PA Environment Digest Blog: Master Watershed Stewards, Erie Water Works, Ernst Conservation Seeds, Volunteers Team Up To Plant Native Meadow In Erie

By Gary Rihn, Master Watershed Steward

A piece of public land is converted from an ecologic dead zone into a property full of environmental benefits when a public utility, concerned citizens, watershed stewards, and seed company combine efforts.

For many years, the Erie Water Works maintained their properties as vast manicured lawn areas. It was planted with turf grass, fertilized and cut regularly to maintain its fine appearance.

However, all of that was counterproductive to nature's preferred path, and a local concerned citizen noticed it.

"They were cutting it all every week, which was extreme," said Freda Tepfer. "So I decided to go to a meeting and express my concerns and some ideas that I had."

Tepfer teamed up with Jean Ganger, a Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward, to formulate a plan of action and recommendations.

With Tepfer's concerns and Ganger's knowledge, they approached Erie Water Works to see what they could work out as a possible solution that would be beneficial to all.

At Erie Water Works, they met CEO Craig Palmer, who was not only receptive to their ideas, but eager to engage at the ground level and help facilitate some changes.

Palmer commented, "We are always aware and sensitive to what's happening around our community. Anything involving environmental stewardship and community engagement is something I believe we can all get behind. This benefits many community partners at the same time; it goes beyond clean drinking water."

As the three started to formulate a plan, they enlisted the help of Greg Kedzierski at Ernst Conservation Seeds, who would provide the seed and technical expertise for the project.

In coordination with Erie Water Works, an area was chosen that was flat, out of the way yet visible to neighbors, and accessible outside of critical facility areas that were fenced in.

Kedzierski came in, prepared a plot of approximately 15 by 30 feet, and sowed the initial seeds of what will become a long-range multi-year project.

All plants chosen were native to this region of PA.

"I chose what is going to look good aesthetically together. The plants are also good for pollinators. This is going to look good for the neighbors while being a great pollinator garden," Kedzierski said.

He went on to explain that a diverse native meadow is beneficial on many levels compared to a grass monoculture.

"It becomes a place to meet. It brings communities together as a destination focal point. You can sit, watch birds and butterflies, and hopefully be inspired to do a similar project at home."

He noted that while this garden has 15-20 different species planted, a home garden can possibly be as small as three feet by five feet and filled with just three to five species.

A native garden takes a few years to establish itself due to the plants being slower growing than the annuals that a lot of homeowners are used to, but once established, they require very little maintenance.

The benefits of replacing turf grass with a native species garden or prairie are wide and varied.

Less gas is used for mowing, the soil is less compacted by mowers and foot traffic which leads to better percolation of water through it resulting in less runoff, less chemicals are applied to the ground, biodiversity for animals, and helping pollinators that have found themselves in serious decline are just a few.

Besides the physical benefits, there are personal benefits to a project like this. Tepfer noted that she sees it as a "changing of a paradigm, showing that this is something we can all do, even at home." Kedzierski said that something like this was pretty much restricted to the sides of highways until not that long ago.

"Now more communities are starting to get involved, it's a great start."

Ganger said that she had her "faith restored in corporations, with Ernst offering to provide the resources to Erie Water Works who in turn worked with us, all with a smile."

And Palmer summed it all up, noting that one person can still make a difference when he said, "There are people in the community that care, and cared enough to come to a public board meeting, with a plan, to make their concerns known. It's hard to turn away that kind of positive energy.”

To learn more about becoming a Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward, and get involved in projects like these, visit the Master Watershed Stewards website.

Visit the Erie Water Works and Ernst Conservation Seeds websites for more information.

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