Bald Head Island Conservancy Interns Host First-Ever Pollinator Palooza
Bald Head Island Conservancy Interns Host First-Ever Pollinator Palooza
On June 26, two BHI Conservancy Education Interns, Kate Graber and Ellen Edwards organized the first-ever Pollinator Palooza at the Conservancy. The event took place on Friday of National Pollinator Week. The event was planned with the goal of educating and engaging visitors on the island about the importance of native pollinators to the ecosystem.
As visitors walked up to BHI Campus, they heard the sounds of Jack Johnson coming from the Outdoor Classroom, where people of all ages were creating their own pollinators out of popsicle sticks and construction paper.
Inside the Fleming Environmental Education Center, guests had the opportunity to create another craft of a caterpillar on a leaf, made with repurposed coffee filters. They also could view educational materials about pollinators, native plants, and insects. Also featured was a diorama of a mining bee ground nest, one of bees native to Bald Head Island created by Kate. Guests could also take home stickers of bugs, and a guide to insects and arachnids of BHI created by Ellen.
By far, the main attraction of the Pollinator Palooza was the Painted Lady butterfly release. Many people stuck around to welcome the butterflies into the world!
To facilitate native planting for pollinators, three Beautyberry plants were transplanted to the front circle of the Conservancy and firewheel flowers were planted where the plants were previously located, in the outdoor classroom. Overall, the event offered a fun morning for all who stopped by!
Ellen Edwards, Coastal Environmental Education Intern
