With so much interest in pollinator conservation, the East Farm Pollination Meadow project will incorporate research into best practices for meadow creation, eventually serving as a demonstration for the community. This project involves converting 4.6 acres of the farm from high brush and invasive plants to forage for native bees and other pollinators.  It is a collaboration between URI Master Gardeners and Dr. Steve Alm in the Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology to research which seed types and techniques are most successful.  The multi-year project will serve as a large demonstration pollinator meadow open to special events and tours, enhancing the yields on the farm and neighboring properties.

 

The Bumblebee Garden, formerly the Giving Garden, is located at URI East Farm and is new for 2020. This small plot, along with two larger plots nearby, will serve as a test area for plant varieties potentially destined for the Pollination Meadow. In addition, Dr. Steve Alm and his students will use the plots as study locations in their ongoing research into native pollinators of Rhode Island. The Bumblebee Garden will serve as an educational example for visitors interested in adding pollinator-friendly plants to their home landscapes. In the interest of supporting native pollinators, and bumblebees in particular, most of the plants will be native but the main objective will be to create a season-long source of pollen and nectar.

 

 

Project Leader: Rudi Hempe
Project Co-Leader: Kathy Jenal