Glade Run Lake Conservancy educates children on pollinators
MIDDLESEX TWP — With school out for the year, dozens of children and their parents came to the park at Glade Run Lake on Tuesday, June 11, for the first of Glade Run Lake Conservancy’s “Nature Series Kids Edition” events, Planting the Pollinators.
Children spent their day learning about the importance of pollinator species to nature, such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. They made crafts such as wildflower seed bombs, which are tiny ecosystems containing wildflower seeds to attract bees and butterflies.
After crafting, the children embarked on a scavenger hunt to look for goodies scattered all over the park.
“We want to make sure that they understand how important pollinators and native plants are,” said conservancy director Lisa Busa. “Without pollination we wouldn't have the seeds happening. They wouldn't have the fruits and vegetables they eat, or crops that feed livestock. The pollinators are very important to our food chain, so we're just trying to get that point across.”
This year marks the third year for the conservancy’s Nature Series, but the first year in which it has set aside events mainly for children. There are three events scheduled for children this year, all during the summer months when they are out of school.
The next Kids Edition event is “Furry, Feathered, Scaly, and More,” scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, followed by “Wings by the Water: The Birds of Glade Run Lake” on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Both events take place at 2 p.m.
Aside from the events for children, the next Nature Series event, “Wings of the Deep,” is Wednesday, June 19, at 6 p.m.
“We have a Chatham University professor,” Busa said. “He’s coming to talk about the aquatic insects, like dragonflies.”
