The "Plants for Pollinators" program began in 2009 as a partnership between the Assunpink Environmental Institute and the Mercer County Soil Conservation District. The program seeks to raise awareness about the important services provided by pollinators and the need to increase suitable habitat for native bees and other pollinators. Teachers can apply to receive a "Plants for Pollinators in the Classroom" (PPIC) resource kit containing a two-tiered plant stand with grow lamps, potting soil, seeds and other materials needed to help the students grow butterfly-attracting plants which they later transplant into their schoolyards. Teaching materials, lesson ideas, and posters are also included in the resource kits.

Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, "Plants for Pollinators in the Classroom" will also be available to teachers in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties! Contact the Freehold SCD at 732-683-8500 for details.

The deadline for the 2010 "Plants for Pollinators in the Classroom" registration is January 29, 2010. Click here for the Mercer County PPIC registration brochure. See the press release below for more information about the 2009 program. Also see below for helpful web resources about gardening for butterflies and other pollinators.

We are currently seeking sponsors for next year's Plants for Pollinators program in Mercer County. Please contact Heather at 609-586-9603 to find out how you can support this program and help local children explore the joys of gardening for pollinators.

The MCSCD and AEI would like to thank the following local businesses and organizations for helping to make the 2009 program a success:

Butterfly and Pollintator Resources

Pollinator Partnership Web Page
http://www.pollinator.org - Very comprehensive!

Tips for Creating Butterfly Gardens
 MCSCD tipsheet

Native Perennials for Butterflies http://www.bhwp.org/native/native_plants_
info_sheets.htm - BHWP, New Hope, PA

Master Gardeners of Mercer County
http://www.mgofmc.org/bflygarden.html

Pollinator Friendly Planting Guide
http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm

Native Bee Benefits
Pamphlet from Bryn Mawr College and Rutgers Univ.

 

Press Release, April 2, 2009  

What's Buzzing in Mercer County Classrooms?

As the warm weather arrives, many people are eager to plant their gardens. If you aren't a gardener, at the very least you may be eager to savor fresh produce from your neighbor's garden or the local farm. Many of our fruits and vegetables would not be possible without the services provided by the often-overlooked garden workers known as pollinators. While the European honeybee is our most widely used pollinator for large-scale crop production, susceptibility to pathogens and recent declines due to colony collapse disorder have stirred new interest and research about the valuable services provided by alternative pollinators such as native bees.

Through a new program from the Assunpink Environmental Institute (AEI) and Mercer County Soil Conservation District (MCSCD), students in eight Mercer County schools will be doing their part to increase suitable habitat for native bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The "Plants for Pollinators in the Classroom" program provides an indoor plant growing system to help students study seed germination and plant growth while raising butterfly plants. The plants will later be planted in their schoolyards. Some students will create a new pollinator garden at their school, while others will increase plant diversity in an existing school garden. Teachers from the following schools have been awarded "Plants for Pollinators" growing systems and resource kits: Woodrow Wilson, William Henry Harrison, Thomas Jefferson and Cadwalader Schools in Trenton, Perry L. Drew School in East Windsor, American Boychoir School in Princeton, Lawrence Intermediate School, and Hightstown High School.

There are an estimated 800 native bee species in the eastern US, including several bumble bee species, leaf-cutter bees, sweat bees, orchard bees and mining bees. Unlike honeybees, most native bees nest individually in the ground or in hollow twigs rather than in a large colony. Since they do not have a hive to defend, native bees tend to be less noticeable and less aggressive than honey bees. There are some crops for which the honey bee is best suited, however, on smaller diversified farms and in backyard gardens, native bees can be efficient pollinators for tomatoes, apples, squash and watermelons, not to mention flowers and many native plants. Whether you own a large farm or a small backyard, you can help create more suitable habitat for native pollinators by managing your land to support a diversity of plants and micro-habitats rather than a mono-culture or a lawn containing only turf grasses. Having a vibrant community of native pollinators can act as a type of insurance policy for times when honey bees are less available. For more information about pollinators or National Pollinator Week from June 22 - June 28, 2009, visit http://www.pollinator.org/. For information about the "Plants for Pollinators" program, call the Mercer County Soil Conservation District at (609) 586-9603.

 

Plants for Pollinators