ASHLEY RYAN |
boxes — portable wooden crates with handles that feature lilac verbena and narrow leaf milkweed in organic , chemical-free soil — to local groups at community centers , churches or schools to encourage groups to play a part in rebuilding the region ’ s butterfly population .
HIVE MIND This isn ’ t the only way that Ford has worked her love of butterflies and bees into the local fabric of the community . Since her Pollinator Protection Fund launched in 2021 , she has designed and installed public pollinator gardens in both Heisler and Bluebird parks in Laguna as well as in Newport Beach and Laguna Hills . Additional spaces in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and at the Sawdust Art Festival grounds have also been turned into bee and butterfly gardens in recent years , while another can be found outside the Laguna Beach Library .
During the pandemic , local residents Simone Adams and Kim Shields , who serve on the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library board , offered to help creator Jessica DeStefano keep up the whimsical fairy
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From left : a rufous hummingbird enjoying nectar ; Matt Willey ’ s mural , made in collaboration with the Laguna Beach Garden Club ; a pollinator garden in Heisler Park , planted by Laura Ford of the Pollinator Protection Fund nonprofit
garden . Now in charge of the whole operation — including rebuilding the miniature sets and planning activities like scavenger hunts for children to enjoy in the outdoor space — they recently orchestrated the creation of a pollinator garden off to the side of the front entrance . Formerly a succulent patch that was in dire need of attention , it has been transformed with butterflies in mind and features a barrier to keep the pollinators protected . However , you ’ ll find that chrysalises pop up all over both of these spaces , near salvia and milkweed plants , and provide inspiration for visitors looking to plant their own plot at home .
“ Fairy gardens have taken off — not just because of us , but [ people who visit the garden ] do get inspired ,” Shields says . “… This needs to take off , too .”
Adams and Shields also organize a number of events throughout the year , including the kick-off to the summer pollinator series , a bird-themed monthly service project in May . Throughout June , the fairy garden will highlight the importance of bees while July is reserved for education on the life cycle of
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a butterfly , which families can witness firsthand in the garden ; the Butterfly and Fairy Festival will also be held July 27 .
Elsewhere , after hosting artist Matt Willey as part of its speaker series in 2022 , the Laguna Beach Garden Club commissioned him to paint a mural in town as part of his global art project , The Good of the Hive . Completed earlier this year on the side of the Laguna Beach County Water District building downtown , and decorated with real plants and paver stones , the piece features various species , including Crotch ’ s bumblebee and the Palos Verdes blue butterfly , as part of Willey ’ s mission to paint 50,000 pollinators — the number of bees in a thriving hive .
“ The mission is to get people curious and excited about the planet we live on through the lens of bees and storytelling ,” Willey explains . “… The vision is really what a hive represents to me , which is seeing and experiencing the connectedness of everything . Bees in a hive — they are both an individual and the cell of a bigger organism . So are we , and we do not act like it .”
Leary is proud that the club was able to bring Willey ’ s message to Laguna , especially with extinction on the periphery for many of the region ’ s pollinators . “ The mural is really our love letter to Laguna to express … how important it is that we all work together ,” she reveals . “… Whatever we do affects the whole community . If we ’ re nice and friendly to each other when we walk by , if you say hello to a stranger , if you see someone struggling or there ’ s a tourist here who ’ s not quite sure where to go , offer that up . It just changes how people feel in their day-to-day life .” g
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LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE 71 |