Monday, November 10, 2025
46 ° Cloudy
46 ° Cloudy
When Morrisville Borough first designated nearly nine acres of riverfront as a preserve in 2010, the land looked nothing like the thriving natural area it is today. Dense walls of invasive knotweed choked the shoreline, dumped debris littered the floodplain, and public access was almost nonexistent.
Today, thanks to years of restoration work, hundreds of native plantings, and tireless volunteer stewardship, the Morrisville Riverfront Preserve stands as a rare and vital green corridor along the Delaware River.
“It’s really a fabulous area and it’s in the floodway of the river, so it’s not a good idea to ever build on it,” explained Deborah Colgan, a resident volunteer and associate member of the Morrisville Environmental Advisory Council (MEAC). “We asked ourselves—how could we utilize that property and make it accessible for the public? That’s one of the big points of the open space program: making sure there was public accessibility.”
The Morrisville Riverfront Preserve is uniquely situated along the uppermost portion of the Delaware River Estuary, an area recognized in the Natural Lands Inventory of Bucks County. Just upriver lies the head of tide at the Calhoun Street Bridge in Morrisville. Above that point, the Delaware’s waters are designated as Special Protection Waters, recognized for their exceptional scenic, recreational, ecological, and water supply value.
This strategic location enhances the Preserve’s ecological importance. Across the river in New Jersey, the Abbott Marshlands provide critical bird habitat. Together, these natural areas create essential stopovers along the North Atlantic Flyway, a migration corridor used by countless bird species. “It’s a great place for birding,” Colgan said. “We are part of the North Atlantic flyway, so it’s an important rest spot for birds coming through. Across the river we have the Abbott Marshlands, and we want to make green corridors throughout our area.”
The transformation of the Preserve over the past decade is a story of persistence and community effort. After rezoning the land as a Natural Lands and Community Service District in 2010, the Borough began combating invasive species and planting native vegetation. In 2012, volunteers and partners planted 90 native trees—sycamore, red maple, sweetgum, and river birch—and seeded the area with grasses and wildflowers. Trails were carved out, sometimes by simply rearranging flood debris.
Cleanup and restoration accelerated in 2013, when tons of dumped concrete and asphalt were removed and replaced with native trees and shrubs. Educational signage highlighting the value of riparian buffers was installed at the northern entrance, and by 2014, hundreds more native oaks, maples, and sycamores were added. Since then, community stewardship days have kept the trails open, invasive vines at bay, and restoration efforts ongoing.
Colgan, who has been involved since the very beginning, recalls the early challenges: “The riverfront was loaded with invasive knotweed—Japanese weed that pretty much prevented any kind of access unless you really wanted to bushwhack. There was a lot of junk dumped there over the years. Over time, we’ve removed tons and tons of junk, planted hundreds of trees, and kept the trails going. It’s a real uphill battle, but it’s worth it.”
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) has been a vital partner from the outset, providing technical guidance, grant support, and restoration expertise. More recently, Spearhead Project Earth, a Yardley-based environmental group, has joined the effort. Their work includes clearing invasive vines to reopen river views, conducting stormwater drainpipe studies to track pollution, and organizing volunteer cleanup days.
“We’re doing a series of workdays with them throughout the fall,” Colgan shared. “We started in mid-September, and we had a good number of people come both from Spearhead Project Earth and community members from Yardley and Morrisville. We’re really looking for regional cooperation to help make the riverside accessible to anyone who wants to enjoy this space.”
This spirit of cooperation has defined the Preserve since its inception. Local businesses and private residents contributed matching funds to secure grants, and countless “quiet warriors,” as Colgan calls them, continue to pitch in with trash pickups, planting, and trail maintenance. “Most people in the community recognize the importance of natural spaces and the role they play in our world,” she said.
Today, visitors can easily enter the Preserve at South Delmorr and Philadelphia avenues, where an educational sign marks the entrance. A main trail runs through the site, offering views of native gardens, pollinator plants, and the flowing Delaware. Birders, fishermen, paddlers, and walkers frequent the area, and on a spring morning it’s not unusual to hear a dozen bird species within minutes.
“It gives people a little place of nature in this really built-up region that we have,” Colgan noted. “We don’t have too many of those places, and this is right here in our backyard and so easily accessible.”
The Preserve also serves as a living classroom. An entry garden showcases native plants, allowing visitors to learn about pollinators and wildlife-friendly landscaping. Stewardship activities provide hands-on lessons in ecology and conservation. And for children and adults alike, the Preserve offers the chance to experience firsthand the power of a river shaping its floodplain.
“You have to remember that this preserve is on the river, so the river will ultimately make the decision of how it looks in the future,” Colgan said. “It’s really amazing how it restores itself in a lot of ways. It’s a matter of recognizing that the river is in control, and we work around that.”
One of the most popular events at the Preserve is the annual fall nature walk led by Master Naturalist, photographer, and author Mary Anne Borge. For nearly a decade, Borge has guided participants through the Preserve, sharing her deep knowledge of native plants, pollinators, and ecological connections.
“Mary Anne is incredibly knowledgeable,” Colgan said. “On these annual nature walks she will show the connection of how all the little critters you find at a naturalized habitat, like the flowers, the insects, the pollinatorsm how all these things work together to create a healthier environment for us and a healthier habitat for wildlife.”
This year’s walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 4 at 10 am. Participants should meet at the Preserve entrance sign and wear sturdy shoes, as the trails can be wet and uneven. The tour usually lasts about an hour to an hour and a half and is free to attend. “It’s fun and it’s great for kids and for adults,” Colgan added. “You will learn a lot.”
While much progress has been made, the work is far from complete. Ongoing challenges include removing more invasive knotweed and oriental bittersweet, protecting young trees, and improving shoreline access for paddlers. Future plans also call for expanded educational programming and continued planting of native species.
Colgan is determined to see the effort through. “I will continue to work on the preserve till I can’t walk, and if I can’t walk I will find another way to do it,” she laughed. “I committed to this project in 2010 and I will not give up my commitment.”
For Colgan and many others, the Morrisville Riverfront Preserve represents more than just protected land. It is a safeguard for wildlife, a buffer against floods, and a gift of green space in a densely developed region.
“It really is a special little place,” Colgan reflected. “Having everyone put a stake in it really helps. The preserve isn’t just for Morrisville; it’s for everybody.”
Colgan encourages anyone interested in helping out at the Morrisville Riverfront Preserve to contact her directly at 609-954-5360 or at debbycolgan@verizon.net.
