BSWP 2021 Zoom meetings
View BSWP's May 2022 Zoom meeting.
The Society meets monthly from September through June on every second Monday of the month at 7:15 p.m. For now, our meetings take place via Zoom.
Members who have joined the BSWP e-mail list will be contacted and e-mailed an invitation (link and password) to each monthly meeting.
Directions to in-person meetings, when held
To Ford Mateer Classroom of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History:
The entrance to the parking lot, which is gated, is just past the Museum at the intersection of Forbes and Craig Street. The Ford-Mateer Classroom is reached through the Portal Entry in the rear parking lot area. Once inside the building, the room is located just beyond the Security desk on the left. In addition to the Museum parking lot, which costs $6, there are metered spaces on Forbes Avenue opposite the Museum and along Craig Street that are free after 6 p.m. From there you will cross the street and walk through the right side of the gates to the parking lot. Continue on the sidewalk to the rear of the building where you will see the sign for “Portal Entry” ahead.
If you do not park in the Museum’s lot, from Forbes Avenue, walk along the right side of the parking toll gates to the parking lot. Continue on the sidewalk to the rear of the building where you will see the sign for "Portal Entry" ahead.
Directions to the Carnegie Museum
http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/interior.php?pageID=36
Registration for Botanical Society field trips is not required.
Everyone is welcome, including non-members. Trips last 3 to 4 hours but one can
leave at any time. For questions, call the field trip leader or Loree Speedy at 724-518-6022 (cell) or loreespeedy@gmail.com.
Stay informed about staying safe outdoors at cdc.gov.
Add these BSWP field trips to your Google Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=Ym90c29jd3BhQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ
Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Noon (walk)
Meeks Run Trail in Montour Run Conservation Area, Moon Township, Allegheny County
Leader: Meg Scanlon; 724-612-6192
Rain or shine, for a leisurely paced, easy walk. Come early, 11:30, for lunch, 12 noon for start of walk.
Directions: From Pittsburgh, travel I-79 north to Exit 64. Turn left onto PA 51 for 0.2 mile, turn left onto Forest Grove Road for 1.6 mile, right onto Ewings Mill Road for 1 mile. Ewings Mill turns right and becomes Hassam Road. Continue 0.3 miles for parking on the left.
Arrive at 11:30 AM to eat lunch , weather permitting. We will start walking at 12 noon.
GPS coordinates: 40.49105, -80.15383 Google Maps Link to Meeks Run Trailhead
Saturday, March 22, 2025, 1:00 PM
Little Sewickley Creek in Herminie, Sewickley Township, Westmoreland County
Leader: Mark Bowers; 724-454-4012
This is a flat, undeveloped trail on an abandoned railroad bed along Little Sewickley Creek, and can be muddy. Signs of spring include scarlet cup and hepatica, among others.
Directions: Take the PA Turnpike to Exit 67-Route 30/Irwin/Greensburg. Take the Route 30 East/Greensburg ramp. At the first stoplight on Route 30, turn right onto Arona Road, then another right after 0.5 mile onto unmarked Wendel Road. Travel this road 3.7 miles to a T. Turn right at the T and continue 1 mile to Herminie to a 4-way stop (VFD on corner). Continue straight to the next stop sign and turn left. Proceed through 2 more stop signs, end at a T, and turn right. Continue past the Dairy Queen on your right and continue down a hill; we will meet just before the highway bridge. Park on the left side. These directions are difficult as roads are unmarked and state roads through Herminie sometimes look like alleys. If you can use them, the GPS coordinates will likely take you by a more direct route.
GPS coordinates: 40.2604, -79.7269 Google Maps Link to Herminie
Consider commenting on deer management at three NPS sites - Friendship Hill, Fort Necessity and Flight 93.
Three national park
sites in western Pennsylvania aim to protect, recover, and restore native
vegetation within the cultural and natural landscapes by managing
overbrowsing by deer. See https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=229&projectID=123026&documentID=142624
Comments on the proposal will be accepted by the National Park Service until
March 23. Comments can be submitted on the project website at parkplanning.nps.gov/wepa-deer or by mail to
Superintendent, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, 1 Washington Parkway,
Farmington, Pa. 15437.