On Sunday, 2/11, twenty Pollinators joined the annual planning meeting.
The conversation and energy reinforced how much the Pollinators enjoy being together. A seed swap organized by Dale Hoagland gave the meeting a lively start, and fabulous baked goods helped all enjoy the afternoon.
A big surprise was the announcement that the Pollinators had received a $500 grant from the South Midwood Residents Association, which recognized SMP's contribution to the Glenwood Malls.
We reviewed past projects, why they worked and why they didn't. We discussed improvements, as well as new possibilities. Being together as a group was so much fun, we decided that the May and November meetings will be in person, if a meeting room can be found for free. Add these 2024 meeting dates and topics to your calendar:
May 14 | Bees and Birds: Getting Comfortable with Feral Cats through Trap, Neuter, Release |
August | Field Trip (Possibly a visit to the Composting Power Plant) |
Nov 12 | Rain Garden Creation |
Brainstorming with excited eco-activist Pollinators produced some new program possibilities:
· Monarch Waystation Project 2: With Zoe Timms and Vinit Parmar leading, it was suggested that we could strengthen neighborhood awareness of the Monarch plight and importance to the ecosystem through a public workshop; a Monarch education kit that could be distributed through neighborhood to encourage planting of native species; and we could enlist Pollinators to serve as Monarch ambassadors. For information or to volunteer, contact: Zoe Timms zoevjtimms@gmail.com or Vinit Parmar vinitparmarfilms@gmail.com
· Public education campaign about trees and rainwater management: The campaign would include outreach to the South Midwood community, landlords/managers of apartment buildings, advocacy to government bodies. Tree tags with QR codes for factoids about species could be developed to further educate about the work and importance of trees.
· Showcasing the SMP's work: This project would bring attention to an area where environmental change/impact is evident because of Pollinator efforts and would be accompanied by signage calling attention to the changes.
In addition, we will continue ongoing Pollinator activities/actions led by members of our group. If you are interested in volunteering for these activities, and we really hope you are, please email the leader listed:
March | Milk Jug Planting | Virginia Levie, |
April | Tabling for Earth Month | John Webber, jwebber990@yahoo.com |
April | Rain Barrel Hook-Up | Marj Henning, marjorie.henning@gmail.com |
April/May | Mall Planting/Pruning | Virginia Levie, virginia.levie@gmail.com |
Spring | Monarch Project: next steps identified | Zoe Timms, zoevjtimms@gmail.com Vinit Parmar, vinitparmarfilms@gmail.com |
May | Plant Share | John & Stephanie Stislow, john@stislow.com |
Summer (Late June - July) | Ramble | Alexandra Baltarzuk, dearalex@earthlink.net |
Summer | Mall Maintenance (weeding, mowing, stone border around Monarch Garden) | Stephanie Blackwood, stephaniekblackwood@gmail.com |
Summer | Mall Watering | Stephanie Blackwood, stephaniekblackwood@gmail.com |
September | Sidewalk Sale | Anne Dette, annedette@optonline.net |
October | Autumn Planting | Virginia Levie, virginia.levie@gmail.com |
When it happens | Street Tree Love (Farragut, 23 to Bedford) | Virginia Levie, virginia.levie@gmail.com |
Comments