City Hall Pollinator Garden Update

Have you noticed the changes in the front of City Hall?

The Pollinator Friendly City Subcommittee of the Climate & Resiliency Commission has joined forces with the Seaweeders, Water's Path Landscape Design/Hidden Agave, and the City's Public Works department to create a pollinator garden. The boulders and irrigation have been installed this past month. Look out for the pollinator plants this fall! 

Pollinators are animals that facilitate the reproduction of flowering plants by transferring pollen. You may be familiar with several of the most common pollinators: from bees to bats and birds to butterflies. These animals are crucial for the wellbeing of humans and the environment. In fact, pollinators are essential for a third of the food we eat! (Learn more here)

Unfortunately, the population of these pollinators have been declining with the decrease in viable habitat due to residential and commercial development. Rebuilding these habitats is the best way to support our small-winged friends. Planting pollinator gardens can help provide habitat, even in small plots of land, to support the populations upon which we depend. 

Interested in creating pollinator habitat in your own garden? Plant a variety of native plants that flower from early spring to late fall. Native plants provide abundant nectar, pollen, and seeds, and because they are adapted to the local environment, they are also low maintenance, generally pest free, drought tolerant, and help to control erosion. Remember that many common pesticides kill the very pollinators we are trying to support, and a healthy garden will support a population of beneficial insects, making spraying unnecessary. 

To learn more about pollinators, visit the USDA's pollinator page, and to learn about our very own native plants, visit the California Native Plant Society, or CalScape for guidance in planning your garden. 

Special thanks to Scientist.com for their contribution towards funding the City Hall pollinator garden!