Hi River Roaders,

The next couple of weeks are a peak time for observing pollinators in action on our grounds. The best time to observe them is when the sun is directly shining on the flowers you are looking at. The in-person services (starting Sunday) are a great time to take a pollinator walk on our grounds:

• Start at our new pollinator garden on the front plaza, and check out the blue mistflower and milkweeds.
• Walk over to the front accessible parking area, where the green headed coneflowers are always covered with pollinators.
• Go up to the garden by the bridge and check out the goldenrods.
• Pass through the Memorial Garden and go over the metal statue by the lawn. Behind the statue is a good stand of mountain mint.
• Take the path down to the Memorial Stone near the RE tent and check out the cardinal flower, mistflower, and sunflowers in the garden there.
• Take the path down through Springsview Garden and check out the wingstem, snakeroot, and boneset.
• Behind the worship circle, check out the large hillside filled with the orange flowers of the jewelweed.

Let’s take a tour.

Bumblebee on blue mistflower in the plaza pollinator garden.

Common buckeye butterfly on the green headed coneflower by the fire hydrant.

Paper wasp feeding on a goldenrod in the bridge garden.

Bumblebee feeding on the mountain mint behind the statue outside the Sanctuary.

Two black wasps also feeding on the mountain mint.

Gray hairstreak feeding on one of the two green headed coneflowers behind the metal sculpture.

A possible Peck’s skipper on the blue mistflower on the path heading down to Springsview Garden.

A honeybee on the wingstem in Springsview Garden. Honeybees are non-native insects that are perform an important role in the pollination of food crops, but are less important for pollination of native plants.

A bumblebee entering the jewelweed on the hillside behind Springsview Garden.

Take a walk and try to focus on our amazing insects.

Joe