Located at 902 N Magnum Street, The KDB Pollinator Garden was created to support pollinators- especially our essential bees and butterflies. This space was an empty lot for 47 years until 2019, when a partnership between Keep Durham Beautiful, Reinvestment Partners, Bee Downtown, North Street Community Garden, and the City of Durham was formed. Continue reading to learn about its history and what the future of the garden looks like!
Pollinators
Pollinators are essential to our food supply- we can thank them for 1/3 of all the food we eat! Our garden is filled with flowers that provide food for bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. Bees sip the flowers’ sweet nectar and collect pollen to feed their young. In the process, pollen sticks to their bodies. As they buzz about the garden, they spread the pollen to other flowers, creating seeds and fruit. A collection of beehives maintained by Bee Downtown is located in the back of the garden- the garden was created to give them additional food and to welcome even more pollinators.
Volunteers
What makes this garden so special? It was installed and is maintained by volunteers from the Durham community! In the initial phase of installation, 90 volunteers dedicated over 300 hours to bring the entire garden to life. Everything from mulching 120 cubic yards, constructing five beds using logs, telephone polls, and retainer blocks, digging ditches, and planting was done by volunteers.
Dedicated in loving memory of ronnie gillian
Ronnie Gillian was a husband, father, grandfather, and an avid bee keeper! The KDB Pollinator Garden was made possible in part due to a contribution made in his honor to help spread his love for bees.
future plans
A garden is never truly finished. Volunteers and community partners will help maintain the garden for years to come. We also plan to add more beds, picnic tables, seating, and more! Have an idea or want to get involved? Email info@keepdurhambeautiful.org to learn how! Please consider making a donation to help us bring our plans to fruition by clicking the button below.
