This is what it is all about. A chance to add more native plants into our community and impart their importance on the next generation. In what was a true community effort NNGI, Ocean Avenue School, and the Ocean Avenue PTA planned, designed, and installed a beautiful outdoor classroom for the students to use.
NNGI had a head start in planning with the help of Seatuck who collaborated earlier with students to plan a native planting in the area. With that plan as a jumping off point we adjusted based on the availability of plants and the rather dry conditions of the area to create what should be a successful habitat for all of our native fauna including butterflies, bees, and other insects.
Next time you are at the Ocean Avenue playground take a walk through the garden and see if you can find some monarch caterpillars munching away on their host plant, Asclepius tuberosa, the aptly named butterfly milkweed. You can also take a look (but don’t touch) at our very own native cactus, the eastern prickly pear with its beautiful yellow flowers throughout the late spring.