Congratulations to our 2026 MPCA Scholarship winner - Shira Baumann! Shira graduated from Westerville North High School with a 4.7 GPA and will be attending Princeton in the fall to study comparative literature with minors in theatre and history. She was a leader in Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), a Co-Captain in Tennis, participated in theatre, Warrior Athlete Leadership Team (WALT), Hope Squad, Link Crew, National Honor Society (NHS), Superintendent’s Advisory, was

In this current series of articles, we’re exploring the replacement of invasive non-native plants with plants that are native to our local ecosystem. This month, we will focus on the Daylily (Hemerocallis) aka Ditch lily, Tiger lily. Their rhizomes spread aggressively, forming dense, impenetrable mats that deter native flora. The plants themselves provide little or no value to pollinators. I will include Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) in this category as well for t

REPLACING GARLIC MUSTARD (Alliara petiolata) WITH NATIVE PLANTS Native to Europe and Asia, garlic mustard is a biennial flowering plant in the mustard family. Their first year, clumps of round, scalloped leaves develop, which when crushed smell of garlic, as does the rest of the plant. In the second year, spike-like stems elongate to 12-18” and produce cross-shaped white flowers. In mid-summer, once flowering is complete, the plants produce upright fruit that releases seed. T

Did you know that MPCA offers a scholarship for graduating high school seniors? MPCA awards a $500 scholarship each year to one graduating high school senior that is a resident of Minerva Park. Application details are available online here. The scholarship can be used for any expenses related to enrollment at a 2 or 4-year degree program, a trade program, or a professional training/certification program (e.g., real estate license). We want to support your post-high school goa