The City of Bend, Worthy Environmental and Pollinator Pathway Bend are teaming up to give away native plant starts to homeowners to increase awareness about the role these plants play in terms of pollinators, waterwise landscaping, creating habitat and much more. Through a matching grant, over 2,000 starts will be given away to registered homeowners on May 20 and June 4. Although the two giveaways are already sold out, there is still an opportunity to learn more about the benefits of incorporating native plants into landscaping during the WaterWise Landscape Field Day and Native Plant Giveaway at Hollinshead Park on June 4.
Basey Klopp started Pollinator Pathway Bend several years ago with some volunteers to create more native pollinator habitat around the city.
"Though a lot of people around town were doing a similar thing, Basey organized a bunch of partners with the idea that if we combine our powers together, we'll get more done," said Lisa Sanco, Worthy Environmental sustainability educator. Klopp organized the first plant giveaway in 2021, and though Klopp has moved out of state, other locals formed a steering committee to continue her work and to advocate for enhancing pesticide-free habitat for native pollinators.
"We are carrying on the mission that Basey started which is getting more native plants in the ground and support native pollinators," said Sandy Robinson, Pollinator Pathway Bend (the group recently changed the name) board member. "It's that simple and that hard."
"The big picture is to create more native pollinator habitat around town, creating a swath from Worthy Brewing to the Deschutes River, filling in as we go," said Sanco. Several public parks such as Hollinshead, Franklin's Corner Community Garden, and Laurel Pocket Park, as well as private gardens, showcase native plants. "There's been a huge interest recently in native landscapes because of pollinators but also because of water issues," added Sanco.
Klopp approached the City of Bend's WaterWise program to see if it would include pollinator information into its waterwise and landscape design workshops. "That led into a larger discussion of where does this information sit with us and our program goals," said Dan Denning, the City of Bend's water conservation program manager. "It really does overlap, as a lot of these native plants fit into a waterwise landscape and attract native pollinators."
So, this year when the Pollinator Pathway Bend committee received a grant from Worthy Environmental for $4,500 for the plant giveaway, they talked to the City of Bend. "As soon as we approached Dan Denning at the City of Bend's WaterWise program to see if he could support the giveaway, he matched it completely," said Robinson.
The City of Bend takes the holistic view of not only incorporating native plants into landscape designs but also looking at it from a soil health perspective. Since native plants are adapted to the local soils, they don't require extensive amounts of chemicals and don't have the water needs some non-native plants might require.
"We've done some turf replacement projects on some of our right-of-ways with native plants that benefit pollinators," added Denning. "We're trying to set an example as a city to show people that these plants can be aesthetic and a smart replacement for landscapes here in Central Oregon." These City projects offer homeowners alternatives and examples of how to reduce their lawn coverage and increase plant diversity in their yards to benefit pollinators and other wildlife, such as caterpillars or insects, that are attracted to the native plants and become a food source for adult or nestling birds.
Sanco sees a disconnect when people go out into nature for a hike or outing and see a bunch of beautiful wildflowers but then do not grow them in their yard. "We are trying to get people to see their landscape as an actual ecosystem and ask, 'What is the function of this plant?'"
The WaterWise program has been advocating for efficient water use in homeowner landscaping for years. It partnered with the OSU Extension Service and Central Oregon Master Gardener Association to set up a demonstration waterwise garden in Hollinshead Park. Native and xeric-loving ornamental plants are featured in that garden, along with drip irrigation to efficiently deliver water to the plants.
This year, the City coordinated the Sunday, June 4 plant pickup with its WaterWise Landscape Field Day event which will have presentations, as well as representatives from the OSU Master Gardeners, Oregon Bee Atlas, Central Oregon Lawn Center, OSU Extension, Bend Urban Gardens, Your Garden Companion, Water Whys Irrigation and Pollinator Pathway Bend to answer questions or provide resources about pollinators and plants, and their function in the high desert.
