Mary Welz

As a naturalist and plant enthusiast, Mary is passionate about the conservation of pollinators and the native plant communities they depend upon in her home state of Indiana. She earned a BS in Biology at Indiana University and studied Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia. Among her professional roles, she worked for an ecological service provider, served as a Regional Specialist for State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management, and prior to joining Pollinator Partnership, worked as the environmental educator for Sycamore Land Trust. Through these positions, she conducted administrative support for native plant nursery operations, provided habitat planning and maintenance technical assistance, and engaged various audiences through nature interpretation and land stewardship volunteer opportunities. As P2’s Indiana Partner Biologist, Mary now assists small, specialty, urban, and other agricultural producers across the state of Indiana with establishing pollinator friendly habitat by providing Farm Bill application and conservation planning support. She also works to create educational content to feature wildlife habitat success stories and promote conservation practices that benefit pollinators and other wildlife. After hours, Mary delights in tending her vegetable garden, restoring her home landscape with native plants, and volunteering to 'wrangle' invasive plants.