PSC Star Stewards

We've been reading about so many fantastic pollinator projects taking place through our PSC program as participants complete their habitat and outreach activities. We wanted to highlight some especially impactful stewards in our Star Steward series. Check out their work below!

Rebecca Husted

After getting Pollinator Steward Certified, Rebecca promoted all things pollinator to friends and colleagues via social media, including daily posts from spring to fall of various pollinators, insect behavior videos, and interactions of the insects in her yard and garden that generate many questions and interest from followers. She has hosted three formal Pollinator Walks on her property, twice with the local Audobon Society, and once for the Fringed Campion chapter of the Georgia Native Plants Society. She also did a swamp walk to look for various birds, insects, spiders, and snakes, and at night, waited for the bat house to empty and turned on the moth lights to give everyone the experience of observing different moth species. She is constantly showing people more about what native plants and pollinators can do for their yards, gardens, and pastures.

Thanks to PSC, Rebecca completely replanted the area around her home with native plants, and added numerous brush piles, felled logs, and allowed vines in certain areas to grow and bloom to support pollinators.

Danna McCormick

Danna partnered with the National Park Service to adopt an urban triangle park in Washington DC and transform it from mulch and liriope into a native plant pollinator garden. The project began in October 2025 and by May 2026 they started seeing the first pollinators on their new plantings. This project will help nature, pollinators, and biodiversity in the DC area. Going forward, Danna hopes to start documenting the pollinators that are visiting the new garden.

Thanks to PSC, Danna learned how to help others understand why pollinators are important.

Deborah Paes

Deborah is a Certified Pollinator Steward leading pollinator conservation and education efforts in Mississauga, Ontario. As a member of the 2025 PSC cohort, Deborah transformed her small suburban lawn into a thriving pollinator habitat filled with native plants. In her habitat enhancement, Deborah has prioritized the inclusion of native trees, including 17 different species of native trees and nine species of native shrubs. This love of trees also extends into her outreach work. Deborah has led more than 20 tree walks in her community, leading groups of students, medical residents, and nature lovers in the identification of native trees. She's taken her outreach one step further by distributing native plant seedlings cultivated in her garden to 45 homes in her neighborhood to create a patchwork of pollinator habitat around Mississauga.

Thanks to PSC, Deborah has developed techniques to educate members of the public, such as having a "hook" to engage anyone in the wonderful world of pollinators.

Cindy Mansey

Cindy has been managing the Moss Creek Pollinator Garden for the past three years, leading a team of more than 18 dedicated volunteers. She, and one of her friends, recently developed an educational presentation for the Moss Creek Nature Club and community members using Pollinator Partnership materials, supplemented with photographs of the Moss Creek Pollinator Garden and the wildflower gardens established by the golf course maintenance staff. To support the program, she created a companion quiz and answer guide, organized plant information by bloom season and native status, and developed educational materials that make pollinator conservation accessible to a general audience. This encouraged greater appreciation for native plants and pollinators and inspired others to become involved in conservation efforts. She also put materials in the kiosk in front of the venue to sharing practical knowledge to help the community better understand and care for the natural environment.

Thanks to PSC, Cindy used the program slide deck that was provided to her as a Pollinator Steward to lead a presentation on pollinators to the nature club.

Nicole Zebrowski

Over the years, Nicole has continued to transform her backyard by planting a diversity of native flowering plants that provide blooms throughout the season and by creating habitat features such as leaving stems and leaves, maintaining brush piles, and providing nesting habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. Through her small business, Backyard Buzz, she shares that journey through pollinator artwork, photography, educational talks, community events, articles, and the pollinator-focused books she authored.  She encourages others to look more closely at the life in their own gardens and inspires them to create and restore habitat in their own backyards, balconies, and windowsills. She also maintains a pollinator nesting box in a local community park, where visitors can scan a QR code to learn about cavity-nesting bees and other beneficial insects, habitat maintenance, and the different animals that may utilize the box throughout the season.

Thanks to PSC, Nicole expanded her understanding of the importance of having a healthy and diverse habitat that supports pollinators throughout their life cycles. PSC also helped shape her outreach efforts by providing science-based information that she can share with others.

Marcela Haber-Bishop

Marcela converted her front yard and side parkway into native gardens. She also made it an educational pollinator garden in her neighborhood through the use of informative signs. In addtion, she used her garden group to spread her love for pollinator gardens by growing her own seeds that she germinates, grows, and gives away for free to her neighbors. She has also helped build a few smaller polinator gardens, and has inspired many neighbors to add a few pollinator plants in their own garens.

Thanks to PSC, Marcela learned more about the diversity of nectar and shelter plants that can support pollinators when gardening.

Rebecca Cannaday

Rebecca has been working to create a pollinator paradise in her yard for the past five years. She has four different spaces where she's intentionally planted native plants: her front garden which features plants that bloom throughout spring, summer, and fall; her side garden which features native plants in a partially shaded area; her hill side that she's working to rewild with many host plants; and the ponds filled with native plants. She is a member of the Virginia Native Plant Society and joined in the native garden tours in late May. Members were invited to come see real gardens and she got the chance to talk with those who are new to native gardens, as well as others who have been working with native plants for years. Her native ponds were the biggest hit, as many people did not know how to go about starting a wildlife pond. She also regularly shares information with her instagram followers about the different projects she's developing, as well as information about local pollinators.

Thanks to PSC, Rebecca uses what she learned to find new ways to support pollinators, from working to encourage moths to come to the yard via host and night blooming plants, to featuring keystone species. She also has new talking points when presenting about pollinators!

Debra Mackey

Debra leads the Pollinator Census team for UF/IFAS Marion County Master Gardener Volunteer program. They provide events and education throughout the county that highlight current science-based approaches to managing a landscape without the use of pesticides and herbicides. They educate the public on IPM principles, and no chemical approaches to removing invasive species and replacing with native plants that supports pollinators. Their team provided pollinator pots to their local libraries with signage leading to information on the importance of pollinators and how to participate in the census. They encouraged participation in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Debra was honored to serve as the 2025 Grand Marshall for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census.

Thanks to PSC, Debra increased her knowledge about the importance of protecting pollinators and the desire to share the information she learned with others.

Andre Dengo

Andre is a one man business installing landscapes and designing new ones. He has installed thousands of plants of native annuals and perennials that provide blooms throughout the year. He leaves piles of sticks and hollow flower stems for nesting pollinators, and has converted traditional lawns and residential gardens into naturescaped habitat. Through his work he has achieved over 10,000 square feet of pollinator habitat created in the past couple of years.

Thanks to PSC, Andre uses what he learned to select plants that will attract a variety of pollinators when creating habitat.

Debra Toor

Debra created an annual community native plant event with native plant giveaways, low cost native plant sales, native plant author speakers, biodiversity displays from local organizations, and habitat stations for participants to visit. These habitat stations helped visitors learn about creating pond habitat, firefly habitat, native bee habitat, as well as moth and butterfly habitat complete with experts at each station to answer questions. She also had a Meet the Backyard Beneficial Bugs Station with live and dead specimens. Free plants were donated to local community restoration projects. For the event, she also labelled all the plants in her yard and indicated whether the plant was a larval host plant and also participated in a milkweed planting project.

Thanks to PSC, Debra learned about the importance of native plants, native pollinators, and the connection between the two in the food web.

Kelly Parks

Kelly created the podcast Secret Pollinators where she educates listeners about native pollinators often overlooked —from bumblebees' buzz pollination abilities to underground-nesting squash bees and metallic sweat bees. Each episode highlights specific pollinator species, their ecological roles, and practical habitat creation tips like leaving bare ground for ground-nesting bees, planting native flowering plants, building awareness about pollinator diversity, and inspiring gardeners to create habitat for native species.

Thanks to PSC, Kelly applies the ecological knowledge from the training to help listeners understand that effective pollinator conservation requires supporting the full spectrum of native species.

Stephanie Holbrook

Stephanie is the president of Wings of Change, an organization dedicated to creating thriving habitats that support pollinators and biodiversity through hands-on restoration, education, and community engagement. By transforming underutilized spaces into pollinator-friendly gardens and native plant sanctuaries, the organization provides essential food and shelter for bees, butterflies, and other vital species. Specific efforts include working with homeowners to plant pollinator-friendly species, helping people become certified Monarch Waystations, and partnering with local schools to educate, inspire, and install pollinator gardens that serve as outdoor classrooms. Outreach initiatives have included speaking engagements, online education through blog posts and social media, hosting annual events that engage hundreds of participants, leading workshops on native planting and pesticide-free practices, and collaborating with local farms to integrate pollinator habitats into agricultural landscapes and secure local grants.

Thanks to PSC, Stephanie has taken what she's learned about community engagement and ecosystem restoration to help turn unused spaces into buzzing pollinator havens. She does this by teaming up with homeowners to plant pollinator-friendly species, helping folks set up Monarch Waystations, and partnering with schools to create educational pollinator gardens.

Alyce Harrison

Alyce planted wildflowers on her farm to attract pollinators. She planted marigolds and other pollinator plants. She also installed a bird bath. This introduction to pollinators sparked her to become a master gardener, and as a master gardener, she's teaching young students about the importance of pollinators whether it's about bees or wasps, and that there are several types of pollinators.

Thanks to PSC, Alyce is more aware of pollinators and the the plants that can help them on her farm.

Lucile Morehouse

Lucile started Lucile’s Pollinator Project to raise awareness about the decline of pollinators and to help people create habitats that support them. She distributed native plant seed packets across the U.S. and internationally and hosted workshops and events to teach communities how they can protect these vital species. Through this project, her aim is to make a real difference for pollinators and the environment.

Thanks to PSC, Lucile feels more confident when presenting about pollinators and how to protect them.

Jeanne McRight

Jeanne is the founding president and board chair of Blooming Boulevards, a volunteer-run not-for- profit in the City of Missisauga, Ontario. Within the last year, she worked with her board and a host of volunteers to grow and distribute 10,000 locally-adapted native plants, the majority of which they donated to residents and community groups to provide low-maintenance green infrastructure. This created naturalized areas across Mississauga, supporting their municipality's Climate Change Action Plan. Jeanne presented over 30 free workshops to the public on a range of topics from designing and building pollinator habitat gardens, propagating native plants, to information on sourcing and planting specific species. Together with volunteers, she facilitated the creation of 50 new habitat gardens in 2024, bringing their total to 310 city-wide pollinator habitat gardens, supporting pollinator wellbeing by providing them with forage and nesting corridors linked year-round to larger green spaces.

Thanks to PSC, Jeanne reinforced her appreciation for the wonder and joy that taking action brings, and how to continue to engage learners with a positive and meaningful approach.

Marianna Makowska

Marianna single-handedly established the first Pollinator Garden in her school district in WA, Kirkland. She used grants to buy native plants for her garden with her school’s Green Team members. It was a long journey to get the garden approved by the district, but in the end it was worth it as she attracted 15 different pollinator species including moths, butterflies, bees, wasps, beetles, flies, and hummingbirds! She engaged her school's Green Team, the Floral Design Class, and Agriculture Class, who helped with maintenance of the garden. Marianna is hoping that her garden will be displayed on the King County Green Schools Program to inspire other schools to take similar action for pollinators!

Thanks to PSC, Marianna learned how to identify and distinguish different species of pollinators, and now spends hours taking pictures of them for her photo album.

Mary Bernard and Dennis Durkee

Mary Bernard and Dennis Durkee are co-chairs of a pollinator garden committee for the Sabine-Neches Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists. In cooperation with the Big Thicket Biosphere Reserve, the committee has been establishing pollinator gardens in several public places across Jefferson, Orange and Hardin Counties in Southeast Texas. They are also advising schools and other local groups who are starting their own pollinator gardens.

Thanks to PSC, Mary and Dennis are planning and promoting pollinator gardening in the Southeast Texas region, and are using what they learned to help with public outreach efforts to encourage local homeowners to plant pollinator-friendly plants in their yards.

Sage Kosa

Sage creates gardens that focus on habitat creation and native plants from the Pacific Northwest. Since completing the PSC program, she's held the health of pollinators as a priority in her garden design and care work. Each garden she designs and installs implements a diverse set of mostly native plants and habitat elements. Through educating clients, she's able to inspire others to take action such as leaving flower stalks throughout the winter and keeping fallen leaves within their gardens to benefit pollinators. Sage also teaches workshops through her city, and teaches how to garden for pollinators and other wildlife while growing less lawn. Her passion is to create gardens that support the flourishing of all our neighbours - humans, animals, insects, trees, plants, soil microorganisms, fungi, and bacteria.

Thanks to PSC, Sage connects her knowledge of garden design and plants with an understanding of the essential services pollinators provide ecosystems, and the support pollinators need.

Cathy Stevens

This summer, Cathy and her team transformed a small flower bed into a vibrant 20x19 ft habitat, rescuing daylilies and a rose bush, and creating a butterfly-friendly garden with various plants. Her team diligently maintained it through the Pollinator Stewardship program, documenting their findings on SEEK and iNaturalist. They also expanded their efforts to their manufacturing plant in Greenfield, Ohio, overcoming drought challenges to beautify the area with more native plants. For outreach, they created conservation slides for their 180 associates, and engaged local manufacturing plants during Pollinator Week. Additionally, they launched the 'Sustainable Synergy' newsletter to promote Weastec's eco-friendly initiatives, focusing on biodiversity, CO2 reduction, and resource conservation, driving their green revolution forward.

Thanks to PSC, Cathy and her team were able to make informed decisions about plant selections for their habitat, taking into account the needs of pollinators, native species in their region, and overwintering requirements in Ohio.

Chandler Bertoli

Chandler planted pollinator-friendly seeds and perennials in her front yard and has enjoyed watching so many pollinators spending time in their new habitat. Her favorite thing, however, is the positive response she has received from neighbors. People are asking how to create habitat, taking photos and telling her that her yard is an inspiration. She loves sharing information (and seeds) with her community. In addition to her yard habitat, she created a container garden business "Alpine Charm" where she plants pollinator-friendly planters and hanging baskets for homes and businesses. These small habitats help people be stewards of their own area (even a small porch or apartment balcony). Her clients love experiencing visits from bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Chandler is also spearheading a re-vamp of her son's elementary school garden, where they will be creating a pollinator garden and using the space for science and emotional wellbeing opportunities.

Thanks to PSC, Chandler learned about the importance of selecting native flowers with different shapes and bloom times, and the importance of leaving space for pollinator nesting sites.

Adam Barnes

Adam is the founder and lead coordinator for a volunteer stewardship group called Rewilders. Under Rewilders, he has been planting pollinator habitat in Toronto for four years. To this point, Rewilders has planted 10 gardens on public land which they call the 1km Pollinator Pathway. Rewilders has also hosted planting events, organized a seed sitters group, and had a native plant giveaway at their local farmer's market where they gave away approximately 900 plants to the community. Adam also helps two local high schools with their pollinator gardens, sits on the Project Swallowtail Steering Committee, and volunteers with NANPS LEAF, and the Butterflyway Project.

Thanks to PSC, Adam has learned more about the native plant community in his neighborhood.

Alfredo Mejía and Nelly González

Alfredo and Nelly have been working on multiple projects related to pollinators. They recently held a workshop to obtain their certification and supported environmental education events with organizations that they collaborate with. They participated as speakers celebrating "World Bee Day" collaborating with the Unidad de Biodiversidad, a research unit attached to the state university (USAC). Together, Alfredo and Nelly are a Pollinator Steward Certified team!

Thanks to PSC, Alfredo and Nelly better understand pollinators and their ecological relationships, and their interaction with gardens and crops.

Chloe Markovits

Chloe channels her passion for pollinators through two main outlets. As a full-time landscape horticulturist at Fruits to Fronds LLC in Seattle, she uses her Pollinator Steward Certification to guide plant selection for residential gardens, creating and maintaining insect-friendly habitats across the city. Additionally, she has trained coworkers to become skilled insect naturalists, promoting eco-friendly gardening practices by identifying and protecting ground-nesting bee habitats and avoiding pesticide use. Furthermore, she conducts public outreach, reaching over 200k people on Instagram and TikTok. This summer, she expanded her efforts by hosting 'Pollinator Safaris' in Seattle, inspired by time with the Tufts Pollinator Initiative and her PSC training. During these workshops, she teaches adults and children how to identify and observe pollinators through catch-and-release activities, fostering a community of passionate stewards.

Thanks to PSC, Chloe has learned to dispel common myths and misconceptions about pollinators, transforming insect apprehension into appreciation among her clients and community.

Beth Ames

Beth planted a 3-acre wildflower meadow on her 15-acre property alongside the Mississinewa River in Miami County, Indiana. She named the area Prelise Meadow in memory of her friend. In March of 2024, Beth reseeded the area with bee and butterfly pollinator mixes. Birds, bees, butterflies, moths, bats, bunnies, deer, and even baby frogs have been seen, and many photographers also enjoy the beauty of the meadow.

Thanks to PSC, Beth learned about the benefits of planting quality habitat to support pollinators.

Krystal Brideau

Krystal started creating pollinator habitat on her property actively this year. As a steward, she started a pilot project where she encouraged the residents in her county to also join in by adding at least one new native plant to their gardens. According to Krystal, "The population here is about 60,000 people. If each one added just one new native plant to their lawns, gardens, balconies each year, imagine the difference it would make!" Krystal also raised awareness about pollinators via nine different outreach events, partnerships with other organizations, as well as a social media presence. She partnered with Huron County Library to add native seeds to their seed library that residents can 'borrow' for free.

Thanks to PSC, Krystal gained a far greater appreciation for the many different types of pollinators and can now confidently tell the difference between them.

Anya Peters

Anya created a garden from scratch, starting off with nothing but grass and a few dying shrubs when she moved into her house a year ago. She now has a successful pollinator garden with many native plants, and has also included signs in her garden helping people understand why it's important to leave the leaves, avoid discarding seedy heads (like Echinacea), and why there are decaying logs throughout her yard. She started posting her own informational videos on TikTok, and has also joined Pollinator Partnership’s Bee Friendly Gardening program. In August, Anya will be hosting a plant walk and discussion on how to be more mindful of our land and be the best stewards that we can be.

Thanks to PSC, Anya gained the confidence to search for native specialist host plants to include in her habitat. She enjoyed learning about bees, moths, butterflies, and generalist versus specialist pollinators.