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TRYON—Students from Tryon Elementary School are taking the lead in protecting local pollinators by creating their very own pollinator garden.

The students, ranging from third to fifth grade, have been working diligently for several months to design, plant, and maintain a vibrant garden filled with flowers that attract bees, butterflies and other essential pollinators.

The project began with a grant from Polk County Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom. Teachers are partnering with Project Wildlife (a non-profit organization that aims to inspire kids to fall in love with wildlife through education) to teach students about the importance of pollinators in sustaining healthy ecosystems. Through interactive lessons, students will learn about how insects like bees and butterflies help in the pollination process, which is vital for growing many of the foods we eat.

“We want to teach our school and community that even small actions can make a big difference,” said fourth-grade teacher JJ Waddell. “By creating this garden, we’re helping pollinators thrive and making our school more beautiful while teaching students the importance of the ecosystem to our area.”

The garden, located in front of the school, features a variety of native plants, including butterfly weed, purple aster, spotted bee balm, and milkweed, which are known to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Students planted the garden during a hands-on event last fall, where each grade level took responsibility for planting different sections.

“We really wanted the students to feel ownership over this project,” said Stephanie Tyler, the school’s fifth-grade science teacher. “It’s one thing to learn about pollinators in the classroom, but it’s another thing entirely to put that knowledge into action by growing plants that directly support their survival.”