Sycamore Shoals State Park plants pollinator garden
Published 12:05 pm Friday, June 19, 2020
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Contributed photo The staff of Sycamore Shoals State Park recently spent a morning sowing seeds of native wildflower and grasses over a one-half acre site at Sabine Hill in observance of National Pollinator Week, which begins Monday.
Contributed photo Sycamore Shoals State Park employees are pictured as they broadcast wildflower seed over a site at Sabine Hill in an effort to create a new habitat for pollinators, which include bees, butterflies, birds, and even bats and beetles.
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Recently, on a cool morning in Elizabethton, the staff of Sycamore Shoals met to broadcast the seed of native wildflowers and grasses over a one-half acre of land at Sabine Hill State Historic Site. Considering the historic nature of the site, everyone arrived in historic attire to accomplish the task at hand! With National Pollinator Week quickly approaching June 22, this was the perfect time to get the seed in the ground and begin the work of creating new habitat for pollinators in Tennessee.
The funding for the project was provided through a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Pollinator Habitat Program, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the Tennessee State Park’s Honey Project, with a goal to promote pollinator and environmental health in parks and across the state. Along with this goal are opportunities for interpretive programming that will teach about the importance of pollinators, the need to protect habitat, types of pollinators, and what the community can do to protect these many species.
Most often think of colonial honeybees as being pollinators, but there are many more pollinators. In Tennessee there are approximately 400 species of solitary bees that do not live in colonies. They are tiny and can nest underground or in hollow stems. In addition to bees; birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles all do their part in pollinating native plants. In turn, these beautiful meadows provide shelter, egg nurseries, food, and rest for pollinators.
Sabine Hill State Historic Site, managed by the Tennessee Historical Commission and Tennessee State Parks, will be open for tours this summer each Wednesday through Sunday. You can search for a date and register for a tour by visiting www.tnstateparks.com/parks/sycamore-shoals
Please also visit Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park’s Butterfly Garden near Patriot’s Path walking trail by the Watauga River. Cared for by the East Tennessee Master Gardeners, this site is also a North American Butterfly Association Monarch Waystation.
Within easy access of the parking area in front of the Visitors Center, you will also find a Tennessee Urban Forestry certified Arboretum with a wide variety of signed, native trees.
