By Grace Leightheiser, Adirondack Pollinator Project Intern

Many hands made light the work with the installation of a new pollinator garden at SUNY Adirondack on June 28th. Students enrolled in a summer course called Sustainable Food dedicated a portion of their class time to help build the garden – their passion for agriculture and eagerness to get dirty made the collaboration particularly energizing and fun!

The new honeycomb beds are situated right in the middle of the market garden, a lively patch of land with a variety of vegetables and fruit trees growing at the edge of campus. Students are involved with the maintenance of these plants and produce is shared with faculty members and the nearby culinary program. Toni Nastasi, who manages the Farm at SUNY Adirondack, says that “students of the Agriculture Business program will be using this new space throughout their courses to learn and observe pollinators within the habitat.” Her goal with the installation was to attract bees and other pollinating species to the orchard and market garden as well as to familiarize students with the native varieties planted in the new beds.

Community members also visit the campus on a regular basis and will get to enjoy seeing the garden’s latest addition. AdkAction is delighted to work with SUNY Adirondack to join forces in supporting pollinators and educating people about the importance of maintaining sustainable food systems. The pollinator garden is in excellent hands and everyone is excited to watch it grow!

The Adirondack Pollinator Project empowers people to take individual and collective action to ensure a future where pollinators thrive, native habitat abounds, and Adirondack residents and visitors are engaged pollinator advocates. You can find resources for garden planning, take a tour of our community gardens, request free wildflower seeds, and more at our pollinator project page.

You can support our hands-on pollinator conservation efforts by making a gift to our Adirondack Pollinator Project Fund.