On Saturday, Sept. 18 the Evanston Host Plant Initiative, which is part of Natural Habitat Evanston, is giving away more than 550 native plants that benefit all kinds of pollinators including the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. The event is being co-hosted by the Foster Street Urban Agriculture Program.
This end-of-season plant giveaway will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Family Focus parking lot on 2010 Dewey Ave. Plants are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and if possible please bring a box or tray to carry your plants home. There will also be free garden trowels and stickers for attendees.
Some of the plant species in the giveaway include Virginia Bluebells, Hyssop, Milkweed, Coneflower, Foxglove Beardtongue and Mountain Mint. Plants will be supplied by Allison Sloan, owner of Shady Grove Wildflower Farm in Evanston and co-founder of Natural Habitat Evanston, and Pizzo Native Plant Nursery.
This pollinator plant event is being funded by the Steans Graduate Fellowship, Illinois Native Plant Society and DePaul’s Graduate Research Fund.
The Evanston Host Plant Initiative is a community science project documenting native wildflowers in Evanston and the bees that visit them, with a special emphasis on helping the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. To learn more about the project, sign up to participate and RSVP for this free host plant event, visit this Facebook page. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help with the event can fill out this form.
Take a survey about pollinators! The Evanston Host Plant Initiative and Natural Habitat Evanston are interested in how people’s gardens and yards can affect pollinators and the ecosystem. Visit https://bit.ly/RPBBsurvey to participate in a survey and contribute to the research for this project. It will include questions about your opinions and experiences with gardening, yards and bees.
Source: Evanston Host Plant Initiative