Planting for the Future: A Month of Pollinator Work at the Ashokan Center
April at the Ashokan Center was rooted in something simple and powerful—planting.
Throughout the month, our Director of Ecological Landscapes, Del Orloske, led a series of pollinator plantings across campus, bringing together community members, families, and students to help grow something that will last far beyond the season.
Earlier in the month, during Earth Fest, the fields around the Long House, Sycamore Lodge, and our office began to transform. Despite gray skies and a light drizzle, the turnout was strong. Families and children paired up, hands in the soil, learning how to properly plant native wildflowers that will one day attract butterflies, bees, and countless other pollinators.
Del guided the day with a mix of demonstration and invitation—showing not just how to plant, but why it matters. Native plants support native ecosystems. Pollinators sustain biodiversity. And when people take part in that process themselves, the connection runs deeper.
“Plant them and we will all grow together,” Del shared—a sentiment that carried through the entire month.
Later in April, that same spirit continued in a quieter but equally meaningful way. Visiting students returned to the planting areas, this time working in small groups to help expand the wildflower meadow outside the Long House. With guidance from Del and support from staff, they learned how to space, plant, and care for each plug.
Some students asked questions. Others worked quietly, focused on the task in front of them. All of them took part in something tangible—adding to a landscape that will change and grow in the months ahead.
Moments like these are easy to overlook in the rush of a busy season, but they’re at the heart of what makes this place special. A patch of soil becomes a meadow. A quick lesson becomes a lasting memory. A small act becomes part of something much bigger.
In the coming weeks, the work will continue. More planting, more growth, more life returning to these spaces.
And before long, the first butterflies will arrive.