Volunteer Day Held At Silver Lake Nature Center

More than 50 volunteers ascended upon Silver Lake Nature Center, generously donating their time and energy to cleaning up the center's many trails, gardens and surrounding areas.

They cleaned, raked, hauled, pulled, sawed, pruned, mulched and chopped for a half day -- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. last Saturday.

Volunteers from various groups from all around the area gathered to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to benefit a cause they care about -- the environmental health of SLNC and the surrounding area.

"On the first Saturday of the month, volunteer groups and individuals help clean up areas around the center," said Patti Ann Lynn, who wears three hats: publicity and marketing coordinator and environmental educator. "With our small staff of five, we can't do it all. We rely heavily on the generous volunteers who care about our center."

In the morning, Lynn was busy leading Pack No. 3, a Webelos Cub Scout troop from Morrisville, in a presentation about forest ecology and the benefits of trees in preparation for earning their Forester badge.

During the event, the areas bustled with volunteers from Greenbelt Overhaul Alliance of Levittown, Southern Bucks Garden Club, groups of mothers and their children, teenaged volunteers and others who pitched in. Those who worked all morning enjoyed lunch sponsored by the center.

Led by Dale Frazier, volunteers from G.O.A.L. met to clear trails around Magnolia Lake in anticipation of two upcoming clean up events, "Earth Day Work Days," on April 30 and May 1. The lake, just north of the Nature Center building, is part of the Mill Creek watershed that feeds into the Delaware River. The square-shaped lake, originally a gravel pit for the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, filled with water and formed a lake back in the early 1950s.

G.O.A.L. is a non-profit organization that Frazier started in 2009 when he started picking up the huge amount of debris around Levittown's greenways as he walked his dog. The group's mission is to clean Levittown's greenways and surrounding watershed areas, which includes the lakes and creeks around SLNC. The group also removes invasive plant species such as multiflora rose and purple loosestrife and replaces them with native plants.

Steve Donohue, G.O.A.L. volunteer and Middletown Township Environmental Advisory Council member, was glad to help Frazier and his volunteers on Saturday.

"Dale has helped Middletown Township in various clean ups and other activities. I'm glad I can now help him and the efforts of G.O.A.L. with this project," Donohue said. 

Donohue participates in environmental efforts all around the county. Last year, he helped Lower Makefield Township with an ambitious tree planting effort.

One of the highlights of the season will be G.O.A.L.'s educational sessions. On April 27, a macroinvertebrate educational class will be led by Stroud Water Research at the Bristol Township Senior Center. Then, on May 7 those who participated will be invited for a macroinvertibrates field study along Neshaminy Creek.

"This is a great opportunity to learn more about water quality, meet experts and other volunteers," Frazier said. "Stroud Water Research is one of the premier water research facilities in the world."

Lois Glasscock of the Southern Bucks Garden Club that meets at the center spearheads the volunteers who help clean up and maintain the garden areas. The volunteers were clearing pathway areas of multiflora rose, an invasive plant that rambles all around the center property. The Asian noxious weed, introduced more than 40 years ago as a wildlife cover and hedgerow, crowds out other beneficial plants in its path.

Other volunteers were laying fresh mulch on pathways. The mulch comes from trees and woody debris at the center. Bob Mercer, SLNC Director-Naturalist, was on a trail leading teenaged volunteers in a project to cut down weakened trees that became damaged during the heavy snows of last winter.

"We're hoping for a great turnout for the upcoming Earth Day Work Days," Lynn said. "We'll be working both on land and in the water in kayaks and canoes to clean up areas around the marsh, Magnolia Lake, Silver Lake, Mill Creek and Otter Creek. All of the waterways are connected, so it's important to clean up the entire area. The marsh is an important part of the watershed since it acts as a natural filter for debris. We need to go in there and remove large pieces of trash."

Visit the SLNC website for a list of activities. The calendar is packed throughout the year with volunteer activities, concerts, workshops, entertainment, night activities, club meetings, educational programs and more.