Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve
2024 Summer Camp Guide
2024 Summer Camp Guidep

Community News

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve
Preserving More than Nature
Author: Matthew Gregory
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve

Flowers may bloom in the spring but it is the summer months that showcase nature’s beauty. There is no place better to experience this beauty than Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. The collage of flower species huddled together mixed with winding trails through the woods come together to create a lovely portrait. However the Wildflower Preserve is more than a portrait, it is an interactive park with activities for all ages. 

If you’re looking for a fun place to send the kids for a couple hours the preserve has a wonderful summer camp to keep them occupied. A staff of experienced counselors will supervise your kids during games, hikes, art projects, and explorations of plants and animals. From morning to afternoon they’ll be having too much fun to realize they might have learned something along the way.

If you’d rather take the family along to tour the preserve, you have a few different options. At 2pm there is a daily guided wildflower tour open to families and small groups. These interesting yet educational tours provide a knowledgeable guide to answer any possible questions during this hour long exploration into the different flowers on the property.

However some people like to experience the preserve on their own terms. If you happen to be one of these people a self-guided backpack tour would be perfect for you. The preserve provides a backpack of necessary materials and a map of 10 locations with corresponding activities for each location.  This way you can be your own tour guide as you and your family travel from location to location completing each task.

Even if you’d rather have some time to yourself there are programs for strictly adults as well. One of the more interesting available programs is a two part landscape design workshop taught by a professional in the field. In this course you will learn to design a garden that will look great and fit the specifications you desire. This study of garden design will leave you with a better understanding of how to improve your own landscape at home.

If you are searching for even more knowledge the preserve offers a series specifically for learning about native plants in the area. There are different series on topics such as learning about the different wildflowers and grasses in meadows, or a study on the native trees. Whatever kind of wildlife you are curious about the Wildflower Preserve has a course that will only grow your interest.

Over three quarters of a century have gone by since the inception of this awe-inspiring preserve. When creators Mary K. Parry and Henry W. Heinitsh first met they only had a mutual passion for conservation, and an idea for this piece of land. With some support from the community they grew this area into a place of conservation, natural beauty, and education. In 1934 the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve was just an empty 100 acre piece of land, but with a vision and hard work it became something much more valuable.

For more information check out the preserve’s website:

https://bhwp.org/

A view of one of the ponds
A view of one of the ponds
The preserve's location
The preserve's location