By Anonymous
George Mason University (GMU) prides itself on being an exceptionally sustainable campus. There are more conservation-minded individuals in the City of Fairfax than one may think. GMU boasts an array of pollinator gardens throughout its Fairfax campus. Pollinator gardens serve many important roles. The most obvious benefit of these gardens would be encouraging the protection of necessary pollinators in our area. These gardens fuel our pollinators, and in turn they play a role in providing food for humans and wildlife (Why is Pollination Important?, n.d.).
However, these gardens are not always available to the pollinators which they serve. In the past, the Fairfax community has noticed that Facilities Management will mow the pollinator gardens in an effort to maintain the aesthetics of the Fairfax campus. In a brief email interview with GMU’s Sustainability Program Director, Sarah D’Alexander, she explained that many people do not realize that the plants are in fact perennials that will return next year (personal communication, April 1, 2022). Many people only see the signage for these gardens, and mown down plants next to them which is not encouraging. Mowing pollinator gardens for aesthetics interferes with necessary environmental interactions and resources (Why is Pollination Important?, n.d.). However, the Office of Sustainability must also maintain its relationship with Facilities Maintenance and those who are contracted to mow on GMU’s campus (Lo, 2018). Without this partnership, the sustainability of GMU would likely suffer as well as those who rely on these careers with Facilities Maintenance.
There are many avenues that could be pursued to both satisfy the aesthetics of GMU’s campus while not compromising the integrity of its pollinator gardens. Dr. Kimberly A. Stoner of The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station writes of best management practices when it comes to maintaining pollinator gardens (Stoner, 2017). For example, it is recommended to refrain from mowing until after the first frost in the Fall. Another recommendation from Dr. Stoner is to mow the gardens on a rotational schedule, which would encourage visitors and help them to realize that GMU is not clear-cutting its pollinator gardens (Stoner, 2017). It may also be beneficial to rotate signage along with mowing. For example, when a plot is cut back for the Winter a sign could be placed by it explaining that the perennial plants will return. Another action that could be taken by the University would be to take the Campus Pollinator Pledge, founded by the National Wildlife Federation (Campus Pollinator Pledge, n.d.). This pledge promises to create, restore, and protect areas that support pollinators (Campus Pollinator Pledge, n.d.). GMU already does many of these things, so this would be a great way to continue to hold GMU accountable. Sarah D’Alexander also noted in her email that Facilities Maintenance has taken note of this issue and begun to enact change. The Office of Sustainability partnered with Landscaping to install a new, deliberate pollinator garden near Roberts House. They are also adding Persimmon trees to the space, which will further support native pollinators (personal communication, April 1, 2022). Protecting GMU’s pollinator gardens will positively impact both the community and the pollinators that rely on these spaces to benefit our environment.
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References
Campus Pollinator Pledge. National Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.nwf.org/EcoLeaders/Get-Involved/Campus-Pollinator-Pledge
Lo, M. B. M. (2018). Who manages the grounds and landscaping at Mason? Office of Sustainability. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://green.gmu.edu/ufaqs/who-manages-the-grounds-and-landscaping-at-mason/
Stoner, K. (2017). PROPER TIMING TO MOW NATIVE PLANT MEADOWS CAN PROTECT POLLINATOR HABITAT. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station . Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://clear.uconn.edu/tools/habitats/docs/ProperTimingtoMow.pdf
Why is Pollination Important? U.S. Forest Service. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/importance.shtml