Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

My project was a pollinator garden at the Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Center in Verona, Pennsylvania. The Wildlife Center rehabilitates and releases injured wildlife and educates the community on conservation of native species. The original garden was completely overgrown and the retaining wall that supported the garden was falling apart. With the help of my volunteers, I removed the overgrown plants as well as some invasive species. Then we rearranged the stones that had fallen from the retaining wall to reconstruct it. We added a concrete path through the garden to make maintaining and viewing it easier. I planted over one hundred plants, all of which are native to Southwestern Pennsylvania that are favorites of native animal pollinators such as butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Then I installed signs to label the various plant species as well as a bird bath and an insect shelter designed for pollinators. The garden is used for various youth education programs as well as sustaining native pollinator species.