Churchville Nature Center Seeks Botanical Gardeners

NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA —Attention Botanical Gardeners. The Churchville Nature Center is seeking volunteers.

The nature center is holding two meetings to launch the new volunteer program with the first from 10 a.m. to Noon on Wednesday, Sept. 27, and the second from 10 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, Oct. 7.

The meetings are for people who advocate growing native plants in local gardens, support local wildlife, love to garden but don’t have enough space for a garden, have free time, and can help “grow a garden” that will demonstrate colorful and visually appealing designs to others.

Anyone interested in attending a meeting should register by emailing your name, phone number, email address, and preferred date for one of the two meetings to Assistant Director Peg Mongillo at pamongillo@BucksCounty.org

Churchville Nature Center began installing its on-site botanical garden this past spring.

The formal woodland garden is housed in an enclosed area and features garden beds, pathways, and sitting areas.

The plants in the garden are native to eastern Pennsylvania and include shrubs and trees, perennials, climbing vines, ferns, grasses, and groundcovers.

As a botanical garden, it is designed to be visually appealing and inclusive of signage and will be used for education, wildlife conservation, demonstration, propagation, and research.

The center is cultivating a team of volunteer “Botanical Gardeners” who will become caretakers and stewards of this new garden.

There is no fee to join the group.

Botanical Gardeners should be at least 18 years of age and in good physical condition.

While the group will launch this fall, Botanical Gardeners will be active from March through October of each year.

Gardening experience is not required. Equipment and supplies will be provided.

Botanical Gardeners will be asked to become stewards of at least one garden that they will learn to care for and maintain.

While there will be some whole-group activities, Botanical Gardeners can otherwise carry out their volunteer duties in the garden when it is convenient for them and if Churchville Nature Center is open to the public.

Botanical Gardeners will become involved with planting, bed preparation, mulching, weeding, watering, pest and invasive control, pruning and trimming, and seed propagation. In addition to practicing valuable knowledge and skills in these areas, Botanical Gardeners will have access to free plants for their own use once plants in the garden can be reproduced through seed harvesting or plant division.

Anyone with questions should call the center at 215-357-4005. Click here to learn more about Churchville Nature Center.