April 25 - Work day at Crystal Lake Parking Lot

[Lauren Merrill]

Hi Natural Areas Action Team,

Our pollinator project is taking flight (see what I did there 😉)! We'll be adopting two islands at the further end of the Crystal Lake parking lot, with potential projects for the future.

This project is an effort to provide nectar resources and habitat for pollinators. Pollinator numbers are declining from lack of year-round, diverse food. Bees live where there is food, and depending on size, can fly about 3 blocks to find food. By creating multiple patches, especially in green spaces, we can increase the amount of habitat.

Here is a photo of the areas we are hoping to work on. The smaller blue circles we will be working on this year. The larger blue has the potential for planting camas in the next year or two. The red circles are potential areas for planting milkweed.

First, we need to weed these areas. Then, in late May, we'll do a small planting once irrigation is put into the space. Come the fall and winter, we'll do more plantings and try to plant some seeds.This area is prone to flooding (anyone remember two years ago around this time??), but we hope they'll be situated enough before that time that seeds and corms don't float away.

Please let me know by Friday, April 23, if you are able to attend our first work day on Sunday, April 25 from 10-12 to do some weeding. Parks and Rec will provide tools, but I need to know how many to request.

Here is a Ted Talk that I thought you'd be interested in on the potential of parking lots for pollinators -- Video

Thanks!!

Lauren Merrill

Natural Areas Action Team

Corvallis Sustainability Coalition