PRISM'S ROOTS AND WINGS

PRISM Pollinator/Wildlife and Habitat Gardens, a systematic framework for establishing community-based pollinator and wildlife gardens and habitat, grew out of Prince George's Audubon Society's Wildlife Habitat Program (WHP) where Suzanna Banwell, Maryland Master Naturalist and PRISM's founder, has been a Habitat Advisor since 2021, WHP's inaugural year. WHP's primary focus is on meeting individuals and families at their homes to help them on their journey to re-wild their spaces.

With WHP's support, Suzanna re-imagined the home-owner approach to create PRISM, which centers on public, community-based wildlife and pollinator gardens and habitat. PRISM's first partnership, established in 2021, is with Joe's Movement Emporium. From the start, in addition to the garden itself, Suzanna intended to learn from Joe's in order to create a replicable system and framework that would form the basis of formal, ongoing partnerships with other institutional partners interested in creating wildlife gardens that serve as community place-makers wherever they are found. PRISM partners include government, business, non-profits, community organizations, places of worship and more. PRISM has now partnered with upwards of a dozen community wildlife/pollinator gardens, with more in the works. Through a PRISM-based MOU, partners agree to the PRISM Essentials and Elements, as above. This shared commitment to effective stewardship lets visitors know PRISM gardens stand for quality and maintenance wherever they are found. Partners also get exclusive access to PRISM's unique signs and labels.