December 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 40

P O L L I N AT O R S

NRPA's Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz is
a community science campaign that
allows community members to explore
their parks, learn about pollinators and
plants, and help agencies understand
how to manage open spaces.

stone prairie due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This
event was held in September, and
it also included a BioBlitz. During
guided habitat tours, 16 event attendees used the iNaturalist app
to document species, as well as to
watch butterfly catch and release
demonstrations. Department staff
also recruited 21 people to volunteer to weed and collect seeds in the
prairie. One volunteer even chose to
celebrate her birthday by volunteering at the prairie! To minimize risks
and keep participants safe during
this public health emergency, preregistration was required and careful planning took place to ensure
physical distancing. Staff sanitized
tools, required masks to be worn
and kept group sizes small.

The event was hugely successful both in person and online with
more than 39,000 impressions and
792 engagements on social media.
Following the in-person event, the
BioBlitz was advertised for two
weeks, allowing for more Columbus residents to learn about the
Whetstone prairie and pollinators
individually. We were committed to offering a safe space for the
community to learn about pollinators and contribute to the prairie,
whether in person or virtually.

tems; and (4) investing in the conservation pillar within Columbus
Recreation and Parks Department.
Forming the conservation team
allowed staff to activate a core
group of volunteers who are committed to conservation projects and
advocate for parkland stewardship.
The team is installing new pollinator gardens and offering new programming throughout the city. Staff
also are creating new partnerships
with local school districts and library systems to continue sharing
pollinator education. All of this has
inspired the team and the community about future pollinator projects.
An overgrown and overlooked
prairie has come to new life for the
benefit of all through the power of
nature, wellness and creativity.

Creativity Inspired
Because of the collaboration and
success of the Whetstone prairie
project, Columbus Recreation and
Parks Department has grown internally and developed a brand-new
team: the Parkland Conservation
Team. This new team focuses on
four areas: (1) removing invasive
species; (2) increasing tree canopy
and pollinator habitat; (3) reducing
debris, erosion and harmful aquatic organisms within the water sys-

2020 Parks for
Pollinators BioBlitz
NRPA's Parks for Pollinators
BioBlitz is a community science
campaign that allows community
members to explore their parks,
learn about pollinators and plants
that call them home and help agencies understand how to manage
open spaces with data-driven information. Hosted through a partnership between NRPA and The
Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation,
the Parks for Pollinators campaign
aims to raise public awareness of
the pollinator crisis and to encourage local action through public
parks and recreation. NRPA and
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation believe parks play a key role
in protecting and preserving pollinators and their habitats. Together, as part of Scotts Miracle-Gro's

By following the successful model of
Whetstone prairie, new prairie restorations will provide more pollinator
habitat.
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Parks & Recreation

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December 2020 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2020 - Parks & Recreation