InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

News Release

SYRACUSE – Anyone interested in growing a pollinator garden but didn’t know where to start, has a chance to learn more on June 21 when The Clean Waters Partnership hosts a pollinator workshop at the Wawasee Area Conservancy in Syracuse.

The workshop, led by Brad Clayton of Clayton Garden Center, will help folks learn about pollinator species and native plants. “Pollinators are the greatest silent heroes we have,” said Clayton, a plant and soil science specialist and a Watershed Conservationist for TWF.

The event runs from 7-8:30 p.m. on June 21. The Conservancy is located at 11586 N SR 13.

“Without them, we have no food, shelter, or clothing; they impact all aspects of our daily life,” he said. 

From bees to birds, pollinators are any species that move pollen from one plant to another, a process that brings us the flowers in our landscapes and the produce in our grocery stores.

However, pollinators face significant threats. From pollution to habitat loss, much of their decline is caused by human activity. The good news is that we can all protect pollinators by making simple changes in our backyards. These include mowing less frequently, reducing our use of mulch, changing our pest-management practices, and including native plants in our landscaping.

Native plants play a crucial role in pollinator survival, providing food and shelter for species like bees and birds, even in winter. Native plants also quietly protect our water quality, stabilizing shorelines, preventing erosion, and capturing runoff rainwater, filtering out pollutants before they reach our streams and lakes. Because they’ve adapted to Indiana’s climate over thousands of years, native plants are perfect for landscaping. They’re drought-tolerant and disease-resistant, able to withstand Indiana’s hot summers and cold winters, and they don’t require fertilizer to thrive. Plus, native plants are attractive year-round, showcasing beautiful flowers in summer and exciting shapes and structures in winter.

Registration Information

Free plants will be provided to the first 30-people who register. But don’t worry, more than 30-people can attend the workshop. The free 6-pack of plants is sponsored by TWF and provided by Clayton Garden Center, along with a planting plan for a 10-square-foot plot. To register, call 574-457-4549 or e-mail [email protected].

At TWF, part of our mission is to empower community members with the resources they need to take action. This marks the third year the group has held a pollinator plant workshop in coordination with our Clean Waters Partnership partners,  Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, Kosciusko Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams.