Franklin’s Blue Slope Farm holds pollinator events for both kids and adults

With pollinators under duress from a variety of different threats, a number of environmentally-conscious local groups have been focused on improving the plight of butterflies and bees (and other pollinators) as Earth Day passes and springtime kicks into full gear.

One such group is The Last Green Valley, collaborating with Blue Slope Farm and Country Museum on April 29 to hold a pollinator event geared toward children. This was followed by an adult-geared event facilitated by Hyde’s Home and Farm, instructing workshop participants on how to plant their own pollinator gardens at home.

Children participated in a number of different activities, beginning by learning the parts of a flower. Children learned about petals, stamens, filaments, stigmas, and other flower parts.

“And that’s where the seed waits to mature,” said Anita McMahon, pointing out a flower’s ovary on a colorful chart.

McMahon was volunteering as part of the UConn Master Gardener program.

“I live here in town, so I’ve been coming here for years,” she said.

After learning about a flower’s parts, children had the opportunity to examine them on their own by using magnifying glasses on a number of common spring-blooming plants, such as forsythia and apple. They then got to choose between flashcards portraying common pollinators or blossoms as they played a game matching pollinators to their favorite food sources.

Rounding out the kids’ activities for the day were constructing their own tissue paper flowers, and playing the part of honeybees as they raced to collect as much pollen as possible in 30 seconds.

“These activities can all be found on the Pollinator Patch website,” said Kim McLean from The Last Green Valley.

Pollinator Patch is one of a series of patches that children can earn by completing activities geared toward teaching about a variety of topics. Other patches include the Fueling Head to Toe patch, teaching about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and The Gratitude Patch, focused on the importance of expressing gratitude. The program is sponsored by the Cabot Creamery Co-operative.

“Our goals for this program are to help your group understand the importance of pollinators in our world and teach them practical ways they can help protect and preserve pollinator populations,” reads an introduction to the Pollinator Patch from Cabot. “As dairy farmers, we understand the importance of our pollinators. Without pollinators, our cows wouldn’t get to feed on their favorite foods, including clover and alfalfa.”

Information about Pollinator Patch and other patches sponsored by Cabot can be found at cabotcheese.coop/patches.

As the children were finishing up their activities, adults began a workshop focused on creating their own pollinator gardens. Heather Snell, from Hyde’s Home and Farm in Norwich, brought a variety of different plants along, and talked about plants that provide both food and breeding spots for pollinators.

Fennel, dill, and parsley, for example, are all host plants for different varieties of swallowtail butterflies. Plants such as zinnia, bee balm, and lavender are sources of pollen and nectar.

“When planning your food source, you want to make sure you have a water source as well,” said Snell, noting that a bird bath is a great addition to a pollinator garden.

Insect houses, providing spots for butterflies and bees, are also great additions.

“This gives the beneficial insects someplace to rest,” said Snell.

The pollinator event at Blue Slope was part of the The Last Green Valley’s Spring Outdoors initiative, running from March 20 through June 21. Similar to the popular Walktober series sponsored by The Last Green Valley, Spring Outdoors features a number of different activities in various locations throughout the region. A calendar can be found on the organization’s website.

Blue Slope Farm, located at 138 Blue Hill Road in Franklin, hosts activities throughout the year. See the farm’s website or Facebook page (Blue Slope Country Museum) for more information. The museum will be hosting square dances twice a month during the summer, through October.