Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania


BSWP 2021 Zoom meetings

View BSWP's May 2022 Zoom meeting.

April 2022 Meeting.

March 2022 Meeting.

February 2022 Meeting

January 2022 Meeting.

The 2020 and 2021 Zoom meeting video links can be found on the Activities page.


BSWP Meetings

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


BSWP Field Trips www.botsocwpa.org

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, contact the field trip leader or Loree Speedy at (724) 518-6022 (cell) or loreespeedy@gmail.com. Add these BSWP field trips  to your Google Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=Ym90c29jd3BhQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ

Sunday, August 24, 2025, 1:00 PM

Chalkhill (Glade Run) Bog, S.G.L. 51
Fayette County

Leader: Loree Speedy; loreespeedy@gmail.com; Cell:( 724) 518-6022

Directions: Chalkhill-Ohiopyle Road  in the village of Chalkhill can be reached by traveling US-40 east about 10 miles from Uniontown. Alternately, from the intersection of US-40 and PA-381 south of Ohiopyle, travel west on US-40 for 3.7 miles to the intersection of US-40 and Chalkhill-Ohiopyle Road.

Turn north onto Chalkhill-Ohiopyle Road and travel 1.3 miles. You will cross Deer Lake (which may be drained or open water). Take the first left turn onto Greenbrier Road. Travel about a mile; you will enter State Game Land 51. Continue straight to a game land parking lot about 2/10 of a mile from this entrance on the right.

Coordinates for the parking lot: 39.86998, -79.58782     Google Maps Link to SGL51 lot

Notes: Prepare for wet feet and sunny conditions. We must walk about 1 mile to the bog along a shaded trail.

Sunday, August 31, 2025, 1:00 PM

Schenley Park and Panther Hollow, Pittsburgh Allegheny County 

Leader: Yale Cohen; yalecohen@alumni.cmu.edu  Cell: 412-418-6950 

Yale will lead us through woodland, lake, stream and field to showcase the best botany of Schenley.

Directions: We will meet at Bartlett Playground.  The Playground parking is along Bartlett Street, just east of the main park intersection of Hobart Street, Panther Hollow and Greenfield Roads. 

GPS coordinates: 40.43312, -79.93524    
Google Maps Link to Bartlett Playground

Sunday, September 7, 2025, 1:00 PM

Rocky Bottom Nature Preserve
Potter Township,  Beaver County 

Leader: Ron Zagrocki; cell: (717) 580-5736

The Rocky Bend Nature Preserve is a project of Independence Conservancy and Potter Township protecting 89 acres of green space along a sweeping, two-mile bend of Raccoon Creek. 

Learn more about the preserve's fascinating history here.

Directions: From the intersection of US 40, US 219 south and I-68 in Keysers Ridge, MD, take US 219 south to Thomas, WV. In Thomas, take Route 32 to Davis. Continue on Route 32; about 9-10 miles south of Davis, turn right into Canaan Valley Resort (a well-marked resort of Canaan Valley State Park). Meet in the lobby. 

GPS coordinates: 40.64386, -80.34018     
Google Maps Link to Rocky Bottom

Sunday, September 14, 2025, 1:00 PM

Hays Woods Park, Allegheny County 

Leader: Pittsburgh Park Ranger MJ Walting

MJ Watling, the Hays Woods Park Ranger, will guide us on a botanical excursion of the Hays Woods, as we prepare a plant list for the site. All are welcome; come to learn the plants or to help with identification. Bring water and sturdy footwear. 

Directions: Meet at the Agnew Trailhead.  

GPS coordinates: 40.39825, -79.96319    
Google Maps Link to Agnew Trailhead

Sunday, September 21, 2025, 1:00 PM

Fall Run Park, Glenshaw, Allegheny County

On September 23, 1911, members of the Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania alighted from an interurban electric car and traveled down the slope to the swampy floodplain of Pine Creek. From there, they started up the ravine of Fall Run. Fourteen species of asters were observed, along with several goldenrods, spikenard, sunflowers, willows, and many more. 

Read about this trip in Publication 1, page 5 of the Trillia - Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania Number 1, online at Trillia.

We will  observe what has persisted and what has disappeared over 114 years! Today the site is an easy but uphill climb to a 15 foot waterfall, for about 1.6 mile out-and-back hike.  

Directions:  Fall Run Park is located at 187 Fall Run Road in Glenshaw, PA, just off Route 8 north of Pittsburgh. From PA 28 Exit 5, travel PA 8 north about 2.6 miles and turn right onto Fall Run Road. Turn left into the park after you cross the bridge and continue to the parking lot. 

GPS coordinates: 40.52992, -79.94822    
Google Maps Link to Fall Run parking

Sunday, October 5, 2025, 1:00 PM

Conemaugh Gap in S.G.L. 153, Indiana County

Leader: Loree Speedy, loreespeedy@gmail.com, 724‑518-6022 (cell)

We will hike to an overlook of the Conemaugh River’s Packsaddle gap. Interesting plants include a straggly hackberry and leather-leaf meadow rue. We will join the Botanical Society of Westmoreland County.

Directions: From Pittsburgh, travel US 22 east toward Blairsville. After passing the Blairsville Walmart, take the exit on the right for US 119 Indiana. At the end of the ramp, turn left toward Blairsville. Then make an immediate left onto Pine Ridge Road. Passing the parking lot for Hampton Inn/Chestnut Ridge, after 1000 feet, bear to the right onto Strangford Road (unmarked). Travel Strangford Rd for 1.25 mile and make a sharp left onto Oaks Point Road. Continue up Oaks Point Road (which becomes a gravel road) for a little over 1 mile to a S.G.L. 153 parking lot.

GPS Coordinates: 40.4239, -79.1987.  
Google Maps Link to Conemaugh Gap Parking
The coordinates will take you a slightly different way to Oaks Point Road.