On a picture-perfect June morning, pollinator lovers, plant enthusiasts, families, and conservation advocates gathered at the Uihlein Farm Greenhouse in Lake Placid for the Adirondack Pollinator Festival & Native Plant Sale—a free, family-friendly celebration hosted by AdkAction and the Adirondack Pollinator Project.
This year’s festival was a true community affair, with vibrant activities, engaging educational experiences, and more than 2,000 pesticide-free native plants available for sale. Grown locally by AdkAction staff and volunteers, the plants offered a chance for attendees to take tangible steps toward creating pollinator habitat in their own backyards.
A Buzzing Morning of Learning and Fun
The event kicked off at 9:00 AM with native plants flying off tables, kids flocking to the activity stations, and local partner organizations ready to share their expertise. Children were invited to participate in a pollinator scavenger hunt, earning wearable butterfly wings upon completion, and enjoy face painting, butterfly art projects, and more—thanks to the creative energy of The Wild Center’s AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers at the AdkAction youth activity table.
Mountain Lake PBS brought an extra dose of fun with their bee pollination race game, where kids had 30 seconds to “pollinate” as many flowers as possible and win a prize, including toy bees. They also generously distributed a selection of free children’s books from their Hallock Giving Library, focused on pollinators, soil health, and gardening.
Workshops Rooted in Action
At 10:00 AM, Lisa Salamon, garden educator and AdkAction project partner, led a “Native Plants 101” workshop, introducing attendees to the basics of building a thriving pollinator garden using local species. The following hour, she led a second session on “De-Lawning”, providing practical tips for reducing turf grass in favor of more biodiverse, pollinator-friendly landscapes.
Both workshops were free and well-attended, sparking thoughtful questions and new ideas among beginner and experienced gardeners alike.
Local Expertise on Display
Throughout the morning, guests could explore educational tables and speak with regional organizations working at the intersection of conservation, food systems, and land stewardship:
Compost for Good answered questions about composting and how transforming food scraps and organic waste into nutrient-rich compost can help regenerate soil health.
Lake Placid Garden Club volunteers fielded a wide variety of gardening questions from attendees of all experience levels.
Adirondack Land Trust shared details about their land conservation work, including pollinator habitat conservation at the nearby High Meadow Preserve in Lake Placid.
A Community Effort
This event would not have been possible without the support of our amazing partners and volunteers. Special thanks to Uihlein Foundation, Ausable Freshwater Center, Mountain Lake PBS, The Wild Center, Compost for Good, Adirondack Land Trust, Lake Placid Garden Club, and every one of our dedicated AdkAction volunteers for bringing knowledge, enthusiasm, and hands-on fun to the festival.
And thank you to everyone who attended! Whether you left with a tray of native plants, a painted butterfly face, or new ideas for transforming your yard into pollinator habitat, your participation helps build a more resilient and biodiverse Adirondack landscape.
We can’t wait to see the gardens—and the pollinators—you’ll grow.
