York County Master Gardeners Hold GardenWise Native Plants, Ecosystems Gardening Session March 9

The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Of York County host a GardenWise education program March 9 at the Central York Middle School, 1950 N. Hills Road, in York from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The goal of GardenWise is to share researched-based information about sustainable gardening and environmental stewardship--

-- Larry Weaner, Landscape Associates joins us with tips on how to landscape with native plants.

-- Susan Smith Pagano, Rochester Institute Of Technology, brings her research on berries and birds.

-- Dan Duran explains the ecosystem services provided by insects and how we can preserve those services.

Additional breakout sessions on herbs, hollies, pruning, ticks/ lyme disease, and more will be offered.

In between sessions, shop their vendors, visit educational displays, and network with area gardeners.

Click Here to register or for more information.

For more information on how you can get involved in this and other program in your county, visit the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Program webpage.

Native Plant Resources

There are lots of resources available to help property owners landscape with native plants, including--

-- DCNR Landscaping With Native Plants

-- Game Commission: Common Beneficial Plants Found In Wildlife Habitat

-- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Native Plants For Wildlife Habitat And Conservation Landscaping

-- Chesapeake Bay Sustainable Landscape Professional Directory

-- Brandywine Conservancy: Forested Riparian Buffer Planting Guide

-- Audubon PA: Bird Habitat Recognition Program

-- National Audubon: Native Plants Database

-- Xerces Society For Invertebrate Conservation

-- Gardening For Butterflies: Penn State Extension

-- Planting For Pollinators: Penn State Extension

-- Center For Pollinator Research, Penn State

-- Pennsylvania Pollinator Protection Plan - Learn Why Pollinators Are At Risk In PA

-- Ernst Seeds - Pollinator Habitat Restoration

-- Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

You can also check with land trusts, watershed groups, PA Audubon and Trout Unlimited Chapters, county conservation districtor other groups near you to see how they can help.

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