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Students, volunteers prepare pollinator garden on high school grounds
Summary
Members of the commission and high‑school environmental club finalized a new pollinator garden site on the southeast side of the high school and scheduled planting and mulching workdays, with DPW support for a delivered rain barrel.
Angie Gregory, committee member, said the environmental club at the high school and the pollinator subcommittee identified a new site for a pollinator garden on the southeast side of the school, bordering Hope Northampton Church, and scheduled planting work this Saturday at 11 a.m.
The move followed an earlier review of a steeper hillside by Rose Shurna of Gardening for the Future, who told the students and subcommittee that terracing and multi‑year installation would be required for the original site. "They actually did all the groundwork to prepare the soil. So the soil's all been turned over. The plot line is, is set up," Gregory said of the students' first preparation day.
The subcommittee said a rain barrel has been delivered to Spring Grove Cemetery for Rich to transport to the site; the Department of Public Works will fill it and maintain water for the new planting. Volunteers will plant and mulch the plot on Saturday, and organizers invited community members to bring shovels.
Louie Hasbrooke asked whether the subcommittee could provide quick guidance for homeowners who want to support pollinators, specifically white clover for lawns. "Can we have people contact you? Could you think of a way to maybe, talk about a really quick and easy way to throw some to just throw clover seed out there?" he asked. Gregory said the group will consider producing a best‑practices resource and suggested involving Smith College students or a school class to create outreach materials.
Carolyn Mich, committee member, urged that any homeowner guidance be posted on the commission's NEST page so residents can find it without having to contact members individually.
The subcommittee also discussed possible future projects such as roundabout plantings and continued partnerships with the school and local organizations; no formal votes or policy actions were taken during the meeting. The planting workday this Saturday is the immediate next step.
Organizers asked interested volunteers to join the Saturday workday and to watch the commission's page for follow‑up materials and potential how‑to resources developed from student projects.
