Summer paradise for humans may mean beaches or mountains. For pollinators, however, vast expanses of native plants that offer all the pollen and nectar to dream of might be atop the list. Perhaps this Minnesota park is in fact pollinator paradise.
In a Reddit post on r/NativePlantGardening, a user shared a series of beautiful photos of a neighborhood park filled with native plants and pollinators.
In the captions, the Redditor took the time to name some of the native plants in the park, which included cutleaf coneflowers and purple bee balm. Additionally, the captions indicated that much of the park was specifically restored and landscaped to include more native plants.
Pollinators are crucial to ecosystems, both animal and human. They help flowering plants to reproduce, which in turn ensures that our food crops can grow. In fact, the Department of Agriculture estimates that every three bites of food we eat is thanks to pollinators.
In Minnesota, there has been a decline in pollinator populations because of habitat loss and the warming planet, as per the state Department of Natural Resources. Many of these pollinator species are also now considered threatened or endangered. What can be done to help regrow pollinator populations? The DNR states that planting native plants is one of the best things you can do.
Even if you don't have acres and acres of land to transform into a pollinator paradise, you can still make a difference by planting native plants in your lawn as opposed to having only grass. What's more is that having a native plant lawn will actually reduce the need for water as well as reduce the need for pesticides, saving you money and resources.
"One of the things I love about Minnesota is their dedication to making public park spaces ubiquitous," the OP added in the comment section. "They've also become big proponents of restoring meadows. … There were lots of pollinators all over the place while I was there."
"Wow, beautiful!" another user chimed in.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
