Lower Merion and Narberth Pollinator Pathway Kickoff

october 1 2020

The Lower Merion Conservancy, Penn Valley Civic Association, Narberth Area Garden Club, and the Friends of West Mill Creek Park launched the Lower Merion and Narberth Pollinator Pathway via a virtual “kickoff” event that covered the principles of the Pollinator Pathway, how to register your property on the Pathway, and methods for starting or improving pollinator habitat.

NAGC president Linda Pitt gave a welcome before PVCA president Michelle Detwiler described the tenets of the pathway project. Amy Chapkovich of the LMC described pathway benefits to the local watershed, and guest speaker Pat Sutton delivered an inspiring call to create more habitat on all properties.

Thank you to Saint Joseph’s University, who hosted the Zoom webinar for the kickoff event!

Pat Sutton’s Lecture

“How to Create a Pollinator Garden for Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths, Bees, and More!” a program by Pat Sutton

Pat Sutton, a working naturalist and wildlife habitat/conservation gardening educator and champion for over 30 years, covered the basic “how to’s” for creating a pollinator-friendly garden and yard that will attract and benefit butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, bees and more!

The transformation can be quite simple: plant natives instead of non-natives that might as well be plastic as far as wildlife is concerned.  Plant Sweet Pepperbush instead of Crape Myrtle or plant Joe-pye-weed, Purple Coneflower, New England Aster, and Goldenrod rather than Impatiens and Hostas. Add  a Milkweed patch and be amazed by all the creatures dependent on it, including Monarchs.  Meet all the needs of hummingbirds and be dazzled by them in your gardens from late April through early October.  The obvious, such as good nectar plants and their blooming periods, will be covered, along with the not so obvious, such as the caterpillar food plants butterflies and moths need for egg laying, “mud puddling,” and the importance of proper cover from wind and weather.  The mystery of a butterfly’s life cycle and where and how butterflies and moths spend the winter will be explained.  Where hummingbirds go in winter, why they leave us when our gardens are still in bloom, when to have your yard ready for them in spring upon their return, hummingbird feeder maintenance, and lots of other fun natural history facts will be shared.  The program features eye-candy wildlife gardens in South Jersey (including Sutton’s) that have successfully transformed ho-hum backyards into multi-dimensional gardens full of life.

Speaker Bio:

Pat Sutton has keenly studied the natural world for over 40 years, first as the naturalist at the Cape May Point State Park in the 1970s and 1980s and then for 21 years  as the naturalist and program director at the Cape May Bird Observatory (1986 to 2007).  Pat has an undergraduate degree in Literature and a Masters Degree in Environmental Education.  She and her husband (Clay Sutton) wrote the landmark book, Birds and Birding at Cape May (Stackpole Books, 2006), the in-depth result of their efforts over many years documenting and protecting the migration and the Cape May area that they so love.  Other books by Pat and Clay include How to Spot Butterflies (1999), How to Spot Hawks & Eagles (1996), and How to Spot an Owl (1994).

Today Pat is a free-lance writer, photographer, naturalist, educator, lecturer, tour leader, and wildlife habitat / conservation gardening champion!  Pat is a passionate wildlife habitat gardener and advocate for butterflies, moths, bees (all pollinators), birds, dragonflies, frogs, toads, and other critters.  Pat has taught about wildlife-friendly and native plant gardening for over 30 years.  Sutton’s own wildlife garden is a “teaching garden” featured in many programs, workshops, and garden tours.  For more information go to Pat and Clay’s website:  www.patsuttonwildlifegarden.com