• "Seven Bridges Road" or Great Bay Boulevard and the bay beaches where some of the maritime plants Bartram collected are found. (One of his earliest collections included beach pea, Lathyrus maritimus, which reaches its southern distribution limit here).

October 4 - 6 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday): John Burroughs' Slabsides and the Esopus Gorge, West Park, NY
John Burroughs was a prolific writer in the late 19th and early 20th century and he popularized the study of botany and other aspects of nature for common folk in the post civil war era. Along with John Muir, he was one of the "two Johns," (they resembled each other physically) and his camping trips with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone attracted much attention. His writing cabin "Slabsides" was built in 1895 and still exists as a national historic landmark within the 170 acre John Burroughs Sanctuary. The cabin is open for visitors on Saturday, October 5, when we will visit and botanize within the Sanctuary. On Friday afternoon and Sunday morning we will explore the nearby Esopus Gorge with the assistance of Sam Adams, a local botanist. A joint trip with the Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society.
Directions: Please contact the leader for car pooling, meeting place and lodging information.
Leader: David Lauer, , 215-357-2646.

October 12, 13 (Saturday, Sunday): Delaware Bay, Cumberland Co., NJ
Joint trip with the Torrey Botanical Society. This two day trip will focus on numerous tidal and forested habitats along the Delaware Bay. Rare species that will be sought include Bidens mitis, Eupatorium capillifolium, Euthamia carolinianus (=Euthamia microcephala), Fimbristylis castanea, Gentiana saponaria, Leptochloa fascicularis subsp. maritimus, Packera tomentosa (=Senecio tomentosus), Pinus taeda, Puccinellia fasciculata, Pyrrhopappus carolinianus, Quercus lyrata, Quercus michauxii, Quercus nigra, Sesuvium maritimum, Setaria magna, Solidago latissimifolia (=Solidago elliottii), Solidago tarda (=Solidago ludoviciana), Spiranthes odorata, and Suaeda calceoliformis. Besides botany, the trip will also have a history component as we visit numerous "lost" communities along the bay, including Caviar (Bayside), Moores Beach, Robinsons Beach, Sea Breeze (Seabreeze), and Thompsons Beach. We may also have an opportunity to visit an active salt hay farm operation.
Directions: Contact the trip leader for meeting place and further details.
Leader: Gerry Moore, National Plant Data Team, East National Technology Support Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 2901 E. Lee St., Greensboro, NC 27401; 336-370-3337; .

November 23 (Saturday): Bear Swamp, Cumberland Co., NJ
Joint trip with the Torrey Botanical Society. The focus will be on old growth trees and lichen identification. Large old-growth specimens of Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnolia virginiana, and Nyssa sylvatica will be noted. Rare species that should be seen include Quercus michauxii, Phoradendron leucarpum, and Tipularia discolor.
Directions: Contact the trip leaders for meeting place and further details.
Leaders: James Lendemer and Gerry Moore. JL: Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458; 718-817-8629; . GM: National Plant Data Team, East National Technology Support Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 2901 E. Lee St., Greensboro, NC 27401; 336-370-3337; .

November: The Chrysler Herbarium, Rutgers University, NJ
Date to be announced. We will tour the Chrysler Herbarium at Rutgers University with Lauren Spitz, one of our members currently studying at the University.
Directions: Please contact the leader for directions.
Leader: Lauren Sptiz,

December 8 (Sunday): Winter Botany; Spring Mountain and the Perkiomen Trail, Montgomery County, PA
Spring Mountain is a small peak composed of diabase, a volcanic rock that gives rise to a rich soil and, often, a rich flora. We'll go through meadow and rocky woods, seeing what we can identify in winter.
Directions: From Chancellorsville, take route 73 north. At the edge of town, turn right on Park Ave./Schwenksville Road (at the light with Ortino's Restaurant on the corner). After 0.3 mile, make a sharp left onto Cedar Road. Take 1st left into a large parking lot.
Leader: Janet Novak, ; cell 215-534-6700