‘Give them a buffet’: Rotarians, Living Green Barrie plant ‘Trees for Bees’ pollinator pods at Batteaux Park
Members of the Barrie-Huronia Rotary Club, Living Green Barrie and Pollinate Barrie recently planted “Trees for Bees” pollinator pods at Batteaux Park. – Living Green Barrie photo
From Simcoe.com, May 15, 2023
By Chris Simon
More than a dozen members of the Barrie-Huronia Rotary Club, Living Green and Pollinate Barrie teamed up to install three “Trees for Bees” pollinator pods at Batteaux Park May 12. Volunteers assembled the pods and planted pollinator-friendly trees and native plants within them.
“We have our goal of planting 10,000 trees, so this will help us toward that,” Living Green project director Sarah Herr said. “Part of the reason we’ve done it like this today is to protect the trees; we’re hoping this ensures they grow to maturity. They often compete with turf grass; they can get whacked with a weed trimmer and then exposed to disease.”
This project improves tree health and survival and increases pollinator habitat in an esthetically pleasing way. The organizations hope this pilot project sets a new standard for other park naturalization work, she said.
These trees are all native to Ontario and put out early spring flowers — vital food for newly emerging pollinators like birds and bats, and insects such as butterflies and bees. Community garden plots are nearby, too, so the pods will also help with growing fruits and vegetables that require pollination.
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