Brunswick, Ga. – The EcoScapes Sustainable Landscaping program at the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, units of UGA’s Office of Public Service and Outreach, will celebrate National Pollinator Week this month in coastal Georgia. The EcoScapes program and its partners will host an educational kickoff event June 18 from 9 a.m.-noon in the native plant demonstration garden of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Brunswick Station at 715 Bay St.
National Pollinator Week is a celebration of the ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, beetles, bats and other animals.
“Pollinators are critical both to the environment and to human health,” said Keren Giovengo, EcoScapes program manager. “They transfer pollen between flowers, ensuring the growth of seeds and fruits. The work of pollinators touches our lives every day through the food we eat. In the United States, approximately one out of every three bites of food you eat and beverages you drink depends on the work of a pollinating animal.”
The event will include tours of the station’s pollinator habitat garden and other native plant gardens. At 11 a.m., there will be an EcoScapes presentation on pollinator protection and native plant pollinator-friendly landscaping. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the EcoScapes program will be providing native pollinator and wildlife information.
Glynn County Farm Bureau’s Beekeepers’ Committee will have a honeybee hive, honey tasting and beekeeping demonstrations. Keep Brunswick-Golden Isles Beautiful, USFWS and EcoScapes will provide children’s activities.
“Our event is all about celebrating pollinators and educating folks on the importance and need to protect these invaluable animals,” Giovengo said. “This event will be an excellent opportunity to learn about pollinators, explore the garden, watch pollinators in action and observe many of the native plants that local pollinators depend upon.”
The EcoScapes Sustainable Landscaping Program
The EcoScapes Sustainable Landscaping Program engages Georgians in sustainable land use practices that help preserve and protect healthy ecosystems. For more information, see marex.uga.edu/ecoscapes.
UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
The University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant are a state and federal partnership dedicated to conducting research, education and outreach to enhance coastal environmental, social and economic sustainability. As units of the Office of Public Service and Outreach at UGA, they help improve public resource policy, encourage far-sighted economic and fisheries decisions, anticipate vulnerabilities to change and educate citizens to be wise stewards of the coastal environment. Georgia Sea Grant is one of 33 Sea Grant programs throughout the country housed under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more information, see http://marex.uga.edu or http://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu.
