The Muhlenberg Botanical Society meets on the 3rd Thursday at 7pm in the Spring from February to May and in the Fall from September to November. Meetings are typically at the North Museum and/or on Zoom (link emailed to MBS members), or may be at other locations as noted.
Spring 2026 Meetings
March 19 (Thursday)
Exploring the Flora of Pennsylvania: A Live Demonstration of PAEnflowered
Presenter: Maria Pavlova
Location: Zoom only
Maria will introduce us to and share the inspiration behind PAEnflowered, a nonprofit dedicated to creating an accessible, welcoming digital Flora of Pennsylvania. She will offer a live walk-through of the site, demonstrating how to navigate its structure, search for information, and make use of its features. Her talk will also address ways participants can engage with or contribute to the project. Attendees will receive a short set of summary slides to refer to afterward.
Maria is a software engineer by training and the founder of PAEnflowered. Her interest in plants began as a personal hobby, guided early on by a professional botanist, and gradually expanded into years of field photography, observation, and ongoing learning with individual botanists and naturalists. Maria also writes poetry inspired by her encounters with the natural world. That creative practice informs the spirit of PAEnflowered, which blends clear information with a sense of connection, beauty, and attentiveness. Combining her technical background and her love for plants and nature, Maria began building what would become PAEnflowered. The project started as a small personal database and gradually evolved into a comprehensive online resource designed to make the state’s wild plants easier to explore, learn, and appreciate. Though she still considers herself an amateur botanist, her work reflects a commitment to clarity, accessibility, and connection, with the purpose of helping others discover the richness of the plants that shape our region. She hopes to add to her findings by engaging with MBS members.
April 16 (Thursday)
Members’ Night
Location: North Museum
Members will show photos about botanically interesting topics. If you can contribute, please prepare 10-50 photos in a power-point presentation or put them in a file to transfer to the computer at the North Museum. Please notify Chris Stieha in advance so we know how many people will participate. If you have questions about presenting, please contact Chris, our technology guru!
May 23 (Saturday) 9am - noon
MBS Spring Plant Exchange
Location: Shenk Pavilion, Manor Township Community Park
Native plants are preferred, though others are also welcome. It is best to pot up the plants a couple of weeks in advance so they have adjusted to the shock.
Please label your plants, giving common names and sun conditions. Other helpful information includes scientific names, height at maturity, month of blooming, flower color, and special needs if applicable (well-drained soil, acidic soil, etc.). You may also bring books or magazines for which you wish to find new homes.
Directions to the park will be supplied in the reminder in early May. In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact Ruthann Richards.