Backyard workshop slated at Mammoth Park
Troublesome pests, pollinator-friendly plantings and low-maintenance gardening are among topics that will be explored during a free Sustainable Backyard Workshop April 22 at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township.
Organized by the Lauglintown-based staff of Forbes State Forest, the event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Pavilions 5, 6 and 7 near the park’s giant slide.
“Making The Most Of Your Piece Of Nature” is the theme of the workshop, which has topics of interest to a range of private property owners.
At 9 a.m., attendees can choose between a presentation on “Low-Maintenance Backyard Fruit Growing” by hobby orchardist Ryan Mahony or an introduction to Pennsylvania’s “Lawn Conversion Program” by Stephanie Jellison, southwest watershed forestry specialist with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
In the latter program, “Foresters work with private landowners to educate them and help them to convert their lawn over to more beneficial habitats for wildlife or pollinators,” according to Rachael Mahony, environmental education specialist with Forbes State Forest.
Sessions at 10 a.m. will include state forester Michael Doucette’s talk on the invasive “Spotted Lanternfly” pest or Pennsylvania master gardener Deborah Christopher’s explanation of “Straw bale Gardening.”
The latter gardening method is “really cool and innovative,” said Mahony. “It uses straw bales essentially as raised garden beds.”
The workshop will conclude at 11 a.m. with “Beneficial Pollinators,” presented by Jose Taracido of California University of Pennsylvania or “Ticks in Pennsylvania,” discussed by public health research coordinator Jessica Turpin and Jane Huffman of the Wildlife Genetics Institute at East Stroudsburg University.
Those who register for the workshop will receive a packet of native wildflower seeds and will be entered in a drawing for pin oak tree seedlings.
Visit the Forbes State Forest Facebook page for a link to the registration site. Questions can be directed to Mahony at rmahony@pa.gov or 724-259-2201.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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