In the Teaching Garden across Chandler Street from the Worcester State University campus, a group of first-year students are getting their hands dirty to create a thriving pollinator garden. Led by Professors Maura Collins (Biology) and Anne Armstrong (Earth, Environment, and Physics), the students in their First Year Seminar classes are transforming an area of the garden previously overrun with weeds into a vibrant oasis for bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators.
Over the past few weeks, the students have been clearing the area, preparing the soil, and planting a variety of native flowers and plants donated through the Worcester Native Plant Initiative. Among the species taking root are blue lobelia, Joe Pye weed, native violets, and goldenrod.
A main goal of the class is to engage students in civic activities within the Worcester community. ”We chose a focus on the environment, and this pollinator garden project allows our students to connect with a local nonprofit and make a tangible impact,” Collins said.
Evan Ferguson, a first-year student, is excited to watch the garden evolve. “It’ll keep me very connected to Worcester State over the next four years, being able to watch it grow and change,” he said.
Fellow student Jaden Para echoed the sentiment, saying, “It’s going to be fun to see what it looks like at the end of my four years. I’m looking forward to it.”
Beyond the personal connection, the students understand the broader importance of their work. As student Devon Kenneally said, “After learning about why it’s important and everything, it makes me really think about pollinators and the environment a lot more.”
The decline of pollinator populations due to factors like climate change and habitat loss is a growing concern. By creating this garden, the first-year students are not only beautifying the campus neighborhood but also actively supporting the local ecosystem.
“A pollinator garden is at the heart of what we want this outdoor learning space to be,” said Adam Saltsman, associate professor in the Department of Urban Studies and director of the department’s Urban Action Institute, which oversees the Teaching Garden. “It’s the perfect place for students of all ages to learn about sustainability because the biodiversity that such gardens promote is essential to ecological health, including in urban areas that have long suffered from a lack of green space.”
As the garden takes shape, Collins hopes the project will inspire the students to continue their civic engagement. “These students will be able to watch this garden grow and evolve, and maybe they’ll want to volunteer to help maintain the garden in the future,” she said.
Through hands-on learning and community engagement, the First Year Seminar students are cultivating more than just plants—they’re growing their own connection to the Worcester community and a deeper appreciation for the natural world around them.
“Projects like this connect students in so many different ways,” Armstrong said. “They bond with each other as they work in the garden, they connect with Worcester State as a place in a different way while learning more about the university’s outreach work, and they connect with a community organization, in this case, Worcester Native Plant Initiative.”
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