EXTON, PA — The Chester County Library has opened a native garden at its Exton campus, converting a large section of lawn into habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife as part of a broader effort to promote biodiversity and environmental education. The project, funded by the Chester County Library Trust through donations from Richard Hankin and Ada Brainsky, marks the first of two planned native-plant installations.
The garden was designed by EcoLandscapes and features native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowering plants intended to support local ecosystems while serving as a public demonstration of sustainable landscaping practices, according to the library.
A second native garden is scheduled for installation this fall at the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library in Chester Springs, named in honor of Richard Hankin’s mother.
The project grew from Richard Hankin and Ada Brainsky’s interest in native gardening after learning about its ecological benefits and reading the work of University of Delaware professor and Homegrown National Park co-founder Dr. Douglas Tallamy. After Richard received a citation from the Chester County Library Trust in 2025 recognizing his years of service, the couple directed their donation toward creating a native-plant education project at the library.
The landscape includes a keystone oak tree capable of supporting more than 900 species, along with goldenrods, asters, dogwoods, witch hazel, cherries, berry-producing plants, and milkweed for monarch butterflies. The design also incorporates “soft landings,” areas where fallen leaves remain in place to provide overwintering habitat for insects such as fireflies, moths, and butterflies.
Landscape designer Daniel Cleary of EcoLandscapes described the project’s goal as creating “a native, naturalistic landscape to replace the turf” that would “increase biodiversity, expand pollinator and bird habitat, and provide a showpiece for native plantings as an alternative to traditional turf and shrub landscaping.” He added that the garden was adapted to fit a public setting while remaining “a naturalized, living landscape — colorful, changing, and full of native plants.”
According to the library, native plants improve soil health, filter rainwater, provide food and shelter for local wildlife, and typically require less irrigation and fewer chemical inputs once established because they are adapted to southeastern Pennsylvania’s climate.
The Chester County Library Trust indicated the garden is intended to serve as a living educational resource demonstrating how native plantings can replace conventional turf while supporting local biodiversity. The planned installation at the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library will expand that effort later this year.
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