We are transforming our pollinator garden! Join us on Saturday, June 11th from 10am-1pm at our Lakeshore Branch to help us plant our new, educational pollinator garden filled with native plants that will attract bees, butterflies and birds that are vital to the health of our local environment. With extra activities and the chance to win great gardening prizes there is something for everyone! No tools or experience required, just be prepared to get dirty!
The garden will also feature a wheelchair accessible path and will support our annual Butterfly Rearing Program which starts up in June. We will continue to give away seeds for native plants and work with the Innisfil Seed Library to encourage everyone to get growing!
Drop in for the gardening, stay for extra activities:
- Learn about our Monarch Butterfly Rearing Program
- Explore the gardens with our new interactive microscope display
- Pick up a craft kit
- Enjoy a cool frozen treat
This garden makeover is made possible by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
Why Do We Need Native Plants?
Most of the pretty plants we put in our gardens and buy from nurseries are not native, and do not provide the necessary habitat to support pollinating insects. Pollinators have evolved alongside our native plants, and rely on them in a number of ways. Some plants are host plants for specific insects, meaning they lay their eggs on them and require them in order to complete their life cycle. Such as milkweed, which is the only plant the monarch butterfly {caterpillar can eat. Without milkweed, we can’t have monarch butterflies. This is true for other plants, for other insects.
Want to help?
We need volunteers to help us with maintenance of the new pollinator garden all summer long. Come out once a week, or every two weeks, to water, weed, and trim. Contact Mandy to help: mpethick@innisfilidealab.ca