In the heart of Clearview Farm, the power of community orchestrated an extraordinary transformation in bringing Clearview Farm’s Illinois-shaped native pollinator garden to life.
What is the pollinator garden?
Clearview Farm’s Illinois-shaped native pollinator garden is a garden project showcasing native plants, which are beneficial to pollinators. This unique site consists of almost 1,000 native plants throughout 5,500 square feet of garden space. These specially selected native plants support pollinators, and their curation provides pollinators with blooms during the entire growing season. The garden also features river rock channels mirroring Illinois’ river routes that carry water throughout the garden’s regions.
Upon completion, the site will be open for community visitors to enjoy, experience, and learn about native plants and pollinators.
The Power of Community: Planting the Pollinator Garden
The journey to completing this unique garden project would have been a steep climb without the support of many community volunteers. Members of the Mahomet-Seymour FFA chapter selflessly devoted time and energy to caring for pollinator plants all summer and provided almost 30 student volunteers during planting day, for example.
On September 13th, almost 40 total volunteers gathered to execute planting, mulching, and installation of rock in the garden. Volunteers completed this impressive task in under five hours. We’re grateful for the indispensable role of partners and volunteers from Mahomet-Seymour FFA, Nutrien, Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation, Precision Agronomics, and individual master gardener volunteers.
What’s next for this unique site?
Plants will establish in the garden throughout the remaining growing season this fall. Next year, we will see the pollinator plants rapidly change in size. By the garden’s fifth year, the entire garden should be filled in with plants, leaving little soil exposed.
As the garden grows, Clearview Farm will work to secure new opportunities for education within it. Visitors should follow us on social media and check our website regularly for these updates.
