A garden designed to attract pollinators to Saugerties began taking shape on Thursday, November 30 in the Cantine Field complex. A grant of $3,450 from Hudson Valley Climate Action helped get the project off the ground, said Lesley Surprenant, who headed the effort to create the garden.
Surprenant contacted the Boys & Girls Club, as the project seemed to fit the kind of projects kids in the program would be interested it. The job on November 30 included leveling, planting and mulching the field. Further work will resume in the spring, when weeds appear and must be removed, as the new plantings begin to appear. Surprenant said the garden will probably take a couple of years to be fully developed.
Surprenant said the young workers from the Boys & Girls Club brought a good deal of enthusiasm and energy to the job, and the grant actually specified community involvement. Most of the adults working that day were members of the Saugerties Conservation Advisory Commission. Some hot chocolate and cookies also helped build enthusiasm.
Town of Saugerties Superintendent of Parks and Buildings, Greg Chorvas and his crew also assisted. “I met with them in the spring and then started talking with them again; they started this out on the 20th [of November] and then we organized the Boys & Girls Club to help out.” The town crew removed the grass, leaving the soil to be seeded and mulched by the volunteers.
Seeds were provided by the Hudson Valley Seed Company, which sells a pollinator mix. The mix is mostly seeds for native plants, but some outsiders are included. Plants for transplanting will come from the Catskill Native Nursery in Kerhonkson.
“Creating a habitat for pollinators is important because pollinators are in decline globally, including in New York State,” said Surprenant. “A multi-year survey of pollinators revealed more than one third of New York’s native pollinators are at risk of becoming extinct. Pollution, the misuse of chemicals, disease and changes in climatic patterns are all contributing to a reduction in pollinators.”
The potential climate problems the gardeners hope to fix is not the only aim of the community garden. Surprenant envisions local children and adults working in the garden, weeding, planting and watching a variety of plants, and hopefully birds and animals, grow in the area.
“The pollinator meadow will provide opportunities for all ages to learn about native plants by working with plants and to volunteer, helping to create the meadow, to build pollinator nesting boxes, get their hands dirty, enjoy a natural area amid the mowed lawns and ball fields.” she said. “The experience might even motivate people to create their own pollinator gardens on their property.”
Join the family! 
