2025 May – Pollinator Garden Meeting Minutes

May 14 Pollinator Garden Meeting Notes 

Attendees: 

Maureen Brennan, Mark Banfield, Betsy Lawrence, State Lawrence, Mary Richardson,  Edie Morren, Anne Marie Kavulla, Joan Dodd, Ashley Shawyer, Pam Norwood (I feel like I missed someone?)

Topics Discussed and Action Items 

I.Raised Bed Planning 

We will plant the raised beds with a mix of perennials (which Sharon Osga has grown from seed donated by Mary Richardson) and zinnias (also grown by Sharon) as well as cosmos to be purchased 

  • We will make a game time decision on what goes where when we plant (5/24) but it will be a mix of zinnias and perennials grown from seed 
  • One bed to be dedicated to kids sunflowers 
  • One bed will be comprised of herbs and edible flowers for the community
    • Pam N to purchase plants for that
    • We will build a fence of some kind around that to deter deer 
  • We will plant all of the beds with the kids during the sunflower planting event  on 5/24 
  • The beds need wood chips and soil  (this was completed – thanks all!) 
    • Wood chip loading in date is Saturday 5/17 rain or shine 
    • We will also pick up the rain barrel that day and place it in the garden 
    • We will notify Mary Richardson when the wood chips have been put inn and she will bring soil (which she is generously donating) after that.

II. Raised Bed Planting Date:  Saturday, May 24th at 10 am 

  • The planting date is Saturday May 24th at 10 am, with a rain date of Monday May 26th at 10 am 
  • Sharon Osga will manage the kids portion 
  • All available peeps to attend and help plant that day  
  • Betsy and State to contact Matt Meyer for an email alerting LP residents that its happening – completed 

III. Raised Bed sponsorships

  • Beds 1 +2: The Dodd and Kavulla families are each sponsoring a bed at $500 
  • Bed 3: is being co-sponsored by Edie, Maureen and Mark, Betsy and State and Pam @ $125 each.  Pam and Betsy and State have already donated   
  • Bed 4: One remaining bed is available for sponsorship – this will be announced at the May meeting 
  • We will order plaques shortly  

V.    Quadrant 2 Planting and Plan 

  • Mary mapped out a plan for what we are calling Quadrant 2 (near left hand corner when looking at the garden from Hopkins).  
  • We’ll raise money for that this summer and plant in early fall  

VI. TC mowing – PN spoke to Bob Maurice who said he will relay that to TC  – Edie and/or Pam to remind Bob as he may have forgotten  

VII. Pollinator Game (need a fun name for this) 

  • We will move ahead on the pollinator game idea and if we don’t have permission to place them around LP will put them in the garden
  • Pam N to contact Ruth D and vet the idea of having kids paint rocks as part of a craft event and use those as the activity markers 
  • We will print and distribute bingo cards with all the activities at the Block Party (Lets do that on seed paper)
  • Mark B to generate list of activities 

VIII. Bee Houses 

  • Betsy to contact Ruth about doing a bee house activity this summer using the craft materials left per from last year 

IX. Block Party Extravaganza

We will have a Block Party Presence again this year with 

  • Seed paper pin giveaways with funny sayings – people wear them and then can plant them.  Ie., I just wet my plants – 
  • Bingo cards as a checklist for kids to play the pollinator game – lets do those on seed paper too   
  • Newsletter with facts and news
  • Last year’s cool signs (Thank you Brandon)
  • Signs asking for donations as we did last year – for quadrant 2. Ie., an aster for $35, etc 
  • Should we ask people if they want to donate an adirondack chair and we could put their name on it?  

X. Bee Hive Permission – Jen D hoping to get that from the board  

XI. Pollinator Plugs:  we are going to pass on these and do the seed paper pin giveaways at the block party instead.

XII. Education:

  • All to please send Anne Marie names of potential speakers sop that she can set up a speaking event 
  • Anne Marie to generate some education ideas for this summer 

XIV. Communication:

Betsy and State will:

  • Create a newsletter to be distributed at the block party 
  • Arrange for a recurring educational feature in the Chatterbox

XV.Finance Management:

  • Ashley, Maureen and Pam will open a pollinator joint account at Chelsea Groton and be co-signers. 
  • We agreed on a fundraising target of $2500 for 2025 
  • We have the following expenses forecasted for this year:
    • LP Pollinator Game Materials : $25
    • Herbs and other plants for beds $125    
    • Quadrant 2 Planting: $575  
    • Block Party Giveaways $350
      • Pins, newsletters, bingo cards, signs

XVI. Our elevator pitches and some facts to have on hand:   

We reviewed our elevator pitches as follow.  We added an educational note to each per State’s recommendation. 

For adults:  We’re building the LP pollinator garden to help reverse the decline of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, which are essential to a healthy environment, and as an educational tool for the community. About 80% of all flowering plants and over three-quarters of the plants that feed humankind rely on pollinators.  By restoring native habitats with native plants, we’re supporting biodiversity and strengthening the local ecosystem.  

For kids: We’re planting a garden to help the bees, butterflies, and bugs that help flowers grow and food get made, and also educate LP on the importance of pollinators. They need our help—and we need theirs. 

Pollinator List:  Bees, Butterflies, Bats, Birds (especially hummingbirds), Beetles,  Flies, Moths, Wasps, Small Mammals  

XVII. May Meeting 

Pam N and someone else (puh-lease) to give a progress report on the garden at the May meeting and announce:

  • The bed sponsorship opportunity
  • The herb garden 
  • What’s been planted so far