WU students plant pollinator garden at MBM
WAYNESBURG – In an effort to create a “better natural ecosystem,” 10 Waynesburg University students joined 21 Margaret Bell Miller Middle School students to plant a pollinator garden recently. Derek Zofchak, a sophomore environmental science major at Waynesburg University, was among the university students assisting with the project. Zofchak said that planting the garden was a way for university students to give back to the community.
“This was a great hands-on project and a valuable learning experience for everyone involved,” Zofchak said. “It’s nice to do work for the community and I believe the kids learned about the importance of service through this project.”
The pollinator garden is located on the Margaret Bell Miller Middle School grounds. John Yates, Margaret Bell Miller Middle School eighth grade teacher and Waynesburg University assistant wrestling coach, said the garden provides a way for his students to study the relationship between insects and plants.
According to Yates, the project is beneficial in a number of ways.
“The garden will help demonstrate the important role that natural pollinators play in pollinating plants, not just ornamentals, but also food crops,” he said. “In addition, many of our students have not had an opportunity to plant and care for a garden, so this experience will help show how the needs of plants are met.
“Finally, it will contribute to the aesthetics of our school grounds, and, because we went with perennials, it should be here for years to come.”
The garden consists of butterfly bushes, daisies and other native pollinators.
“Increasing biodiversity by increasing the varieties of native plants helps to increase the types of native pollinators,” said Janet Paladino, assistant professor of biology at the university. “A healthy ecosystem includes a larger number of native pollinators and creates a better natural ecosystem.”
The project was funded by a Spring Service Learning Grant awarded to Paladino last fall. Work on the pollinator garden was started last semester by students in her botany class. Research was completed by the students to determine which native plants would attract native pollinators.
Work has continued this semester with the students in Paladino’s service-learning course.
Students from both courses assisted in the planting of the garden.
Paladino said that the project serves as a benefit to both the university and Margaret Bell Miller Middle School students.
“This is not just a volunteer project but service with the purpose of reinforcing what they are learning in the classroom,” she said. “The purpose of hands-on learning is to expose students to activities related to what they are learning so that if they have to teach a concept to a middle school student, it is reinforced for them.”