Due to construction, the community garden is unavailable in 2024. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to get involved and help your local pollinators.
We will plan to have planting events in the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Gardening is an excellent way to promote self-care and offer a sense of purpose in times of stress. The hope is to have dates that we can offer supplies in which individuals can work on our designated pollinator gardens.
Inver Hills Community College Bee’s Knees Committee is launching a Pollinator Patio Project. Join us for one of our planting or weeding days. Check out all of Bee’s Knees upcoming 2024 activities below.
Winter Seeding Activity
Date: Friday, April 5
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m
Location: Pollinator Patio, between college center and library. (Rain site: cafeteria)
Activity: Please bring any clean plastic containers such as clamshell packaging, large yogurt or sour cream containers, or disposable “Tupperware” type storage containers for the initial seed planting and germination. If you have any of these, please save them and drop them off outside CC210 before April 5, or bring them to the event. There is no limit to how many containers you can donate as we are planning on planting hundreds of seeds.
At the event, we will fill these containers with seeds and soil. After we’ve finished filling the containers, they will be moved to behind activities building. These will sit outside to germinate for roughly one month. Then we will host a follow-up event May 15th to transplant the plants in the containers to new pollinator planters on the main mall of campus.
To sign up, email rmarzahn@inverhills.edu.
Annual Research Conference Pollinators Presentation
Date: Thursday, April 18th
Time: 4 p.m to 5 p.m.
Location: Fine Arts Building
Activity: Have you wondered about the role pollinators play in producing your favorite foods? Are they fine, or in decline? In this presentation, you will learn about pollinator importance, diversity, and conservation across Minnesota and North America. We will discuss four actions you can take to support pollinator health and diversity.
No need to sign up. This event is open to the public.
Spring Pollinator Planters Activity
Date: Wednesday, May 15
Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m
Location: Pollinator Patio, between college center and library.
Activity: Now that our winter seedlings have germinated, we will transplant them into their new pollinator planter boxes. Meet at the pollinator patio at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15th. We will move the germinated plants into their summer home in the pollinator planting boxes. Thanks to facilitates, we have three new cedar boxes, 50” x 20” x17” to fill with packing peanuts, soil, and our newly germinated seedlings. Wear closed suited for outdoor gardening. Bring gloves and small hand tools if you have them. We will have some supplies available.
This is part two, of our three-part planting initiative in 2024. With the community garden out of commission, we have an alternative, three-part plan to create pollinator-friendly spaces.
- Winter Seeding Activity (April 5)
- Spring Pollinator Planting Pot Activity (May 15)
- Fall Pollinator Patio Activity (TBD)
To sign up, email rmarzahn@inverhills.edu.
Fall Pollinator Patio Activity
Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: Pollinator Patio, between college center and library.
Activity: Transplanting the plants from the pollinator planters into the ground of the Pollinator Patio. More information will be available soon. Keep checking back.