Dingman Township Celebrates New Interpretive Trail at Bridge Preserve Day

The Dingman Township Supervisors will be hosting a celebration at the Cornelia and Florence Bridge Preserve on May 20, 2017 from 1-3 PM. The Preserve is located at 1082 Twin Lakes Road in Milford. Bridge Preserve Day will celebrate the work completed along the newly improved interpretive trail and offer presentations about features of the Preserve. Everyone is invited to this free and family friendly event.

The Dingman Township Supervisors have partnered with the Pike County Conservation District and the North American Land Trust to complete a project to install educational signage in the Preserve. Boy Scouts from Troop #71 helped to identify plants at the Preserve and will be installing native plant identification signs along existing trails. Additional signage has been installed near the rain garden. Together these signs provide educational resources to visitors as they explore the Preserve. A trail map has also been developed to assist in the identification of the wonders along the trail.

"The Cornelia and Florence Bridge Preserve was an amazing - and heartfelt - gift from Charlie Bridge to us all.” said Karen Kleist, Dingman Township Secretary and Treasurer. “This project further enhances the Preserve and provides an additional educational facet to Charlie's vision to provide an atmosphere of discovery, inspiration, contemplation and reflection, and all the other benefits spending time outdoors in nature provides."

The day will kick-off at 1 pm with an opening ceremony to highlight the work on the trail and the importance of the Preserve. After the opening ceremony an educational presentation about rain gardens will take place. Participants are encouraged to explore the trails and new signs as they make their way to the wetland area on the Preserve. At 2 pm a presentation about wetlands and their role in the ecosystem will be provided.

Throughout the day, participants are encouraged to take part in the nature scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt and newly installed signs will help users of the trail find and identify local plants. The scavenger hunt encourages participants to explore all areas of the Preserve while learning about native and invasive plants.

Funding for this project has been provided by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grants.

Rebecca L. Holler

Education and Outreach Coordinator

Pike County Conservation District