*We are monitoring the weather and impending hurricane and will update residents if the event is canceled.  

Bring your gardening gloves and join us at Old School Square for a Pocket Refuge Planting and a small Parks for Pollinators Bio Blitz. The Pocket Refuge program plants native pollinator gardens in public spaces in urban areas that serve as a “refuge” for both people and wildlife.
The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz is a national effort for people to find and document pollinator-friendly plants and pollinators across the country using the iNaturalist app.

What is Pocket Refuge Plantings?

What is the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz?

The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz is a national effort for people to find and document pollinator-friendly plants and pollinators across the country in partnership with their local park and recreation agency. It’s a national campaign to see who can make the most observations, engage the most people, and promote pollinator awareness and education. The results not only make an impact for awareness of pollinators nationally an-d for those that participate, but also helps agencies know what pollinator species are in their parks and helps them plan for how to protect them.

The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz is organized by the National Recreation and Park Association with support from The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation. 

iNaturalist App

The Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz will be utilizing the iNaturalist to find and document pollinator-friendly plants and pollinators. This platform allows every agency’s results to be shared and calculated up to a national page within the platform and will show our collective impact for this event. Make sure you download the app, create an account, and find and join “Delray Beach BioBlitz” under projects.
 
How does iNaturalist work?
It’s an easy-to-use app where you take picture of what you find, upload them to the iNaturalist site and be included in your agencies project.
 
How do I use the app?
This video is great to share, it walks you through the simple process of taking a photo, identifying species, adding detail, and sharing it to the iNaturalist site. You can visit the “how to” iNaturalist page or download the the "how to" PDF. 

 
 
What do I take a picture of?

• Whatever is interesting to you, and whatever you think, you can get a pretty good close-up photograph of.
• It is generally important to document invasive and exotic species as well as natives, so don’t worry too much about how “special” or “rare” a plant or animal is. You are trying to get a representative sample of the entire place, not just the best parts.
• Diversity is important, too, so look for things you personally haven’t yet photographed.
• If you can, take several photographs of one object to show different features — bark, leaves, seeds, flowers, etc. — as well as the whole plant. Sometimes, this is the only way to make a definite identification.

 Smartphone tips:

• Turn the screen brightness up on a bright day to make sure your focus is good.
• Rest your “camera hand” on something else to steady it.
• Touch the portion of the screen where you want the camera to focus, some newer phones will do this automatically.

Pollinator gardens and pocket refuge areas.

Discover Nature's Beauty in Your Neighborhood Parks

Our parks are more than just green spaces; they're vibrant ecosystems that support a diverse array of wildlife. We're excited to introduce our Pocket Refuge and pollinator gardens, designed to create inviting habitats for pollinators and other beneficial creatures.

What is a Pocket Refuge?

A Pocket Refuge is a small, carefully designed native garden within a park that aims to restore wildlife habitats, and provides essential resources for pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These refuges feature a variety of native plants that offer nectar, pollen, and shelter.

Pollinator Gardens: A Haven for Wildlife

Pollinator gardens are carefully cultivated spaces that feature plants specifically chosen to attract and support pollinating insects like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It also helps to maintain a healthy ecosystem and contribute to the overall biodiversity of our parks by providing a source of food and habitat.

Current and Future Plans

We're proud to have established 10 parks with thriving pollinator gardens and Pocket Refuge areas. Our goal is to expand these initiatives to five more parks in the near future.

Please keep an eye out on how you can participate and help create these gardens.