Back to Roots: Monroeville event features seed swap, plant education

Monroeville Community Park West was blooming with activity on May 20, thanks to a Back to Roots event.

The Monroeville Area Native Plant Group and the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of Wild Ones hosted the festivities.

Nature lovers and budding botanists came out to swap native seeds, purchase native plants, listen to educational presentations, buy goods from local vendors and go on hikes.

This year marks the second plant swap in Monroeville. Deborah Brenneman Coles formed the Monroeville Area Native Plant group in 2022 and did a small swap that grew this year into the larger Back to Roots event.

Several speakers presented educational talks throughout the afternoon, starting with Chris Kosin, a Wild Ones member who owns the landscaping company GaiaScape LLC. Kosin’s talk focused on grouping plants for birds, bees and four-season interests.

Keith Moore from Upstream Pittsburgh followed Kosin’s presentation with a talk on stormwater management. Eliza Beck from Sustainable Monroeville gave a presentation on Permaculture for Your Landscape.

Gabrielle Marsden with Pawpaw Pathways led attendees on a guided nature hike, and Candy DeBerry, a biology professor at Washington and Jefferson College, delivered a keynote presentation on edible native plants.

Free seeds were available courtesy of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Kids participated in a nature-themed bingo.

The food truck Catatouille served up an all-vegan menu all afternoon. Catatouille is a nonprofit venture that devotes proceeds to help feed people and animals in need.

Other organizations in attendance included the Allegheny Land Trust, J.A. Rutter Landscaping, Monroeville Public Library, the Penn State Master Watershed Program, Goat Fest, Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission, Upstream Pittsburgh, Penn Forest Burial Park, Pennsylvania Master Naturalists, Bonesetter Nursery, Native Urban Garden Stewardship program and Rust Belt Natives.