Columbia Elementary first graders make pollinator garden

Zaiden Swartz and Abel Hecht place a new plant in the garden. Photos provided by Fulton County SWCD.
News Release
ROCHESTER — Classrooms of Kim Beall, Nichaela Rock and Melissa Belpedio at Rochester Columbia Elementary enjoyed preparing the soil and planting their pollinator garden Thursday afternoon, May 11.
Fulton County Soil & Water Conservation District, through a Clean Water Indiana grant, presented the curriculum to the teachers in mid-April about the importance of pollinators and pollinator gardens.
Megan Malott, with her district support specialist, Sandra Hoffarth, enjoyed watching the students and taking the photos.
The students prepared the soil and disposed of the weeds. Next, they placed plants in rows and gave them a drink of water to start the growing cycle.
For more pictures and videos of the event, visit facebook.com/FultonCountySWCD.
For information on how to start a pollinator garden, contact Malott with Fulton County SWCD at (574) 223-3220, ext. 3.
- Shown are the classrooms of Kim Beall, Nichaela Rock and Melissa Belpedio, along with some extra helpers who planned a pollinator garden at Columbia Elementary May 11. Photos provided by Fulton County SWCD.
- Jio Mendez tosses weeds from the new pollinator garden. Photos provided by Fulton County SWCD.
- First graders working on their pollinator garden. Photo provided by Fulton County SWCD.
- Jace Pomp gives the new plants a drink of water. Photos provided by Fulton County SWCD



