Community Science Projects
Discovery is working with Beardsley Zoo to create a pollinator garden, here on our grounds. Â
What is Pollination?
Pollination is when the pollen grains produced by one plant makes its way to the stigma of another plant of the same species. In order for pollination to occur, something must move the pollen from one plant to another. These factors can include wind, water, birds, insects, butterflies, bats, and other animals that visit flowers. We call animals or insects that transfer pollen from plant to plant “pollinators”. Insects and other animal pollinators obtain food in the form of energy-rich nectar and/or protein-rich pollen, from the flowers they visit and in return, the flowers receive the services of pollinators carrying pollen from one flower to another.
Why is it important?
Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. That’s one out of every three bites of food you eat. You may have heard that bees are disappearing, and bats are dying. These and other pollinators face many challenges in the modern world. Habitat loss is one of the contributing reasons for the decline of many species of pollinators. Animals that can’t find the right quantity or quality of food (nectar and pollen from blooming plants within flight range) don’t survive. Right now, there simply aren’t enough pollinator friendly plantings to support our pollinators.
How are we helping?
By planting a garden focused on native plant species, we can help to combat habitat loss for our native pollinators.
The Beardsley Zoo has kindly provided us with the plants, and in return, we have blocked off some of our land to become a pollinator-friendly garden, with the hope of supporting local ecosystem.
Discovery would like to thank the Beardsley Zoo for their support in this conservation effort.
Look for these flowers in our garden!
Common Name:
Black-eyed Susan
Scientific Name:
Rudbeckia hirta L.
Common Name:
American Marigold
Scientific Name:
Tagetes erecta
Common Name:
Blue Wood Aster
Scientific Name:
Symphyotrichum cordifolium,
formerly: Aster cordifolius
Common Name:
Common Milkweed
Scientific Name:
Asclepias syriaca
Common Name:
Lochinch Butterfly Bush
Scientific Name:
Buddleja davidii
Common Name:
Purple Coneflower
Scientific Name:
Echinacea purpurea
Common Name:
Common Zinnia
Scientific Name:
Zinnia elegans