Plans are underway to create a pollinator garden on the grounds of Camp Hazen YMCA, for use as an educational tool and to spread awareness about the benefits of pollinators.

Camp Hazen YMCA, a popular summer camp destination, is located on the shores of Cedar Lake in Chester. The organization serves approximately 8,500 people annually with a myriad of outdoor education programming.

“We have so many people come through our doors, both youth and families and school groups, community groups, we want to use this new garden as an educational tool to be able to educate the broader community about the importance of preserving pollinators to benefit our ecosystem,” said Carolyn Learned, development coordinator at Camp Hazen YMCA.

The location of the garden, which is still being determined, will be in a prime spot for sunlight and visibility for guests. It’s anticipated that informational signs on the types of native plants and potential pollinators will be posted.

“We’ve talked about ways in which school groups that come in the fall and in the spring can come and visualize [the garden] and take notes on it,” said Learned. “Otherwise, within our summer camp, it’s definitely going to be incorporated into more of our classes, so our campers can learn from the experience as well.”

The idea for a pollinator garden at Camp Hazen YMCA was introduced by Chester resident Felise Cressman, who is an avid gardener and proponent of pollinator pathways. Cressman and Master Gardener Grant Russell-Walsh, also from Chester, installed the pollinator garden on Water Street in Chester last summer.

“It’s an excellent educational situation for [Camp Hazen] and it puts them in the forefront of what is really good for the environment,” said Cressman.

A pollinator garden is pesticide-free and comprised of native plant species, so that migrating pollinators such as bees, birds, bats, and insects, as examples, have a spot to rest, find nourishment, and procreate.

A decline in the population of native pollinators due to habitat disruption, which impacts the planet’s overall ecosystem and food supply, is recognized as an important issue by various groups and agencies on a national and local level.

It’s prompted a focus on the importance of a series, or pathway, of pollinator gardens in a small geographic area. Efforts are being made across the state to create increased habitat for native pollinators. More information on what is happening in Connecticut and other states is available at www.pollinator-pathway.org.

The pollinator garden at Camp Hazen is “a great opportunity to put Chester on the forefront of this mission to increase the pollinator population in our region…The more gardens that can be produced, the better benefits to our local community,” said Learned. “We’re just happy to be a part of it.”

A timeline for the project includes ground preparation this summer, with soil work occurring in the fall and planting planned for next spring, according to Learned.

The project is being funded through a $1,500 grant from the Rockfall Foundation, a Middletown-based non-profit organization with a mission to support environmental education and conservation in the Lower Connecticut River Valley.

“The Rockfall Grants Committee enthusiastically supported the Camp Hazen grant proposal,” Rockfall Executive Director Tony Marino stated via email. “The creation of a pollinator garden will not only provide a habitat and a pathway for pollinators, which is so important to protecting our food supply, but will also provide an educational opportunity to those attending the camp and the community.”