Native Pollinator Plot installed at USDA office
Earlier this spring, the Pike County SWCD received permission from the USDA’s building owner to give the landscape in front of the office a major overhaul. As a way to promote urban conservation and raise awareness on the decline of pollinators, the SWCD installed a native pollinator plot. This plot contains plants that are certified as native to Indiana and can adapt to our climate and soils. The plants are also pollinator friendly, meaning they provide a valuable food source for the insects and birds we need to pollinate production crops and flowers. It could take up to two years for the plot to get fully established however once it does, there will be no need to replant flowers or water as the plants will have adapted to the space and water intake.
A rain barrel was also installed to showcase another urban conservation practice of collecting rain water and using it to water our pollinator plot. Rainwater is highly oxygenated, free of the salts, inorganic ions, and fluoride compounds contained in tap water that accumulate in the soil over time and potentially harm plant roots. Use of rainwater in your garden dilutes this impact, making plants more drought-tolerant, healthy, and strong.
Feel free to stop by and take a look at the plant progress. Identification signs are in the process of being installed too. If you have any questions or would like some guidance on installing your own pollinator plot, please contact the office today!