Merrill W. Linn Conservancy & East Buffalo Township Native Plant Garden

  • About
  • Further Information
    • Learn About Native Gardening
    • Pennsylvania Native Plant Retailers
  • Garden Images
  • Meet the Plants
  • Environmental Studies 411

About

The Go Native! Garden is an entirely native plant garden located on Fairground Road in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, steps from the East Buffalo Township municipal building, the East Buffalo Township recycling center, and the Lewisburg Farmer’s Market. The 2,000 square foot garden plot has three sections – no-mow grasses, pollinator perennials, and rain garden perennials – for species diversity, aesthetic variety, and varying environmental benefits. Native species play an important role in ecological health and stability, as they can attract local pollinators, establish deep root systems to hold soil in place, and are adapted to local climatic conditions, minimizing the need for fertilization. The Go Native! garden is designed and operated under the Merrill W. Linn conservancy.

The Merrill W. Linn conservancy is a nonprofit land trust based in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1988 with the intention to protect and preserve local land and waterways for their ecological, historical, scientific, educational, and recreational value. The Go Native! garden is an exhibition and educative effort underneath the conservancy’s Linking Landscapes initiative. This initiative has a long-term objective to restore fragmented ecologies in the central Susquehanna region from agricultural and residential land use, by way of connecting small habitat patches from nearby larger patches to aid plant and animal species movement, migration, and interbreeding.

The Go Native! garden furthers the mission of the Linking Landscapes initiative by serving as a model for future native plant gardens in the region, by teaching home gardeners, students, property managers, and other community members about the importance and benefits of native plant gardening, and by providing viable habitat and food sources for local wildlife, like birds, bees, moths, butterflies, and other pollinators.

To learn more about Merrill W. Linn: https://linnconservancy.org/ 

To learn more about Linking Landscapes: https://linnconservancy.org/linkinglandscapes/

Garden Images

  • Wes Sigl presenting at the Bucknell Sustainability Symposium. March 2017.
    Wes Sigl presenting at the Bucknell Sustainability Symposium. March 2017.
  • Rototilling on Wednesday April 12, 2017.
    Rototilling on Wednesday April 12, 2017.
  • Silt socks placed before rototilling.
    Silt socks placed before rototilling.
  • Land plot before garden implementation began.
    Land plot before garden implementation began.
  • Land plot before garden implementation began. March 2017.
    Land plot before garden implementation began. March 2017.
  • IMG_0163
    IMG_0163
  • April 26, 2017.
    April 26, 2017.
  • April 26, 2017.
    April 26, 2017.
  • Bunch grass. April 26, 2017.
    Bunch grass. April 26, 2017.
  • April 26, 2017.
    April 26, 2017.
  • Bunch grasses. April 26, 2017.
    Bunch grasses. April 26, 2017.
  • No-mow grasses. April 26, 2017.
    No-mow grasses. April 26, 2017.

Go Native Garden Calendar

Meet the Plants

Meet the Plants

View Here

 

 

Learn More About Native Gardening

Go Native! Workshops

iConserve Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Native Plant Society

The Pennsylvania Flora Project

Pennsylvania Native Plant Retailers

Environmental Studies 411

Environmental Studies 411, or Environmental Community Projects, is a culminating experience requirement for both Environmental Studies and Geography majors at Bucknell University. Seniors in Environmental Studies 411 draw upon their previous coursework to collaborate with community organizations and community members to achieve meaningful community project goals. We have been privileged to collaborate with the Merrill W. Linn Conservancy on their native plant garden at the East Buffalo Township municipal property. We hope this WordPress site will contribute to the success of the garden long-term. This project was a great opportunity to participate in community life outside of Bucknell, and the experiences we gained through our collaboration will remain with us long after we graduate.

-Wesley Sigl, Emma Frawley, Nic Diaz

Many thanks to Geoff Goodenow and Diane Donato of the Merrill W. Linn Conservancy for providing us with this incredible opportunity.

Thanks to Professor Amanda Wooden at Bucknell for her guidance and expertise in this process.

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