Can You Step Twice into the Same Garden? TAPinto Clark Returns to Clark Community Alliance's Pollinator Project at Esposito Park

The Clark Community Alliance (CCA), a nonprofit founded in 2010, has been developing a pollinator garden project at Esposito Park in coordination with Union County, which owns the park. The initial planting began in May, when CCA Trustees Mary Semler, Mike Shulman, and Bill Grzyb, along with volunteers and neighbors, began preparing the garden by pulling weeds, plotting out the perimeter, and planting seeds.

By July, the CCA requested additional volunteers for another round of planting and weeding scheduled for the end of the month. A social media update from the group reported progress: "Over the past few weeks, we've been rehabilitating previously planted areas by removing invasive plants and giving our native species the space they need to thrive. It's already paying off—we've seen some fantastic honey bee activity in the garden!"

By August, the garden had been completely transformed into a flourishing ecosystem. The space, formerly a straightforward field of grass and dirt, now features fully blooming native wildflowers and grasses. According to a Union County sign at the site, the native plants were selected so that flowers bloom throughout spring, summer, and fall. The native species include black-eyed Susan, lance-leafed coreopsis, tickseed sunflower, cosmos flower, butterfly weed, blanket flower, and purple coneflower.

The CCA continues to seek additional volunteers. Interested individuals can contact Bill Grzyb at wgrzybjr@gmail.com or visit the organization's Facebook page for more information.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy against official sources.

Produced with AI assistance and reviewed against source records.