The new pollinator garden on Coe Quad is close to being done, furthering Bowdoin's goal to increase biodiversity and introduce more native plant species on campus.
Butterfly weed is one of the many plants in the new garden.
“The features will be 99.9 percent Maine native plants,” said Sharon Ames, Bowdoin’s capital projects manager. She added that the garden represents a new approach to gardening for the College—one focused on supporting our ecosystem.
It will also provide an interesting spectacle and potential subject of study throughout the year as the plants adapt to and change with the seasons.
Cloutier's Landscaping of Topsham began work on the garden in June. The company brought in many loads of its rich, homemade soil to provide a supportive home for the plants and to reshape the topography of Coe Quad. The company is also rerouting the quad's pathways, following the plan for the new landscape design.
A Monarch butterfly discovers a coneflower (Echinacea) at the garden.
