Bee cause: Planting for pollinators
June 27, 2024
Photo by Enrico Trujillo
On June 21, volunteers from the New Mexico Plant Society (Taos Chapter) and UNM-Taos staff planted more than 90 pollinator-friendly and native plants near the Klauer campus apiary. Over the past few months, High Country Gardens has made three separate plant donations. The NM Plant Society generously cared for these plants while the planting was scheduled. The NM Plant Society also donated additional plants and seeds for this project. During the Spring Fling and Earth Day events, participants created native plant seed balls. Some were distributed along the trail to the apiary.
This project has benefited from grant funds from the Carroll Petrie Foundation, which provides financial support for pollinator and native plant conservation efforts on campus. Water fountains will be installed this summer and a few trees will be planted to provide wind and sun protection near the apiary. Bat and mason bee houses have already been installed on the Klauer and Río Grande campuses.
Roberta Chambers, a UNM-Taos community champion and member of the NM Plant Society, has been a tremendous supporter, volunteering her time and resources and collaborating with UNM-Taos staff on these projects. She has also assisted in identifying existing native plants on campus. Garden signs providing the scientific and common plant names, as well as labels for native plants, will soon be installed around campus.
UNM-Taos was designated as a Bee Campus USA in 2023.
