Ag Progress Days Site (A.P.D.)

You may have heard in the news recently that honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate, victims of a mysterious malady researchers have named "Colony Collapse Disorder". We often don't realize the importance of pollinators. For example, did you know that:

• Pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites you eat
• Pollinators are essential for providing plant fiber for clothing and household goods
• Pollinators are indispensable to survival of 90% of the world's flowering plant species

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners are actively playing a part towards helping the health of our pollinator friends by planting pollinator friendly gardens in our community.

Pollinator Garden at the the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Station at Rock Springs

One pollinator friendly garden is at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Station. This garden is a joint effort between Penn State College of Agricultural Science and Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, funded by a grant given to Penn State by the Haagen-Dazs Loves Honeybees foundation. The Haagen-Dazs Loves Honeybees foundation supports research aimed towards protecting the health of honeybees. Visitors were able to view the new garden at 2010-2011 summer Ag Progress Days.

Pollinator Garden at Tudek Park

Another community pollinator friendly garden is the Pollinator Garden at Tudek Park. This garden is part of a state-wide effort to educate the public on pollination and native plants. Penn State Extension Master Gardeners are involved in all aspect of the garden, including site and soil preparation, selecting plants, starting plants from seed, planting, and garden maintenance. In 2009, Master Gardeners planted pollinator friendly plants in the garden, and began to collect data for research purposes as many types of bees began to visit the garden. We plan to expand our efforts with pollination seminars and tours to educate the public in 2012.

To learn more about Pollinator Gardens, select the links below: