What’s All the Buzz About? The Pollinator Playground!
The Friends of Allan Gardens are thrilled to announce that we have received funding to create a “Pollinator Playground” demonstration garden within the existing children’s playground at Allan Gardens park.
The new Pollinator Playground demonstration garden will be planted by the community using 100% native plants to attract and feed native pollinators including bees, butterflies, moths and birds throughout the seasons. Through community planting days, family programs, volunteer-led tours and signage, the Pollinator Playground has the potential to engage and educate the hundreds of local families who visit the park on a regular basis.
Volunteers are expected to break ground on this exciting addition to Allan Gardens park in September 2021, with fall and spring planting days to follow. If you already use the children’s playground, look out for opportunities this summer to provide feedback on planting plans and programming. More information will be posted in the playground itself and on friendsofallangardens.ca.
The Pollinator Playground project was made possible with funding from the City of Toronto’s PollinateTO Community Grants. The Friends of Allan Gardens are thrilled to be one of 33 successful recipients of grants for 2021. Other local recipients include the T’Karanto Ondaadizi-Gamig Mushkiki Gitigaan Birth Centre – Toronto Birth Centre Medicine Garden (2021) and a collaboration by the Carlton-Sherbourne Garden Group and Dixon Hall (2019). Find out more about this year’s grant recipients.
PollinateTO Community Grants were created to encourage stewardship of pollinator gardens throughout Toronto. Pollinators need our help, and the easiest and most effective way to help native pollinators is to plant native plants. Toronto’s native pollinators include more than 364 species of bees and 112 species of butterflies. Through Pollinator Playground programming, you’ll be able to learn how to start your own pollinator garden in your yard or balcony.
Follow the Friends of Allan Gardens on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or sign up for our email newsletter The Leaflet to get project updates on the Pollinator Playground.
