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Harland Patch , director of pollinator programming at the Arboretum , and assistant research professor for the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences , said , “ The garden is unique in that it puts together habitat design and design that is accessible and beautiful to humans with a very diverse mix of plants , many of which you will not see in any other garden .”
Understanding and reversing pollinator species disappearances around the world is critical to the
continuation of human existence . In the face of environmental and economic disaster , many are left with a sense of powerless inevitability . In response , creative director of Didier Design Studio and lead designer of the Garden , Emmanuel Didier said , “ The Pollinator and Bird Garden connects people with the issue of pollinator decline in specific , tangible ways , placing science in the forefront in the context of climate change . There is hope in that action .”
This agenda unfolds across the 3.5-acre garden and realizes three interrelated goals : to directly convey and interpret scientific research being conducted on site , to offer an engaging place for people to learn about pollinator and bird habitats , and to inspire visitors to implement urban habitats within their own private gardens . This latter goal has the potential to exponentially impact the spread of healthier ecological networks across alreadydeveloped landscapes .
To realize these goals , Didier assembled a team of design experts and framed the project as a collaborative journey with research staff at The Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State .
Grounded in years of research , the design approach transformed a level pasture to create a diverse set of ecological conditions that could support the wide range of plant species necessary to entice birds and pollinators throughout the seasons . The ground plane was sculpted into an activated terrain , forming a mosaic of seven soil conditions and pollinator-attuned mulches
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