Moose Pair
Pollinator Garden
On July 3, 2024, Grow Wild, in partnership with the Arts Council of Big Sky and supported by dedicated volunteers and partners, created a native pollinator garden beneath the moose pair sculpture at the Ousel Falls trailhead.
This high-traffic location offers an ideal opportunity to introduce countless visitors to the benefits of pollinator-friendly gardening.
Power of Pollinators
Pollinators are keystone species within our ecosystem, meaning that other species depend on them for the roles they perform.
The act of pollinating a flower allows it to produce fruit that will be eaten by a diversity of wildlife, from songbirds to grizzly bears.
Additionally, pollination increases genetic diversity.
The more diverse a plant's genes, the more likely they are to survive and reproduce under stressful conditions (e.g., drought or disease).
Given the area's heavy traffic from both hikers and wildlife, we incorporated a few non-native plants into the garden.
These carefully selected non-natives are more resilient to wildlife grazing and human trampling while still offering essential habitat for pollinators.
While native plants are ideal, this demonstrates how flexibility can still support wildlife without compromising ecological benefits.
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Plant it and pollinators will come!
We've already had pollinators and insects arrive to make use of the newly available habitat.
A Goldenrod crab spider on 'Terracotta' Yarrow. Although known for eating pollinators, studies show that the payoff from the the spider's control of aphids and grasshoppers is an overall benefit for pollinators.
Garden Partners
