The Problem
Create a better understanding within Reno County youth about pollinators. Provide pollinator plants for local insects and wildlife.
Create a better understanding within Reno County youth about pollinators. Provide pollinator plants for local insects and wildlife.
Plant native pollinator plants around the Extension Office. Plant vegetable plants that act as pollinators that can also be harvested and freely given out to the local populace.
I taught our 4-H kids about pollinators and how it benefits the local wildlife and population. We planted a small pollinator garden and we also planted some vegetable plants. The vegetables will be given freely to the public. If the harvest is bountiful enough (more than one or two vegetables ripe at a time) as the summer progresses, we will donate vegetables to the local food bank. The funds bought the plants, potting soil, and gardening equipment that we used in our project. It allowed us to buy a variety of pollinator flowers that we planted around the Extension Office. The project gave local youth an opportunity to do hands-on learning. Getting our local youth familiar with why pollinators are needed within our city was one of the goals. Education and inspiring curiosity is a pillar of 4-H. Being able to incorporate gardening education with wildlife education gives local youth a broader understanding of the world around them.
The ultimate goal was to create a longer term project for the youth. However, I learned that one time meetings work better for the demographic I work with. Participation quickly dwindled after the first meeting which made meeting other project goals difficult. In the future, I would create a more in-depth one-day program instead of trying to jump right into a multi-day project.
The ultimate goal was to create a longer term project for the youth. However, I learned that one time meetings work better for the demographic I work with. Participation quickly dwindled after the first meeting which made meeting other project goals difficult. In the future, I would create a more in-depth one-day program instead of trying to jump right into a multi-day project.
Seeing the kids getting their hands dirty and planting flowers was rewarding! The kids had a lot of fun planning how to organize the plants.
We planted around the Reno County Research and Extension Office in South Hutchinson, Kansas. Going into a project, try to figure out how much time your group has to dedicate to the project. My kids were short term volunteers, so the initial plan didn't work well for them and I had to adapt.