Bus Trip and Guided Tour of Pollinator and Bird Garden in The Arboretum at Penn State
Join Phipps to explore pollinator and bird gardens at the Arboretum at Penn State!
Thurs., July 25 | 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Phipps Garden Center
$80 Members | $85 Non-members
Optional lunch is $17
Join us on a bus trip to visit the Pollinator and Bird Garden in The Arboretum at Penn State. Completed in 2021, the three acre garden was designed to attract the many insect pollinator species and both resident and migratory birds in our region. The garden serves as a site for scholarly research and educational activities at the University. As such, it incorporates extensive beds of pollinator- and bird-friendly plants, water features, beehives, agricultural beds, and an orchard. This visit will include a guided tour of the gardens with Harland Patch, Assistant Research Professor at Penn State, and a talk with Penn State students to learn about their ongoing research, including their use of AI devices and some work they are doing on bee nesting habitat. Price includes guided tour and chartered bus with restroom and WiFi. Optional boxed lunches will be provided by Phipps, select from the choices available at registration. This is a rain or shine event, be prepared for time spent outside and lots of walking to admire the gardens.
About the Speaker
Dr. Harland Patch, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor at Penn State University
Dr. Harland Patch focuses his research on many aspects of pollinator biology from genes to landscapes. His current research on understanding the biological mechanisms associated with bee nutrition and how nutrition, in turn, affects bee health. Dr. Patch is working with collaborators to understand the underlying factors that contribute to pollinator host plant choice, including the role of annual and perennial cultivars to support pollinator populations. This includes developing an easy-to-use digital tool to determine which cultivars support pollinators. He is scientific advisor and Director of Pollinator Programming at Penn State’s Bird and Pollinator Garden, a recently built 4-acre garden based on scientific research. He is also involved in ongoing projects to determine the causes of pollinator declines in the US and in Africa. Dr. Patch has taught Molecular Ecology, Pollination Biology and an undergraduate course on honey bees, among other classes.
Photos © Rob Cardillo Photography
