Clarion mayor declares ‘Native Plant Month’

By RODNEY L. SHERMAN
Clarion News editor
Mayor Jennifer Fulmer Vinson April 5 signed a proclamation declaring April as “Native Plant Month” in recognition of the importance of native plants for a healthy, thriving ecosystem.

Accepting the proclamation certificate were Tabassam Shah, Alice Thurau, and Janice Horn of the Seneca Rocks chapter of the Audubon Society.

The brief ceremony came during the April 5 Clarion Borough Council meeting.

“Clarion is located on the traditional homelands of indigenous people, including the Iroquoian groups such as the Erie and the Seneca, who stewarded the lands, sky, and water through their respective cultures and knowledge, which includes the care and management of native vegetation,” said Fulmer Vinson. ”

The Seneca Rocks chapter also issued a statement during the ceremony which said native plants provide food and shelter to beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife. Unlike plants that were introduced to the area from other places, native plants are adapted to local soil and climate and do not require extra watering, pesticides, or fertilizers in order to flourish.

Fulmer Vinson’s proclamation recognizes that native plants support hundreds of species of resident and migratory birds, many of which are species of concern and increasingly threatened by climate change.

Seneca Rocks Audubon members have been actively promoting the creation of bird-friendly habitat.

They thanked Fulmer Vinson and the Clarion Borough Council for their support.

Seneca Rocks Audubon Society is the local chapter of the National Audubon Society. The chapter holds monthly programs and frequent birding events which are free and open to the public. The chapter is also engaged with a variety of conservation, education, and community science projects.

In further recognition of Native Plant Month and Earth Day, the chapter will be providing information about native plant gardens along with hands-on activities for youth from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 at the Clarion Free Library.

More information about upcoming activities can be found on the Seneca Rocks Audubon Facebook page and website at www.senecarocksaudubon.org.