Back in November, I talked about how impressed I was with the youth in our area and their keen insight into agriculture. In that column, I talked about the insightful poetry of Frostproof High School’s Alex Bryant and a project that 13-year-old Girl Scout River Selser was working on.
For that project, Planting for Pollinators, River was raising funds for signage and a pollinator-friendly garden in Winter Haven’s Michael V. Lewis Arboretum.
The goal was to create a Florida-friendly pollinator garden with plants that were drought tolerant, low maintenance, easy to source, and able to attract a diverse variety of pollinators. In addition, River had hoped to create two signs: one to educate the public on pollinators and what they do, and the other to increase awareness of Florida friendly, pollinator-friendly plants.
This month, River reached out with exciting news: The pollinator project is complete and installed!
She says the entire experience was very interesting and rewarding, especially because she enjoyed learning about the numerous types of pollinator-friendly plants and the kinds of pollinators that use those plants as food and shelter.
The project has been a great reminder for the community about the importance of using specific plants to host pollinator powerhouses. River says she’s received lots of positive feedback from people who have visited the garden since it has been installed. I urge you to see it for yourself at Michael V. Lewis Arboretum and Parrott Trail at 2000 Overlook Drive in Winter Haven.
Way to go, River! The Central Florida Ag News team is proud of you, your initiative, and your hard work!