HOW WE HELPED
McCormick Taylor worked with the PA Turnpike to:
- Develop a site assessment methodology
- Research best practices
- Determine pilot plots to test various seed mixes and management practices
- Develop site plans
- Develop seed mixes in coordination with seed suppliers
- Design and implement a monitoring program
- Assess and analyze progress
Upon initiating the project, there were a number of considerations, such as:
- What flowers benefit the at-risk pollinators and aid in beautification of the roadsides but are not too showy to cause a safety hazard of admiring traveling public to pull over on the roadsides?
- What flowering plants are native so they are adapted to Pennsylvania’s soils and constantly changing weather conditions but do not become a “buffet” for deer and attract them closer to the roadway?
- What mix of flowering plants can effectively outcompete invasive species, consistently provide blooms from early spring to late fall, and do not outcompete eachother?
The establishment of pollinator habitat involved many different disciplines and departments within the PA Turnpike and their contractors. Grass has been mowed at the Turnpike for over 80 years. The outreach efforts needed to inform various PA Turnpike staff and contractors that work on the roadsides that the pollinator habitat now growing in what had been a manicured lawn is intentional and includes a different management plan. Website content was developed, social media posts were prepared, many photos were taken, press releases were issued, and signage was designed. Controlling undesirable species early in their growth was also critical to meeting the long-term goals of pollinator habitat establishment. The selection of equipment capable of cutting and mulching tall vegetation down to 10-18 inches was not a common request. However, establishing thatch and leaving stems for overwintering pollinator habitat and ensuring seed contact with the soil were key components of the project.
