Pollinator Protectors: High School Park

High School Park is located on the site of a former high school in Cheltenham Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When the school closed and the site was in need of renovation, the local community organized to transform the land into a public park. From the start, the neighborhood advocates had the vision of creating and preserving a native ecosystem. Today, the thriving and beautiful native meadows and rain gardens are stewarded by Friends of High School Park. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), the only host plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars, is abundant in the meadow that is tended without any use of pesticides or herbicides, ensuring wildlife can thrive. In addition to supporting native wildlife and plants, the park is a hub for community education and engagement for people seeking to transform their suburban yards to support native pollinators. 

Endangered Species Coalition partners with Friends of High School Park (FHSP) on projects spanning creative arts installations, educational programs, native plantings, and virtual and in-person trainings. This collaboration has included Pollinator Protectors funding for native plant species, artist-led programs about macroinvertebrate habitat and Monarch butterflies, and innovative educational programs for local and national audiences.

In May 2025, artists Rebecca Schultz and Diane Ehrich displayed their work to the community in concert with the reveal of a new native plant garden. Rebecca’s art installation, Embedded, represented the Park’s landscape and elements of native pollinator plants. Embedded was made with unfired, locally foraged clay and contained Common Milkweed seeds which would become part of the garden. In her workshop, Diane presented her botanical illustration of common milkweed, to inspire community members to learn more about the importance of milkweed, and create artworks of their own through a hands-on drawing lesson.

Throughout the summer, the Common Milkweed illustration remained on display at the entrance of the nearby public library, where milkweed seeds were available for visitors to take for free, and books about pollinators, native plants, and local ecology were featured. The illustration drew attention to the seeds and books, increasing the number of library visitors that brought home seeds and books, and inspiring the community!