Pollinator Seed Exchange & Education Program
Sponsored by the City of Warwick Wildlife& Conservation Commission
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Pollinators – birds, bees, and butterflies – help ensure our fruit and vegetable supply and are
important to the health of our ecosystem. You can support them by making your yard a
welcoming place for them to eat, shelter, and reproduce – it’s easy and economical to provide
them with proper native plants, while beautifying your property! Join us at the beautiful Clouds
Hill Museum for a fun and educational program featuring:
- Presentations:
- Keynote speaker Nathan Lamb: A landscape designer of Nathan Lamb Gardening & Ecology, LLC (Charlestown, RI), Lamb will discuss his methods for ecology-based gardening and describe how people can effectively, efficiently, and economically undertake steps to transform their yards into pollinator-friendly landscapes.
- Opening presenter Katie Shortmann, coordinator for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Bristol pollinator garden, will share information concerning native seed-starting and why native plants are important to pollinators and the ecosystem as a whole.
- Seed and Resource Exchange: The pollinator program will also feature a seed exchange – attendees are welcome to bring seeds from their gardens to share with others – and resource and information tables from participating organizations, including the commission, the Environmental Council of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA/NRCS). Amy Ottilige, local butterfly enthusiast, will also provide information for supporting butterflies in pollinator gardens.
- Explore the grounds: Clouds Hill Museum will welcome attendees to visit portions of its grounds for viewings of efforts to incorporate pollinator gardens into the environment. Attendees will receive a free mini-packet of wildflower seeds for participating, and other funactivities will take place as well!
No registration is needed, but to learn more, contact the Warwick Office of City Planning, SueCabeceiras at 401. 921-9687 or Susan.w.cabeceiras@warwickri.gov or commission member SueKennedy at 401.450.2666 or skennedy1168@gmail.com.