Earlier this year it was a stretch of lawn on the east side of the Oneida County Courthouse.
Now it's a pollinator garden, complete with bees and Monarch butterflies. Oneida County Pollinator Project Coordinator Baerbel Ehrig says the garden was planted with pollinator-attracting plants in late June. They decided since most of the plants are done blooming to dedicate a sign to the project.
But the cooler weather still had a couple of visitors...
"...We have a wide variety of bumblebees and even a Monarch here right now in an area where there was only grass before. So I think we have a success in our garden..."
She says their motto was 'build it and they will come', which they did, even on a cool, damp day. The bees were under the leaves of the plants, sheltering from the light rain. The Monarch wasn't moving much, wings together, intent on riding out the dampness. Scientists have seen a steep decline in the number of pollinators with theories running from insecticides to a loss of habitat.
But Ehrig wants the community to come see..
"...We wanted to have a space where community members...can have an area where they can be exposed to the pollinator activity. Where they can enjoy flowers. It's a recreational and educational space for the whole community...."
The county picked up grants to put together the pathway and picnic table, and Ehrig hopes the community will stop in to enjoy the blooms, bees and butterflies...
