Printer Friendly Version - DHHS Eco Club Opens Pollinator Garden

Daniel Hand High School students Skylar Kobelia and Red Sullivan were just two of the many students who worked diligently on the high school’s new pollinator/native species garden. Photo by Elisa Brako

The Daniel Hand High School (DHHS) Eco Club is working on the final stages of its pollinator garden on the high school campus, and members are eager to begin the second phase of the project. The garden is an important focus for the club, according to members, as it draws awareness to an increasing problem of the die-off of pollinating insects and the loss of habitat.

DHHS educator Elisa Brako guided her students to tackle this important project that, according to Brako, highlights a long-standing problem for area wildlife, in particular pollinators such as bees, birds, and butterflies. Many species of pollinators, and of most concern in particular, bees, have suffered devastating die-offs in the last two decades that have wide-ranging impacts on food production and prices. The impacts are worsened by further loss of habitat for pollinators.

“This was our club’s effort in re-wilding our landscape to show to people that this can be done at home as well,” said Brako. “We had as our goal to have a native garden so the plants have been carefully curated to be native cultivars and we wanted to have something blooming in all three seasons-spring, summer, and fall. The students did all that research to make sure we had an appropriate amount of plants blooming to support bees, butterflies, and birds—all of our pollinators, which are so critical to the area’s habitat.”

According to results of the 15th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership, data show 2020-’21 as the second worst bee hive die-off on record.

With those statistics in mind, these small plots of native pollinating plants are critical for area habitats, according to Brako. Most species of bees only travel short and specific areas from their hive, according to Brako, so creating a pollinator pathway for these vital insects and birds to reach is something in which all residents can partake.

“It is really important to have as many private people and businesses put in these little oases of plants to create a connection of gardens and allow these native bees move from one to the next more successfully, rather than being isolated with limited sources of food. The message here is: Nothing is too small.”

The garden got derailed by the pandemic, but all of the students who have been involved are very proud of the accomplishment and the information the garden is providing, according to Brako. The pollinator garden is on the DHHS campus and Brako said the second phase of the project, which she hopes to begin next year, will include species names and Q-code info on what the species are and how individuals can plant these on their own property.

“The next phase is create signage that will provide details and allow people to very readily identify these plants in case they want to plant them for themselves. The goal is to eventually create an educational and interactive garden that can be used as a model,” Brako said.

“We were fortunate that the school district itself funded this,” said Brako. “As much as the Eco Club did—all the research, the vetting of all the different nurseries, and dug a hundred holes—the school was very supportive and we appreciate that. There are also two people we are completely indebted to, Kelly Brady, head of the Madison Pollinator Pathway organization, and Master Gardener Sue Stark, who lives in town and was instrumental in helping us with the project. We are truly grateful to both of them for their expertise and assistance.”