The pollinator garden created in Cold Spring Park last October — the product of Dobi Wallober’s Eagle Scout project with Troop 209 — is now in full bloom. Alan Nogee, president of the Friends of Cold Spring Park, presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the garden today, adjacent to the bustling Farmers’ Market. Wallober received his Eagle Scout certificate last week, honoring his work.
This pollinator garden is Newton’s first public garden with these plants chosen for saving bees and butterflies at risk of local extinction. Wallober and Nogee spent months planning the garden, securing funding, and engaging the City’s Parks, Recreation & Culture Department. Attending the ceremony were Commissioner Nicole Banks, Senior Adult Director Nancy Scammon, Director of Open Space Luis Perez Demorizi, Director of Cultural Development Paula Gannon, Councilors Andreae Downs and Bill Humphrey, and representatives of Green Newton and Newton Conservators. Councilor Alicia Bowman, founder of the Newton Community Pollinator Project, was not able to attend.
The garden is composed of native plants that attract and nurture native birds, insects (including bumblebees and 10 species of butterfly), and amphibians. Insect pollinators — which are needed to support the procreation of 85% of plants — are in danger of significant decline, and gardens such as this one are designed to counteract that trend locally. Other pollinator gardens are planned for other locations in Newton, and Nogee welcomes the opportunity to share knowledge gained from this pollinator garden.
Complementing the pollinator garden is one of Newton’s public art installations in the series Flutter — a butterfly sculpture created by artist Jenn Houle.
Ed. Note: We revised this article to make clear that this is the first pollinator garden in Newton that has plants chosen from the list cited. It is not the first pollinator garden in Newton.
