series, and it was produced in cooperation with the Mercer County Conservation District. These interesting and informative webinars have been uploaded to the District’s YouTube channel for easy access for anyone hoping to improve their gardening skills. With the accomplishment of Phase Two, the District proved its versatility to educate the public beyond traditional in-person workshops with the production of these webinars. As COVID restrictions eased, the District participated in additional outreach opportunities by conducting a pollinator tour at Yellow Creek State Park, a butterfly ID workshop, and a pollinator family fun event at the Indiana Community Gardens. All events were well attended and included community participants from a wide range of age groups.
PROJECT SUMMARY AND RESULTS • District staff partnered with the Indiana Community Garden at Mack Park to create a 5,812 square foot pollinator meadow to serve as a community demonstration while supporting pollinator habitat and increasing crop yields for existing edible garden plots. • District staff held three Urban Agriculture webinars focused on backyard conservation in 2020 and 2021. Participants learned how to prepare gardens for the winter, as well as the purposes and progress of riparian buffers in the region. Over 60 participants attended the webinars or viewed the recordings. FUNDING SOURCES AND PROJECT COSTS $28,769.92— National Association of Conservation Districts PROJECT PARTNERS Indiana County Conservation District, Indiana Community Garden, National Association of Conservation Districts, Mack Park According to Executive Director Doug Beri Jr., these virtual and in-person workshops help ICCD work toward achieving several of their urban agricultural goals: “We need to not only create community gardens but also teach people in underserved communities how to garden and how to use the produce that they harvest. Our staff is working to increase the District’s presence and role in urban agriculture in Indiana County.”
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2021 Annual Report
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