UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State Extension Master Gardener might spend one day helping a home gardener select pollinator-friendly plants and another collecting data that could help researchers better predict which flowers attract bees and butterflies. During National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, Master Gardeners across Pennsylvania continue to support several pollinator-focused research, education and conservation efforts:
Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Program
For the past six years, Penn State Master Gardeners have partnered with researchers in the López-Uribe Lab to monitor bee biodiversity across Pennsylvania. Volunteers help collect and catalog bee species, contributing data that researchers use to better understand the diversity of bees in the state and how populations change over time.
The program, led by Margarita López-Uribe, associate professor of entomology, has documented more than 32,000 bee specimens representing 310 species. According to López-Uribe, the effort has contributed to 15 new state records, hundreds of county records and documentation of 68% of all bee species reported in Pennsylvania.
“Master Gardeners are great ambassadors for the work we do, for native bees and for the importance of scientific discoveries,” López-Uribe said. “In addition to the great science they contribute, they help us communicate the importance of what we do.”
Researchers continue to discover rare or previously thought locally extinct species through the program.
This year, organizers hope to implement DNA metabarcoding, a technique that could help accelerate the identification of bee specimens collected by volunteers.
Urban Bee Monitoring Project
Building on the success of the Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Program, a new Science-to-Practice grant in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is supporting research on bee biodiversity in Philadelphia pollinator gardens.
The project is led by López-Uribe; Nash Turley, postdoctoral scholar and co-principal investigator; Jessica Schweiger, Master Gardener coordinator for Philadelphia County; and Beth Yount, Master Watershed Steward coordinator for Philadelphia County. Researchers also are evaluating the effectiveness of different pollinator monitoring methods.
The effort builds on partnerships among Philadelphia Master Gardeners and Master Watershed Stewards and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, which helps groups, including community gardens, farms and schools establish pollinator habitat through its Habitat Kit Program. The program, which is one of eight across the country, distributes thousands of native plants each year at no cost to the recipients.
As part of the project, volunteers provide technical assistance to the groups receiving these plants. The initiative is aimed at expanding high-quality habitat for pollinators, including the eastern monarch butterfly, whose population has declined by more than 80% since the 1990s, according to the Xerces Society.
FloraCount Research Project
This summer, Hannah Thomas, entomology graduate student, is partnering with the Master Gardener program to organize data collection events at Master Gardener demonstration gardens.
Thomas works in the labs of Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology and director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and Harland Patch, assistant research professor.
Data collected by volunteers will be used to improve FloraCount, an app developed by researchers in Penn State’s Center for Pollinator Research that helps measure how attractive different flower varieties are to pollinators such as bees and butterflies. By contributing observations from demonstration gardens, Master Gardeners will help researchers refine the tool and improve its ability to evaluate pollinator-friendly plants.
'The Biology of the Wild Solitary Bees' Webinar Series
Beginning Sept. 15, the Master Gardener program will offer an eight-week webinar series, The Biology of the Wild Solitary Bees, featuring López-Uribe as the speaker.
Designed for bee enthusiasts and anyone interested in pollinator conservation, the series will explore the biology, ecology and evolution of solitary bees through science-based presentations grounded in current research. Topics will include bee diversity, life cycles, nesting behaviors, plant interactions and the environmental threats affecting bee populations. Organizers said the series will provide participants with practical knowledge to support pollinator stewardship and conservation efforts.
Pollinator-Friendly Habitat Certification
For home gardeners interested in supporting pollinators, the Penn State Master Gardener Pollinator Friendly Habitat Certification offers guidance on creating landscapes that strengthen native pollinator populations. Certified habitats include features such as food sources, shelter and nesting sites for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.
Since the program was launched in 2011, organizers have certified 1,230 gardens across Pennsylvania.
Connie Schmotzer, a Master Gardener who oversees the program, said its goals are to raise awareness about pollinators and the challenges they face, help gardeners create pollinator-friendly landscapes, and provide ongoing education that enables participants to continue improving their habitats and share what they learn with others.
“We often work with applicants, offering advice for improvements,” Schmotzer said.
“POLLINATORS! The Musical” slated for July performances in State College
Visitors to the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in July can attend performances of “POLLINATORS! The Musical,” a 30-minute puppet show that explores the lives and habitats of native pollinators. Created and presented by Centre County Master Gardeners in collaboration with the Center for Pollinator Research, this show is designed for audiences of all ages.
Performances will occur at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, and at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 10, at State College Presbyterian Church, 132 W. Beaver Ave.
The musical received first place in the 2024 state Master Gardener Search for Excellence Awards in the Innovative Projects category and earned second place nationally in 2025.