Saint Mark’s Area Civic Association seeks $10,000 for climate-resilience hub planning and proposes pollinator garden

The Saint Mark’s Area Civic Association requested $10,000 in the FY26 budget for consultant support to complete phase 1 of a Saint Mark’s Climate Resilience Hub planning process and described a companion proposal to install a pollinator garden at Adams King Playground.

Jamie Bemis, a board member of the Saint Mark’s Area Civic Association, said the hub would help residents access essential services during climate events, especially for heat-related risks and brownouts. Phase 1 work, planned from March to September, includes service-area identification, vulnerability and hazard assessment, and two community meetings; the group requested $10,000 for consultant support to complete those tasks.

Bemis also described the pollinator garden project at Adams King Playground, saying the group had verbal approval from Boston Parks and is preparing a memorandum of understanding to formalize the partnership. The garden would use native plants to create habitat, provide volunteer and learning opportunities, and beautify the park.

Councilors acknowledged the requests and said they would be considered as part of the budget review; no appropriation was approved at the hearing.