The Snetsinger Butterfly Garden at Tom Tudek Memorial Park is a diverse ecosystem with over 30 resident species of butterflies. The garden is enriched with more than 100 species of native plants serving as caterpillar hosts and providing nectar for adult butterflies.
Located on a 3 acre former agricultural field, the site was first developed under the direction of Dr. “Butterfly Bob” Snetsinger and later with the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Centre County and with the cooperation of our Park Partners.
Dr. Snetsinger (1928-2016), Professor Emeritus of Entomology at Penn State University, and his wife Wendy developed the garden as a labor of love in tribute to their teenage daughter Clare who, like Tom Tudek (for whom the park is named), died at age seventeen. Clare and Tom shared an interest in butterflies and the two families were friends.
The site now features several Master Gardener demonstration gardens on its perimeter. These showcase pollinator friendly gardening practices. Together with the larger three-acre habitat, they serve as an outdoor classroom and invite the public to learn, discover, and experience the interconnected cycles of nature. Youth and school groups, gardeners, photographers, researchers, and thousands of people of all ages visit the gardens each year. Through our satellite garden program, Master Gardeners work with schools, neighborhood groups, and community organizations to create more pollinator gardens throughout Centre County and even beyond.
Dr. Snetsinger (1928-2016), Professor Emeritus of Entomology at Penn State University, and his wife Wendy developed the garden as a labor of love in tribute to their teenage daughter Clare who, like Tom Tudek (for whom the park is named), died at age seventeen. Clare and Tom shared an interest in butterflies and the two families were friends.
The site now features several Master Gardener demonstration gardens on its perimeter. These showcase pollinator friendly gardening practices. Together with the larger three-acre habitat, they serve as an outdoor classroom and invite the public to learn, discover, and experience the interconnected cycles of nature. Youth and school groups, gardeners, photographers, researchers, and thousands of people of all ages visit the gardens each year. Through our satellite garden program, Master Gardeners work with schools, neighborhood groups, and community organizations to create more pollinator gardens throughout Centre County and even beyond.
park partners
The Snetsinger Butterfly Garden was created in partnership with the Tudek Trust, Ferguson Township, and Centre Region Parks and Recreation. The Master Gardeners of Centre County joined this partnership in 2007 to work with Dr. Snetsinger to develop and maintain this habitat as a major educational resource for the community. Since that time other partners have provided outreach support while using the site to conduct research or educational activities: Penn State's Frost Entomological Museum, the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research, Penn State's Shavers Creek Environmental Center, the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society, Muddy Paws Marsh, Discovery Space of Central PA, the Bellefonte Children's Garden, Centre Crest, and several local schools.