The Pollinator Corridor Project is a collaborative initiative between the University of St. Thomas and Macalester College. The primary goal of the project is to create a habitat corridor to support pollinators that connects Macalester and St. Thomas pollinator habitats through neighborhood pollinator plantings. The Pollinator Corridor Project also seeks to build community relationships and develop interdisciplinary, hands-on learning and research experiences for St. Thomas and Macalester students.
Join us in connecting pollinator habitats between St. Thomas and Macalester by being a stop on the Pollinator Corridor! You are eligible to be a stop on the Pollinator Corridor if you:
In late May 2027, Pollinator Corridor participants will receive seedlings of anise hyssop, wild bergamot, and New England aster. These plants have been selected because of their value as a nectar source for pollinators from July through October. Participants will receive two of each plant for a total of six individual seedlings. They will come in 2.5” pots so will be easy to plant.
Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, is a knock-out bloomer with spikes of purple flowers that bloom from late June through fall. They grow about 3-4’ tall and attract loads of bees who forage for nectar. Allow the seed heads to stay up in winter to feed goldfinches and other birds. Prefers full sun but will perform well in part shade.
Wild bergamot, Monarda fistulosa, is the gold standard for feeding bees in July. It provides a rich nectar reward for bumbles and other bees for 4-6 weeks each summer. Depending on your site conditions, it will grow to around 4’ tall and will eventually spread out from the mother plant. Prefers full sun but will perform well in part shade.
New England aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, provides much needed food for bumbles and other bees in early to late fall when most other plants have finished blooming. This is an especially important food source for new queen bumbles who are fattening up for winter. New England asters are mainly purple but sometimes have pink blooms. They can grow to 5’ tall but you can give them the “Chelsea Chop” in early summer, cutting them back by a third or a half before the flower buds emerge. This results in a shorter, bushier plant but might delay blooming for a few weeks.
On Thursday, July 23, stop by the St. Thomas Pollinator Garden anytime between 11:30 am-1:30 pm to enjoy cold brew iced tea, cookies, and see lots of foraging bees on our July gardens! Learn about the launch of the Pollinator Corridor Project, Biology research plots, and play pollinator games! Find us at the Pollinator Garden at the intersection of Goodrich and Woodlawn Ave.
Sponsored by the St. Thomas Biology Department, Office of Sustainability Initiatives, and Department of Community Relations.
The St. Thomas Pollinator Path, founded in 2016 by the Department of Biology, is a series of garden habitats that provide food for pollinators and opportunities for research, teaching, and outreach for the St. Thomas community. Since its founding, pollinator surveys have been conducted each year to determine pollinator preference, population size, and diversity. Each summer, a crew of student researchers conducts weekly counts after learning to identify all the pollinators and flowers on our Path – a monumental task!
The Macalester Pollinator Path consists of eight sites – seven of which are located in Saint Paul, while the eighth is in Inver Grove Heights at the Ordway Field Station.
Exploring Pollinator Pathways is a collaborative project through the St. Thomas Sustainability Arts Initiative and St. Thomas Pollinator Path that brings to life the wonder and importance of pollinators for kids of all ages through interactive activities along the Pollinator Path and beyond.
The Exploring Pollinator Pathways Activity Guide invites people of all ages to stop and observe pollinator closely, to learn about their relationships to flowers, and to ponder their value to society.
The activity guide was developed by students in St. Thomas Biology courses in collaboration with the Pollinator Path, the St. Thomas Office of Sustainability Initiatives, and Sustainability Artist-in-Residence Sarah Ann Nelson. All illustrations by Sarah Ann Nelson.
Learn about the pollinators and the flowers they love that you can find right here in the neighborhood! Take the bingos with you to see how many you can spot.
Illustrations by Sarah Ann Nelson, 2019 St. Thomas Office of Sustainability Initiatives Artist-in-Residence.
Activities from this project have been shared by the Walker Art Center, the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Edina Public Schools, the Melinda Vaughn School Pollinator Fund, and more! Exploring Pollinator Pathways activities and artwork can be used by anyone for educational purposes. If you are interested in sharing these in your community or organization, please contact sustainability@stthomas.edu.
The St. Thomas Sustainability Arts Initiative, a program of the Office of Sustainability Initiatives, invites the community to explore interconnections of human and ecological well-being through arts-based experiential engagement. Students across majors collaborate with local artists, writers, and communities to bring to life community sustainability goals for people of all ages.
