Michal Family Supports Pollinator Project

03.03.2025 - Giving to Kanuga, Kanuga Stories, Our Programs

Spring promises the first blooms of Kanuga’s new pollinator garden, which will feature year-round flowering. The Pat Michal Pollinator Garden, nestled beneath the Buddy Carter climbing tower near Pinky Elliott Field, began as a dream of Mary Kait Brown, Kanuga’s environmental programs manager, in 2023. 

It wasn’t until a compassionate family saw the vision and decided to make it a reality that this dream truly began to grow. 

The first step was preparing the soil and removing the grass, followed by carefully selecting native plants that would attract pollinators. The first workday kicked off June of 2024 and planting tookplace in July, with the help of summer programming staff and volunteers. 

Though the garden experienced minor flooding from Hurricane Helene, it remained mostly unscathed. This garden is more than just a beautiful space; it’s a lifeline for the pollinators that we too often take for granted. As these vital creatures face the loss of their natural habitats, this garden offers them a place to thrive—helping sustain not only the delicate balance of nature but also the future of our food. 

Pollinator gardens do more than support biodiversity; they provide a chance for all of us to connect, learn, and take action to protect the world around us. They are vibrant, peaceful spaces that offer moments of reflection and joy, bringing us closer to the earth and to one another. Click here for a list of Kanuga’s pollinator garden plants. (If interested in planting your own pollinator garden, check with you local extension office.)

“We offer our deepest gratitude to the Michal family, whose generosity helped bring this dream to life. Together, we’re making a difference—one bloom at a time,” said Mary Kait (pictured below).

Photos of the pollinator garden development and interpretive signage: