Swamp Milkweed blooming

Goals

  • Provide safe environment for local pollinators to feed and reproduce
  • Educate public on the importance of native plants and native pollinators
  • Spread awareness about threats to native species and ways that we can help
  • Provide a hands-on experience for students to work with native plants and pollinators
  • Engage students in real-world, problem-solving situations

Click below to view information on a particular plant or pollinator

Anise Hyssop
Arkansas Blue Star


Bee Balm


Blue Indigo


Blue Mistflower


Blue Phlox


Blue Vervain


Butterfly Bush


Butterfly Milkweed


Cardinal Flower


Chrysanthemums


Common Milkweed


Coneflower


Giant Sunflower


Honeybee


Large Flowering Primrose


Lilac


Lyreleaf Sage


Monarch Butterfly
New England Aster


Pearly Everlasting
Petunia
Prairie Blazing StarThickspike Gayfeather (Liatris pycnostachya)
Purple Poppy Mallow


Purple Prairie Clover


Red Columbine


Ruby-Throated Hummingbird


Salvia "Indigo Spires"


Spotted Bee Balm


Swamp Milkweed


Zinnia




History

  • Fall 2020- 31 environmental science students researched 29 species selected the semester before & created an informational webpage to be used for signs in the garden.  They worked to weed the beds for the planting of 7 species (Swamp Milkweed x30, Butterfly Milkweed x4, Red Columbine, Purple Coneflower x2, Yellow Coneflower, Purple Poppy Mallow, & Butterfly Bush x6).  After planting these 7 species, the students manually watered the entire garden every other day.

Students after weeding and planting in the garden. 

Left to Right: Kenny Bell, Logun Schultz, Colin Everts, Haiden Foster-Holthaus, Lilly Rooks, Halina Williamson, Morgan Harvey, Kaitlin Humpert

Students after weeding and planting in the garden.  

Left Back to Front Right: Brevin Canady, Isaac Hale, Mason Thomas, Colby Carreno, Bryar Barnett, Justin Hemelrick, Josslyn Coulter, Jake Kelly, Grant Grossoehme, Cole Dressman, Jami Schneider, Catrina Smith

Students preparing to water plants.  

Justin Hemelrick, Brevin Canady, Isaac Hale, & Mason Thomas



Back Left to Right of both pictures: Swamp Milkweed. 

Front Left to Right of both pictures: 4 Butterfly Milkweed, 1 Red Columbine, 2 Purple Coneflower, 1 Yellow Coneflower, 1 Purple Poppy Mallow.


Students weeding beds after a summer’s growth.  

Left to Right: Logun Schultz, Colin Everts, Kenny Bell, Haiden Foster-Holthaus, Lilly Rooks, Halina Williamson, Kaitlin Humpert, & Morgan Harvey.  

  • Spring 2020- Students began research on the different plant species and planned to plant all 29 species in April; however, due to Covid-19, plans were stalled.
  • Fall 2019- 17 students researched native pollinators and chose 3 species to target (Monarch, Honeybee, & Ruby-throated Hummingbirds).  They then selected 29 different species of plants to attract our target pollinators to the garden, providing them with both food & shelter.  Students selected these 29 species focusing on the importance of native plants.  Beginning in November the students planned the layout of the garden beds & began construction on December 2nd.  Construction lasted 3 days, with dirt work lasting an additional 3 more days.

Gardens after construction completed in Fall of 2019


  Construction of beds & dirt work.

  Left to Right: Jack Wiedmann, Ellie Coleman, Jenna Elmer, Emma McKinsey, Caleb Boyer and Quo-Jon Tye

After Construction Day 1  

Left to Right: Chris Powell, Jenna Elmer, Jeanie Hester, Caleb Boyer, Emma McKinsey, Jack Wiedmann, Alberto Tinajero, Quo-Jon Tye, Brennon Clare, Noah Franks, Alek Mitchell, Ellie Coleman

Construction Day 2  

Left to Right: Alberto Tinajero, Brennon Clare, Ellie Coleman, Chris Powell, Lejla Mahic, Quo-Jon Tye

Pollinators’ Garden made possible by contributions from:  

Prairie Band Potawatomi Charitable Contributions  

Davidson Dump Trucking & Excavating  

Kansas Sierra Club Ed Rowe Memorial Grant  

Monarch Watch Grant

Environmental Science Classes:  

Fall 2020

Bryar Barnet
Connor Baxter
Jason Baxter
Kenneth Bell
Brevin Canady
Colby Carreno
Josslyn Coulter
Chase Cramer
Berenice Donnay
Cole Dressman
Colin Everts
Haiden Foster-Holthaus
Grant Grossoehme
Isaac Hale
Morgan Harvey
Justin Hemelrick
Kaitlin Humpert
Gavin Jessepe
Maria Jessepe
Jake Kelly
Aislan Levier
Xavier McKinney
Gloria Organista
Stella Rector
Lilly Rooks
Jami Schneider
Logun Schultz
Jocie Shopteese
Catrina Smith
Mason Thomas
Halina Williamson                            

Spring 2020

Ellie Coleman
Noah Franks
Isaac Hale
Haley Harding
Devin Jackson
Emma McKinsey
Alek Mitchell
Maya Ogden
Logun Scultz
Samanth Sender
Linda Sowers
Alberto Tinajero
Quo-Jon Tye
Wah-be-Wah Wabaunsee
Jack Wiedmann
Ronald Youngs                                                          

Fall 2019

Caleb Boyer
Brennon Clare
Ellie Coleman
Jenna Elmer
Noah Franks
Jeanie Hester
Lejla Mahic
Emma McKinsey
Alek Mitchell
Hannah Potts
Chris Potts
Linda Sowers
Dane Spoonhunter
Alberto Tinajero
Quo-Jon Tye
Yessica Wahweotten
Jack Wiedmann