From middle proper to left, Backyard Steward Diana Oddenino, Backyard Steward Peggy Bowers and Shepherdstown Public Library Director Hali Taylor settle for a $1,000 verify from Erie Insurance coverage District Gross sales Supervisor Suzanne Bitonti, which was matched by Insurance coverage Outfitters co-owner Michele Maiden, far proper, on the library’s new location on Wednesday. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Final Wednesday morning, a bunch gathered in entrance of the Shepherdstown Public Library’s new constructing, at 145 Higbee Lane, for the presentation of a $1,000 verify from Erie Insurance coverage’s grant program to the library’s new backyard initiative.

Whereas the library’s former location in downtown Shepherdstown had a restricted backyard house that was faithfully maintained by the Potomac-Mecklenburg Backyard Membership, the scale of the library’s new location and the imaginative and prescient behind its total growth required a distinct strategy, in response to SPL Director Hali Taylor.

Taylor reached out to 3 ladies she believed could be preferrred leaders for creating an environmentally-friendly backyard plan and turning it into actuality, with the assistance of neighborhood volunteers.

“There’s three of us which were engaged on it: Peggy Bowers, Carolyn Thomas and myself, Diana Oddenino. Peggy is our little gem hiding right here in Jefferson County. She and Carolyn put collectively this backyard plan, and I simply do what they inform me to!” Oddenino stated, mentioning Bowers has managed multiple notable panorama in knowledgeable capability, together with the gardens at Mount Vernon for seven years.

Oddenino, Bowers and Taylor then proceeded to just accept the verify from Erie Insurance coverage District Gross sales Supervisor Suzanne Bitonti, which was then matched by Insurance coverage Outfitters co-owner Michele Maiden.

The primary a part of the Habitat Gardens was just lately planted by the library’s patio. Tabitha Johnston

In line with Maiden, being awarded the grant funding was an surprising shock. The grant funding was first utilized for, after Thomas contacted Maiden’s workplace, to see if there could be any funding out there by one in all Insurance coverage Outfitters’ suppliers, Erie Insurance coverage. Maiden and her co-owner and husband, Tom, had not beforehand labored with any of their insurance coverage suppliers to achieve grant funding.

“It was a 50/50 probability [that the grant would be given],” Maiden stated. “Now I do know that there’s a grant course of that’s fairly simple and fairly seamless, as a result of when you concentrate on processes like that, you assume, ‘Oh, what’s our probability?’ However inside a month we discovered — it wasn’t very lengthy in any respect!”

Combining Bowers’ native plant experience with Thomas’ gardening expertise and Oddenino’s data as a Grasp Naturalist turned out to be a boon for the event of the Habitat Gardens, as all three leaders share the library’s imaginative and prescient to create a backyard that can strengthen the native ecosystem, through the use of native crops to draw and nourish the lives of native pollinators.

“We prefer to name it a ‘reside scape for the library,’ so it will be an academic expertise from the time you get out of your automotive, as a result of these are all native pollinator crops and the timber, for the entire full ecosystem and lifecycle of bugs and pollinators,” Oddenino stated. “There are nearly 4 acres that we are going to be planting, so we’ve obtained heaps to do, over time. Gardening is all the time a piece in progress!”

The ecosystem-friendly Habitat Gardens shall be one of many many different methods the library is slicing down on its ecological footprint, together with the photo voltaic panels and electrical car-charging areas at its new location.

Parking areas for recharging electrical vehicles are simply among the environment-friendly features of the library’s new location. Tabitha Johnston

“We even have a gardeners record for individuals to enroll with on-line — we already have gotten about 30 volunteers who’ve signed up!” Bowers stated, mentioning people and teams of all ages can volunteer to work as a Backyard Steward, whether or not as a one-time or common dedication. Bowers estimated the Habitat Gardens is a bit of over midway towards reaching its $30,000 purpose, which she stated shall be essential to completely develop it, with a successive $4,000-$5,000 want yearly, for upkeep. Intensive work on the gardens will start in September.

To enroll as a Backyard Steward or make a donation to the Habitat Gardens, go to sheplibrary.org/habitat-garden/. For extra info, contact Bowers at sundogspeg@gmail.com, Oddenino at oddenino@aol.com or Thomas at crthomas25443@gmail.com.