Okotoks medians and boulevards will soon be buzzing with activity from pollinating species.
When Blaise Evelyn, currently a Grade 11 student from Strathcona Tweedsmuir School, was completing his personal project for the International Baccalaureate program last year, he chose to research the decline of bee populations.
His research found the waning bee populations were due to the loss of land with no pesticides and herbicides, and less natural grassland and forested areas.
“In cities we don’t see as much pesticide use as in rural areas, and I thought we could maybe find a solution to the problem on a local level,” said Evelyn.
He began by approaching the City of Calgary to see whether pollinator-friendly plants could be included among the public planters throughout the city, but officials were reluctant to get on board with his idea.
“So I went to Okotoks, and they were already looking at replacing turf around town with alternate ground cover, so they embraced what I was talking about,” he said.
While his initial suggestion was to place bee-friendly flowers in the planters along Elizabeth St., the Town had bigger ideas – that did not involve potential issues with having bees in high-traffic pedestrian areas where residents could be at risk of being stung, he said.
Evelyn provided the Town with a comprehensive list of pollinator-friendly plants that would grow well in Okotoks and could make appealing additions to the town’s natural landscape.
His suggestions have been included in the Town’s recently revised pest management plan, which was presented to council for review on Jan. 11.
Parks manager Christa Michailuck said her team appreciated his suggestion to include the plants in floral displays around town, but they saw more potential in the idea.
“We thought there were bigger opportunities with ground covers on areas like road medians and boulevards,” said Michailuck.
Alternative ground covers on town roadways would reduce the need to water and mow on boulevards and medians, she said, which would be environmentally responsible and also safer for staff and trees.
“Not having to operate mowers on boulevards is better for our staff,” she said. “It also protects the trees by not having mowers trying to get around them, bumping into them, which happens from time to time, and can strip the bark.”
The Town is applying for grants to have alternative ground covers like these throughout Okotoks, she said, but some were converted in 2015. Shrub beds on Sheep River Blvd. were replaced with perennial beds, and some medians were changed into flower beds at Crystal Green Way, in Crystal Shores and in Woodhaven.
Michailuck said the pollinator-friendly, deer-resistant plants are being included in those perennial beds.
Being pollinator-friendly is a by-product of the other benefits of using the plants in public spaces, she said, including using less herbicide, decreasing mowing and increasing esthetics.
She said roadside medians are a great place to have pollinator-friendly plants because they are removed from where people typically walk, which will help prevent potential interactions with the insects.
“We’re using a lot of blazing star, blue sage, various dianthus, cat mint, coneflower, day lilies, rudbeckia, peonies and potentilla,” she said. “The deer won’t eat those, and they are bee-friendly.”
Michailuck encourages all residents to take the same approach to deterring deer, she said, and a full list of deer-resistant plants can be found on the Town website.
The website also provides information on other species monitored and controlled by the Town, including legislated pests – which include everything from noxious weeds to wildlife.
