Hundreds of Minnesotans descended upon the Midwest’s largest public garden and living classroom to learn about pollinators and the ways in which bees, butterflies, beetles and more need the public’s help to thrive.
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Farm at the Arb, in partnership with Great River Energy, welcomed more than 700 people to the Honey Harvest & Flowers for Pollinators event on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Visitors had the opportunity to learn more about harvesting honey, cut flowers to make their own farm bouquet in the field, taste honey in the Myers Education Center kitchen, visit pollinator-themed selfie spots and meet a beekeeper.
In addition, visitors could engage with the interactive Farm Crawl: Pollinator Quest scavenger hunt by taking a tour around the farm’s pollinator interpretation and native garden plantings.
Educational stations dotted the landscape, each inviting visitors to deepen their appreciation for the intricate relationships that sustain our food systems and natural beauty.
The event provided an opportunity for experts to connect visitors with farmers and learn about Great River Energy’s Pollinator Strong initiative through firsthand experiences around the farm. For years, Great River Energy has re-established habitats across Minnesota that pollinators need to eat, live and do the work that provides benefits to peoples’ daily lives, the agricultural industry and the environment. To date, 300 acres of land has been restored.
This community partnership between the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, which is served by Great River Energy member-owner cooperative Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative, is the cooperative’s latest effort in educating the public on the importance of pollinators.
In addition to gaining more knowledge about Pollinator Strong, visitors to Great River Energy’s booth received a seed packet of their own to plant at home.
“It was a great day to continue sharing our Pollinator Strong story with the visitors at the Farm at the Arb while also learning what many are doing in their own yards to promote pollinators,” said Tara Collins, marketing member strategist at Great River Energy.
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