Connie Schmotzer works as Consumer Horticulture Educator for Penn State Extension in York County, PA, where she coordinates the Master Gardener Program and the Mid-Atlantic Ecological Landscaping partnership (MAEscapes). Since 2011 she has taken leadership of the statewide Master Gardener pollinator monitoring program, and the Penn State Pollinator Friendly Garden Certification program. She also spearheaded a large pollinator trial at Penn State’s Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center, trialing 84 varieties of native plants. Connie has a B.A. from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA and did graduate work at Montana State University.
Master Gardener Pollinator Outreach. Protecting pollinators has been an important part of the Penn State Master Gardeners educational outreach since 2011. Learn about Pollinator Preferences, our citizen science program to determine the best plants to attract pollinators in the home garden, and our pollinator friendly garden certification program. Both programs have provided new learning opportunities for Master Gardeners, while energizing the public to take action for pollinators.
