In the Mountain State, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is helping local residents connect with and be more aware of their environment through native plants and habitat monitoring.
DEP, in conjunction with the state’s Division of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Geological Survey, will soon host the fifth and final workshop of 2024 on vernal pool monitoring. The workshops teach volunteers to observe and share their observations of vernal pools that appear in forests in late fall, winter, and early spring and provide breeding habitat for many amphibians. DEP’s Vernal Pool Monitoring Program works to increase awareness of vernal pools in the state and to map and monitor them.
In a separate effort, DEP with DNR and the West Virginia Native Plant Society has developed the West Virginia Planting Tool, which recommends plants for a site based on location, whether the area is a wetland or upland, and whether the planting goal is erosion control, restoration, or a pollinator garden. After answering those questions, the tool provides suggestions for native plants for the project. These native species will thrive with minimal maintenance while providing excellent habitat for native birds, butterflies, and other species.
