Posted: May 31, 2025
The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Wyoming County recently completed a pollinator-friendly habitat improvement project at the Wyoming County Conservation District office. The project was funded by a Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Grant.
Pollinator monitoring garden. Photo credit: Melissa Wright
Five Master Gardener volunteers each completed 10 hours of Penn State Extension Community Stewardship training to plan the project. Master Gardener volunteers outlined pollinator-friendly habitat improvement measures for the Wyoming County Conservation District office property in Tunkhannock, including the addition of native plantings and native bee nesting sites. Master Gardener Mark Catalano designed and selected native plant species for pollinator-monitoring plots to be used for Master Gardener educational research.
The grant funding also enabled the Master Gardeners to create and deliver a three-class series, titled Garden Wise: Soil, Water, and Pollinator Solutions, held at the Tunkhannock Public Library in March. Garden Wise educated 23 community members on best practices for sustainable home landscapes. Attendees learned skills to improve soil health, conserve water, and support pollinators, and received a Penn State Extension soil test kit, mason bee house kit, and native perennial flower seeds. The classes were aided by guest presenters: Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteers Dave Daniels and John Carroll, Vosburg Neck State Park's Environmental Educator Amanda Kiernan, and Endless Roots Farm owner Mike Krug. Class attendees reported a tremendous increase in knowledge across topics, including composting, rainwater harvesting, and pollinator support. 100% of completed class evaluations reported preparedness to implement climate-friendly practices in home landscapes.
Pollinators need help. Populations of pollinators, including native and domestic bees, flies, beetles, and butterflies, are declining, affected by habitat loss, disease, and pesticide contact. Pollinating insects are vital to facilitating pollination, the transfer of pollen from the anthers of a flower to the stigma of the same or a different flower. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, approximately one-third of all agricultural output depends on pollinators. Encouraging pollinators leads to increased yields and higher quality crops that, in turn, benefit growers and consumers.
The Penn State Extension Certified Pollinator-Friendly Habitat Program began in 2011 to educate and encourage Pennsylvanians to help pollinators by incorporating native trees, shrubs, flowers, and host plants for butterfly and moth larvae in home landscapes. The program has certified over 1,000 pollinator-friendly gardens in the state. Certifiable gardens must provide pollinators with food, water, and shelter, and safeguard the habitat by removing invasive species and reducing pesticide use.
To certify a Pennsylvania Pollinator-Friendly Habitat, gardeners must include trees, shrubs, and flowers, with early, mid, and late bloom times. Various flower colors, shapes, and sizes should be selected, avoiding modern hybrids. Gardeners should place plants in drifts of three to five plants per species. Host plants for butterfly larvae are required, such as milkweed for monarch caterpillars or spicebush or sassafras for swallowtail caterpillars.
While completing the project at the Wyoming County Conservation District, the Master Gardeners faced the same challenge many home gardeners face when sourcing native plants locally - a limited supply. To overcome the challenge and fill the garden with a diverse representation, the Master Gardeners purchased native plug plants for the project. Although these plants will be on the smaller side this year, and many will not flower until next year, plug plants are an economical option that offers the opportunity to view a broader selection of native flowers once the plants are fully established.
Providing a water source for pollinators is also a requirement for certification. Pollinators need water for many purposes, including drinking and reproduction. Gardens may include a natural water source such as a stream, pond, shallow pool, or mud puddle, or a simple water source such as a birdbath or bowl. Gardeners can imaginatively repurpose many everyday household items to hold water. A simple water source requires minimal care and maintenance. Water should be changed daily to discourage mosquito larvae and the accumulation of debris. Visitors to the pollinator habitat improvement project at the Wyoming County Conservation District can look for pollinators pondside.
Providing shelter for pollinators is a key step in creating a pollinator-friendly habitat. Home gardeners can encourage pollinators by providing nesting and overwintering sites. Nesting sites can be as simple as bare patches of soil for bumble and solitary bees that nest in the ground or stacked dead wood for some bees, wasps, beetles, and ants. There are also many options for purchasing or building nesting blocks. Visitors to the project site at the Wyoming County Conservation District can view mason bee houses assembled by the Forkston Girl Scout Troop.
The Master Gardeners will debut the pollinator-friendly habitat improvement project at the Wyoming County Conservation District on June 7. The project features educational signage and plant labels, and a diverse selection of 22 native perennial species, including blue false indigo, pink tickseed, blue flag iris, cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, eastern beebalm, wild bergamot, obedient plant, beardtongue, creeping phlox, turtlehead, purple coneflower, blazing star, zigzag goldenrod, swamp milkweed, and golden alexander.
Master Gardeners sharing time and talent on this project: Lydia Boyd, Mark Catalano, Roberta Daniels, Andrea Garey, Courtney Leaidicker, Cheryle Stone, Kyle Wortman, Melissa Wright.
To learn how to certify your home pollinator-friendly habitat in Pennsylvania, visit: Pollinator Habitat Certification - The Center for Pollinator Research
To request information on becoming a Certified Master Gardener volunteer in Wyoming County, contact Master Gardener Coordinator Melissa Wright at 570-836-3196 or wyomingmg@psu.edu.
