City, partners, working on new pollinator garden

By Patrick Lynn

The city’s forestry department is working on a new pollinator garden in Koziczkowski Park.

Stevens Point is partnering with the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, according to a news release from City Forester Todd Ernster. Using grant funding from American Transmission Company, the forestry dept. is developing a patch of prairie land in the south side park to plant wildflowers.

The pollinator garden will be located under ATC transmission lines in the park, Ernster said.

“Stevens Point helps promote bees and other pollinators where it can,” Ernster said in a press release, adding the wildflowers will be specifically geared towards attracting bees and other pollinators.

Ernster’s department planted a rain garden at Mead Park, at the Northeast corner of West Clark and West Whitney streets, about three years ago, Ernster said.

“Flowering plants are really starting to take root there,” he said. “Most of the flowers are in full bloom right now, and the bees are loving it.”

For more information on the program, Ernster can be reached at (715) 346-1532 or [email protected]