Blazing star prairie flower draws crowds to Jennings
BRADY TWP — The great outdoors served as an excellent classroom, concert hall, dining room and event space for the Celebrate the Bloom festival at Jennings Environmental Education Center Saturday.
The event commemorates the blooming of the blazing star prairie flower, which only lasts a week and half at the end of July.
People were invited to learn and explore the ecosystem, which is the only publicly protected prairie ecosystem in the state. During the course of the day, various walking tours, demonstrations, children’s activities and vendor experiences were offered to attendees.
Miranda Crotsley, program coordinator at Jennings, said the main goal of the festival is to show people the uniqueness of the park.
“It’s to introduce folks to the prairie, highlight the unique resource we have, as well as showcase the artisans and vendors in our area,” she said. “I’m glad to see so many people come back to the park for this.”
She added that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jennings was a popular destination for families looking for activities.
“My favorite part of this is seeing folks experience the prairie, sometimes for the first time, when they realize what a unique place it is,” she said.
Groups of 50 people were taken on tours of the prairie, which showcased different pieces of the ecosystem. Educational walks featuring birds, wild flowers, butterflies and even the massasauga rattlesnake, were led by Jennings staff every hour.
Debbie and Bob Greene and Don Weiss, all of Pittsburgh, came to the park as a group, and were amazed at its offerings.
“(Bob and I) haven’t been here before. We were looking for a place to go bird watching,” Debbie Greene said. “We didn’t know the festival was going on, but we’re glad it is.”
She added she’d been on multiple educational walks, her favorite being in the early morning hours.
“Walking down the trail, we saw so many plants with the dew and spider webs still on them,” she said. “And the blazing star, I’d never seen that sort of flower before.”
“This event brings people up here and makes them aware of the place and the work they’re doing. I think it’s very important,” Bob Greene said. “It brings attention to it.”
Weiss said he attended the festival years ago, and it had changed for the better.
“When I was here in 2017, there were no vendors or crowds,” he said. “It’s really grown. It’s a good thing.”
Among the trees were a children’s activity and storybook tent, as well as jewelry, art, plants and maple syrup vendors.
At lunch time, local artists like Max Schang and the Tiger Maple String Band filled the fresh air with music.
Abby Diamond, who was selling her block print products during the festival, said nature impacted her art, which is why she attended.
“Everything I make is about nature. I was lucky enough to get that kind of education when I was younger and it obviously stuck with me,” she said. “I’m happy to see so many kids and kids activities here.”
Diamond added she thought it was imperative that people, especially children, get to experience Jennings.
“I’m from Pittsburgh, I didn’t know about the prairie before this and I’m thrilled to have learned about it. I can’t wait to explore here,” she said. “Since this is the eastern-most prairie we have, we need to expose people to this so they see how important it is.”
