English ivy—an introduced non-native, evergreen vine—is covering these trees along a roadside in Penn Valley. The vine deforms the branching of these trees and makes them prone to falling over in high winds since the vines act like a sail. Mature trees are invaluable elements of green infrastructure in our community providing clean air, capturing and filtering pollution, slowing stormwater, providing shade and cooling, slowing cars, capturing carbon, and providing essential nutrition, cover, and nesting for songbirds and other wildlife…and they are difficult to replace. Please help them to have long lives by keeping English ivy from growing like this. If vines are cut or dug out at the base, upper portions of the vines will eventually die. Yearly attention to the re-growth of vines will be necessary - a small price to keep a healthy tree canopy. Consider working on native trees first since they contribute the most to the local ecosystem.
Happy winter, Penn Valley! This is a great time to address English ivy in your landscape. Many of our trees are covered in this noxious vine. Help our tree canopy by addressing the trees on your property. Check property lines and street trees. Simply cut the vines at the base of trees as a start. Visit our landscape stewardship page for more details.
Stay tuned for a spring meeting!
Fall land stewardship tip: Consider thinking of fallen leaves as a resource. Leave them where they fall under trees and shrubs to feed the trees, provide essential cover for overwintering insects (fireflies, native bees, butterfly chrysalises, toads), provide food for local winter birds, retain soil moisture during this intense drought, prevent soil erosion, improve stormwater management, and honor the beauty of fall. As they decompose, they incorporate organic matter into the soil which greatly improves carbon sequestration -- removing excess carbon from the atmosphere so that your yard is a better carbon sink. If you have to remove them from the lawn and hardscaping, consider composting them for re-use arour landscape stewardship pageound shrubs and trees, in vegetable beds, as mulch on bare ground, or as a way to smother the lawn to create pollinator gardens or new woodland gardens for next season. While non-native turf grasses won't grow well with a heavy layer of leaves, more ecologically-valuable plants like violets, spring wildflowers, ferns, and new tree saplings do. Reducing leaf blowing also reduces noise and air pollution for neighbors and reduces fossil fuel burning that otherwise contributes to climate change. Pine needles are leaves too and do best when left as natural mulch beneath the trees where they fall as nature intended. More information for homeowners and landscapers is here. While not traditional cultural practice in recent decades, leaving leaves is now viewed as an essential Earth-friendly, sustainable land care and good citizenship practice. Thanks for doing your part to be part of the change.
Please email pennvalleycivic@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering with the Penn Valley Civic. If any of the following applies to you, please contact us. Thanks for your help!
You have an interest in helping to represent and advocate for your community
You enjoy working with local officials and elected representatives and can help to connect residents to those that can address concerns or answer questions
You can follow local policy news to help compile a regular email newsletter for residents
You are available to help take meeting minutes and/or update the civic website
You have new ideas for our business district and for building community
You have an interest in educating about land stewardship and/or leading community tree plantings
You are good at maintaining a member database and communicating by email with members
You know others who might be a good fit for any of the previous
or
You are simply willing to learn!
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October and November 2022 - 4 tree plantings by PVCA members in our business district!
Penn Valley Tree Tender volunteers plant more trees at Pencoyd Park - November 2023
1st Penn Valley Civic Spring Community Fair a Success! See photos of the event here!
Music, food, and community in the Staples back lot (933 Montgomery Ave., Penn Valley). All welcome! Please join us! Contact Kristina Sie Chang to help or sponsor the event: ksiechang@comcast.net
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PENN VALLEY BIKE RIDE
SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 9AM
Join Main Line Cycles and Lou Savastani of the Narberth Cycling Club on a group ride from the Penn Valley business district and back again. Meet at Main Line Cycles at 919 Montgomery Ave., Penn Valley at 9am.
Both the 5 and 10 mile route below are possible--designed for bicyclists of all ages and abilities.
The shorter version of the ride is 5.5 miles. Follows the “upper east” section of the Greenway to Cynwyd station, then the “lower east” section back to Narberth. This would be a good option for any inexperienced riders or anyone with kids: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38544099
The longer version of the ride is 10.4 miles. This one follows the same course to start, but then loops through Ardmore and Suburban Square: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38544197
The full greenway can be found here: https://www.mainlinegreenway.bike/network
DEDICATION AND CELEBRATION OF THE NEW BELMONT HILLS LIBRARY GARDENS
Please join us on Saturday, April 30 at 2pm for a celebration and dedication of the new native plant monarch garden in front of the Belmont Hills Library. A dedicated group of local volunteers planted the garden last fall as part of an ecological landscape transformation project. Join us to learn what's needed to create your own garden to support monarch butterflies and other pollinators. See what a new garden planting looks like as young plants emerge, and meet our amazing local librarian, Lizzie Barrie! Thanks to Lizzie and the BH Library board for their support!
Join the Penn Valley Tree Tenders Group!
We need more local tree planters and caretakers. Planting trees is a powerful way to improve the health of our community! The next Tree Tenders Basic Training will occur on Wednesdays, May 4-25th, 2022, in the evenings by ZOOM. Email us if you're interested (pennvalleycivic@gmail.com). If you’re a Penn Valley resident, we’ll pay for your training. Registration opens soon. Tree Tenders is a volunteer-based community tree planting program of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and we’d like to grow our local group!
See the photos below of our tree plantings in spring of 2021. Pencoyd Park was the lucky recipient of 4 serviceberries and a native chestnut oak. Thanks to Jen and Ava Kelly for helping to keep the trees alive during a hot dry spring.
American naturalist Aldo leopold said that “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” We hope you’ll join the Penn Valley Civic Association in viewing our land/properties as integral to our community. Learn more about stewarding your space here.
Why and How to Love your Leaves
Leave Leaves Alone - Ideas for reducing pollution, saving money, and benefiting wildlife and the environment with your leaves
Leave the Leaves! Xerces Society - How to benefit wildlife with leaves
Learn how leaves can benefit lawn and perennial beds - Fine Gardening
Other Land Stewardship Links…
Bringing Nature Home - Homegrown National Park - Doug Tallamy
The Pollinator Pathway of Lower Merion and Narberth - Join us!
How to Talk to Your Landscaper about Earth-Friendly Practices - Healthy Yards
Where to Buy Native Plants - Penn State Extension
PHS Tree Tenders Training Program - Learn how to plan and tend trees
Information about gas-powered leaf blowers - Help us reduce pollution
Road salt and chlorides - Keep our streams clean
Info on Composting - Lower Merion EAC
Climate Action Lower Merion - Easy changes for sustainable living
HOW TO REQUEST A STREET TREE FROM LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP
If you would like the Township to plant a tree in the Public Right of Way at your address, please provide your name, address and email to the Township Arborist, Joe Marco (jmarco@lowermerion.org).
The Township will consider all applications for appropriate planting sites and will advise you of the decision via email. They cannot guarantee your site is suitable ie: utility conflicts, street signs, or driveways but we will make every effort to provide you with a tree. Plantings take place in the fall.
Purchase a Rain Barrel from Lower Merion Township
Call Holly at 610-645-6271
Recommended Books by Entomologist Doug Tallamy
Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope
Penn Valley Civic wins a 2020 Go for the Green Award!
PVCA wishes everyone in our community much patience and good health during these challenging times!
If you need a place to walk outside, the Bridlewild trails are open. Check the All Trails app to find trails near you.
We have a new logo! This mini-graphic was designed by local mural artist, Eurhi Jones. It appeared on t-shirts to support the mural project of 2018-19 in which Eurhi designed and painted a striking new focal point for Penn Valley’s business district. The logo and our mural (titled ‘Hometown Ecology’) reflect a shared appreciation for our local environment and its many native plant and animal species. In addition to our historic neighborhood sign, a spicebush swallowtail butterfly accompanies locally native plants and trees including, phlox, blood root, oak, dogwood and sassafras.
The fall newsletter is here! Click to read about our community mural, tips on landscape management, battling invasive species at West Mill Creek Park, spotted lanternfly, info for requesting a street tree, our meeting calendar and more!
PV MURAL Project community paint day, Oct. 13, 2018. Over 100 residents, 2 hours, a lot of paint and teamwork was all it took to complete a portion of this outdoor art mural designed by local artist, Eurhi Jones. Highlighting native species, the mural is meant to reflect the beauty of the Mill Creek Valley and inspire conservation of our shared environment. (The mural will be completed by the artist and assistants over the next month.) We are awestruck by the efforts of residents from across the Township who made this day a success. Big thanks to local business leaders for supporting the project and for attendance by all of our local commissioners! Sponsored by the Penn Valley Civic Association in partnership with Lower Merion Township facade improvement funds. See a list of our generous sponsors. Thank you to everyone for the truly inspiring day!!
