Clark community pitches in
Getting the beautiful native wildflowers that bloom across campus in spring requires the help of many hands to spread seeds.
Despite rescheduling due to snowy weather, volunteers from throughout Clark College donned boots, gloves, and warm clothing to sow wildflower seeds in the cold at several bee garden locations on campus on February 19 and 20. Even the softball team organized to come out.
They sowed a variety of native seeds including yarrow, camas, lupine, Oregon sunshine, Clarkia, checker mallow, blue-eyed Mary, western burnet, and desert parsley. The gardens receiving fresh seeds this year are the ones that required re-tilling. Most of the time, the wildflowers will self-seed, leaving seeds on the ground to grow the following year.
Steven Clark, Bee Campus Project Manager, said “I love having volunteers because while bees are wonderfully self-sufficient, this is our opportunity to help them to be happy in our gardens. We broadcast the seeds by hand and it’s a fun activity to do here and to do in your own yard.”
Enjoy strolls across campus and see the Bee Campus gardens from late May to early July, peaking in June, following the flowering of the Shirofugen cherry trees in April.
Certified Bee Campus
In April 2023, Clark College earned certification as a Bee Campus affiliate, becoming the fifth college in Washington to earn that distinction. A Bee Campus USA affiliate is a college campus that includes a bee habitat.
In the spring of 2023, students, staff, visitors, and, importantly, bees, saw native flowers sprouting up in gardens across campus. These flowers and natural areas where bees can make nests and lay eggs are helping Clark establish this bee habitat. Clark College—and other Bee Campus USA affiliates—show that the built environment (such as campuses, neighborhoods, city parks, and even roadsides) can feature a thoughtful design that allows bees to thrive in shared areas.
Learn more at Clark’s Bee Campus webpage here.
Photos: Clark College/Carly Rae Zent
