Native Plant Training for Grounds Crew

Spring is coming, the weather is warm, and invasive plants are growing once again. To combat the spread of sometimes beautiful, but nonnative plants throughout campus, several members of Millersville University groundskeepers, along with a few curious staff members, completed a certificate course on conservation landscaping. The goal is for the grounds crew, armed with their additional knowledge and training, is to select an area of campus to convert to native Pennsylvanian plants to promote water quality, support wildlife, manage stormwater and reduce maintenance by working with the naturally occurring ecosystems on campus and not against them.

The course was funded by a grant from Lancaster Clean Water Partners, taught by experts from the Lancaster Conservancy and Waxwing EcoWorks Co., and hosted in collaboration with Millersville's Office of Sustainability. While many plants traditionally used in landscaping are eye-catching, they may not be plants native to North America and, more importantly, not native to this region of Pennsylvania.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, a native plant is "a species that naturally evolved in a given region over thousands of years and thrives in the natural soils, precipitation, weather and climate of that region. Native plants and native wildlife rely on each other for survival."

This can be problematic for a number of reasons: first, nonnative plants can disrupt local ecosystems, causing longterm damage and issues for native animals, insects. Even things as common as grasses used in lawns, like Kentucky Bluegrass, can cause issues. These invasive plants choke out naturally occurring plants as they spread rapidly and take away needed resources from other plants.

Conversely, native plants, which are perfectly adapted for their given environment, support local wildlife, like bees, birds and butterflies that need these plants to survive. Additionally, native plants support food cultivation by creating healthy soil, improving water quality by reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides, helping to manage stormwater and flooding because of their more extensive root systems and more.

The training, provided by Elyse Jurgen, owner of Waxwing EcoWorks Co., a former middle school science teacher who also earned a certificate in biology teaching from MU, and Linda Ferich of the Lancaster Conservancy taught attendees about the value of native plants, lawn conversion methods, basic ecological design, and non-toxic seasonal stewarding practices.

Becky Grubb, a member of the University's grounds crew, attended the training. "I've been working in conservation landscaping for many years and have previously trained with both Elyse and Linda," she explains. "It's always a pleasure to be reminded that simple changes in our landscape design and maintenance practices can make a great impact toward protecting our environment. The information Elyse and Linda present is easy to grasp while being loaded with information including design, budget, and sustainability."

Jeff Gipe, who also works as groundskeeper, says of the experience, "People don't know the importance of native plants," he shares. "Before we developed much of our natural lands to farms, homes, parking lots, highways and more, pollinators already had the plants that were needed for their reproduction." He notes this impact, saying, "Without them, an expanse of mowed lawn for example, would be an ecological desert for these insects. I recently read that pollinators aided in production of one out of every three bites of food." Gipe also recommends the book "Bringing Nature Home" by Doug Tallamy as an aide for readers interested in learning more.

"Millersville is lucky to have beautiful green space throughout a significant portion of campus that our Grounds Department tends to throughout the year to maintain and create inviting spaces for students, faculty, staff, and visitors," shares Kaitlynn Hamaty, sustainability manager at MU, "Learning how to work with and incorporate native plants into our campus will help increase biodiversity and decrease impact on the area. It is exciting collaborating with local organizations and finding new professional development opportunities for Millersville to participate in and host."

For those in this part of Pennsylvania looking to incorporate native plants into their lawns and gardens this spring, check out the Lancaster Conservancy's resources on community wildlife habitat, which offers information on common invasive plants, a native plant database and sources, rain garden planting and more.