Posted: June 13, 2023
Fourteen Westmoreland County Master Gardeners and MG Trainees have certified their gardens as Monarch Waystations this spring, helping the Westmoreland Pollinator Partners climb to their goal of having 250 Monarch Waystations in the county by the end of the year.
Monarch Butterfly on Rattlesnake Master by Melissa Reckner, Brandywine Conservancy - Penguin Court
Congratulations Master Gardeners: Verna "Kit" Kratzenberg, Margaret Book, Marianne Dombrowski, Barbara Shaffer, Kathleen Dini, Tim Gazze (and his brother Skeeter), Pat Lemme, Gwen Sheetz, Joanna Moyer, Mary Lou Hall, Dana Dess, Judy Parker, Mary Niezelski, and Robert Beran.
This is a fantastic response to this initiative, which aims to support the endangered Monarch butterfly and educate the public about the importance of our native flora and fauna. Master Gardeners Deb Christopher, Patti Schildkamp, Wilma Light, and Patti Flowers-Jacobina have been making presentations and attending outreaches across the county to teach home gardeners about the easy process of planting for Monarchs and getting certified as a Monarch Waystation. Melissa Reckner, program manager at Brandywine Conservancy - Penguin Court, has also provided online programs and in-person presentations at Penguin Court.
Thanks to a collaboration between Westmoreland Pollinator Partners, the Westmoreland 250 Initiative, and First Energy, free certifications and signs are being provided for applicants in our county in 2023, up to 250 waystations. The applications must be submitted through Penguin Court (Melissa Reckner) and not directly to Monarch Watch, the founder of the Waystation program.
To have your Westmoreland County property certified as a Monarch Waystation, see the guidelines or download the application.
Please complete the application and mail or email it to Penguin Court - P.O. Box 219 - Laughlintown, PA 15655 or mreckner@brandywine.org.
