LEDGEVIEW (NBC 26) — Work began Friday morning on a pollinator habitat at Ledgeview Park adjacent to the East River Trail.
A $5,000 grant from American Transmission Co.’s Pollinator Habitat Program provided funding to bring native pollinator plantings to the park. The habitat is located beneath an ATC electric transmission line.
The town of Ledgeview and members of the local Pheasants Forever Chapter received assistance from Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, a local nursery located in Ledgeview that specializes in native species and provided guidance with the grant administration and creating the habitat.
"Pollinators basically pollinate all our food," said Justin Kroening, owner of Stone Silo Prairie Gardens. "So apple trees, or any kind of berry trees, or berry fruits, it's all part of the pollination. And it's just part of keeping balance with our ecosystems."
Kroenig said plants will bloom at different times of the year so the garden will be useful to pollinators throughout the season.
"One way to prevent mosquitos is to have birds," he said. "And to have birds, sometimes you need to have other bugs and seeds and things like that around. So the more balance you can create, the more things are going to be kind of neutral and more favorable for all of us."
