Things are abuzz at J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park with the creation of a new pollinator garden and installation of a complementary piece of public art.
“As a designated Bee City, the City of Orillia continues to look for opportunities to draw attention to the importance of pollinators and their habitats. Our pollinators are absolutely critical to our beautiful flowers but even more importantly, to our food supply,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “The new pollinator garden in J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park is designed to attract and support butterflies and bees and is beautifully illustrated in the original work of a local artist. The artwork featuring the butterfly is a symbol of the importance of our pollinators. As a City coined ‘Mariposa’, which is Spanish for butterfly, it’s very appropriate and I encourage all in ‘Mariposa’ to plant for our pollinators and our food supply.”
The garden and art piece are prominently located at the entrance of J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park. The sculpture, entitled Papillio Planta, was hand crafted by local metalworker and jeweler, Robert Doan, and stands over the garden at 7 ft. tall. Doan’s sculpture was commissioned by the City through the Art in Public Places Committee in a call to local artists to create a lasting piece to complement the garden.
“The Art in a Public Places Committee is proud to unveil its first commissioned piece of work,” said Committee Chair, Catherine Phillips. “Doan’s butterfly cluster is designed to represent the character and longevity of the pollinator garden and captures the essence of the original call to artist.”
In total, the new garden contains a total of 12 different flower varieties that provide food and habitat to pollinators. Residents are reminded to respect the environment and others by adhering to COVID-19 regulations and staying on the trail to enjoy the flowers, shrubbery and art piece.
In 2019, the City became a Bee City, designated through Bee City Canada, as a result of the commitments and actions of residents and the City to pollinator education, habitat development and recognition. The City has more than 70 decorative gardens, two community gardens and with the addition of this new garden, it has two butterfly gardens designed to attract and support butterflies and bees.
Pollinators and pollinator gardens provide communities like Orillia with many benefits. They promote food production and biodiversity. Native plants are also more resistant to drought and other environmental threats. They also contribute to the area’s beauty, mental and physical health of residents connecting with people and nature, and overall ecotourism as they draw others seeking these types of experiences.
For further details on the City’s gardens and Bee City status, visitorillia.ca/communitygardens. Information on the Art in Public Places Committee can be found at orillia.ca/publicart.