Hi, it’s Sammie, the NCST Intern with a new blog post! This summer I am working on a campaign against pollinator loss in communities like Davidson, and a large part of that effort requires nurturing an appreciation for the little guys we need so badly yet so often forget. So this weekend the North Carolina Science Trail ventured to the Davidson Farmer’s Market set on showing the community how fun pollinators can actually be(e).
Because education really is key to conservation, I wanted to include a hands-on activity in our booth. With the gracious guidance of my mom, Liz, we made a pollinator matching board game out of an old window frame and some forgotten wall trim we had stuffed in the corner of the garage. Not only was this a great exercise in sustainability if I do say so myself, but also a smashing hit at the Farmer’s Market.
The real kicker of the day, though, was the prize for correctly matching the pollinators to their plants: a North Carolina native of their choosing! Our selection included fan-favorites Purple Coneflower and Black-Eyed Susan but also some Yellow Passionflower, Hibiscus, and Pawpaw Trees. These natives certainly sparked conversation among the crowd, especially the Pawpaw Trees, with one market-goer lamenting her experience with them while another played only for that “controversial” tree. The heat of the day made for sweaty backs but happy plants, because all of the natives we gave out were resilient in the face of changing weather (just another reason our pollinators are so important). We wanted this to be an easy and fun way to get people interested in their local ecosystems, because who doesn’t love watching flowers blooming in their yard knowing you were the one who put them there (not to mention all the fun creatures who love your efforts even more)?
Our game was the perfect opportunity to draw people in with the promise of a free native and talk to them not only about pollinators, but also about the Science Trail. We wanted to reach all farmer’s market audiences, even the people who didn’t want to play our awesome game… so coloring sheets, stickers, and pins promoting NCST made a welcome appearance. I was actually encouraged by the range of interest in the Science Trail. From young kids to not-so-young-kids, people want to know about science in North Carolina.
Finally, after a fun-round of matching and NCST banter, we sent our visitors along with a native seed pack and an opportunity to connect with their communities in a new way. Our hope is that people spend a few minutes sprinkling their seeds or digging in the dirt to plant their new natives and can witness what it is to have their own little ecosystem right at home.
And if you want some “Sammie’s Seed Packs” with Purple Coneflower and Black-eyed Susan, you can pick them up at the Public Library in Cornelius or Davidson’s Summit Coffee basecamp.
