Last month I wrote about the importance of creating habitat for pollinators and Doug Tallamy’s ideas for establishing  Home Grown National Parks.  Based on questions I received from Beacon readers’ here are some resources for getting plants, advice, and preschool through grade 12 project grants.

Milkweed: Usually I collect milkweed pods in the fall, but digging up milkweed in a friend’s yard is another good way to get plants.  You can also order seeds from Park Seeds at tinyurl.com/yzv6lpng.

Native Plants: Check with the New Hampshire State Nursery (nh.gov/nhnursery/) and UNH Cooperative Extension (extension.unh.edu). When you get to Extension website, enter either “native plants” or “pollinators” in the “search this site” block.  The UNH Cooperative Extension Education Center and Information Line can answer your questions at Answers@nullUNH.edu or
877-EXT-GROW (877-398-4769). Their hours are 9 AM to 2 PM, Monday through Friday.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website also has a lot of good information, including Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat (wildlife.state.nh.us/habitat/backyard.html).

Schoolyard Habitat Grants: This is from the New Hampshire Fish and Game website at wildlife.state.nh.us/education/grants.html: “Are you an educator with a project in mind to involve students in enhancing the schoolyard for wildlife habitat, connect students with the outdoors, and integrate nature into student learning in line with the curricula? Grants from the New Hampshire Partnership for Schoolyard Action Grants are available for schools with students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 to help fund nature-based projects.”

Handouts: I have a native plant handouts that I will be placing at both Andover libraries.

Pollinator Pathways: There is a group in Kingston, New Hampshire called Pollinator Pathways that has a newsletter with lots of good information. Visit KingstonNH.org/conservation-commission/pages/pollinator-pathways.

Landscapers: Some landscape companies and individuals specialize in using native plants.  One that I am aware of is Foundwell Farm in Pembroke, but check around on the internet as there are others.

Next month I will write more about Doug Tallamy’s ideas for creating your Home Grown National Park, including his method of getting rid of mosquitoes without using chemicals or bug zappers.