Concerned about the decline of bees and butterflies, Twin Falls residents urged the city council to pass a resolution in 2019 outlining their support for measures that could support the pollinators.
Out of the effort, the Twin Falls Pollinator Council was born.
Steven Paulson is the owner of Native Roots LLC, a plant shop in Twin Falls, and one of the founding members of the council. He said the group has collaborated with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“We help guide their chemical application policies in and around the city, and we’re helping guide some of their plant palate selections for water conservation and for pollinators,” he said.
The city keeps a list of nine native plant pollinator gardens, including public parks, plant stores, and even businesses, like Clif Bar, that maintain their own bee-friendly displays.
This year, the pollinator council is hosting a native plant sale to improve some of those spaces and others around the Magic Valley. Paulson said the council isn’t only interested in “beautifying” big parks, but also small strips of vegetation between roads and sidewalks.
“Lots of bloom, lots of color,” he said.
By selling collections of eight varieties of plants — like Rocky Mountain Penstemon and Idaho Fescue — the council also hopes to encourage people to make their own outdoor spaces more attractive to bees.
The idea for the sale came from the Treasure Valley Pollinator Project, which for three years has been growing a movement of pollinator-friendly gardens in southwest Idaho. This year, the focus is on beetles.
Paulson said more gardens across the Magic Valley will mean more stretches of connected bee and bug habitat, instead of just isolated islands.
Magic Valley Pollinator Project plant sale
- Order online: https://tfpollinatorcouncil.org
- Pick up: Native Roots in Twin Falls on May 12-13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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