TDOT Welcome Center Pollinator Meadow

TDOT Welcome Center Pollinator Meadow. . , Pollinators are a diverse group of species which includes birds, bees, butterflies, bats and beetles. While feeding, they carry pollen from flower to flower that fertilizes plants. They are critically important to life and their numbers are in steady decline as a result of loss of habitat, pests and pathogens, exposure to pesticides and other stressors., Honey Bees can travel up to 4 miles from their hive in search of nectar pollen!!, The value of crops benefiting from pollination is more than $199 million annually in Tennessee., Across the parking lot, you can see the TDOT Welcome Center Pollinator Meadow., As part of our pollinator habitat program, we are building pollinator meadows at welcome centers and rest stops across the state., There are many steps involved in the establishment effort which can take one to three years to complete., Plants used in the meadow are: , Bottlebrush buckeye- Aesculus parviflora , Common milkweed- Asclepias syriaca , Butterfly milkweed- Asclepias tuberosa , New England aster- Aster novae-angliae , Silky aster- Aster sericeus , Buttonbush- Cephalanthus occidentalis , Lance-leaf coreopsis- Coreopsis lanceolata , Purple coneflower- Echinacea purpurea , Sweet Joe-Pye weed- Eupatorium purpureum , Rough blazingstar-Liatris aspera , Bee balm- Monarda didyma , Hairy beardtongue- Penstemon hirsutus , Beardtongue- Penstemon smallii , Black-eyed susan- Rudbeckia hirta , Lyre-leaf sage- Salvia lyrata , Gray goldenrod- Solidago nemoralis , Rough-leaved goldenrod- Solidago rugosa , Tall ironweed- Veronia noveboracensis, TDOT Pollinator Habitat Program is doing its part to help pollinators by building and maintaining pollinator habitat along our 13,807 miles of roadways, and at welcome centers and rest stops., The program includes: , Modifying mowing schedules to be compatible with pollinator cycles. , Utilizing swath mowing practices to reduce costs and increase habitat. , Including pollinator plants in roadside landscaping during new construction and rehabilitation projects where possible. , Establishing pollinator meadows and gardens at Welcome Centers and Rest Stops across the state. , Incorporating Best Maintenance Practices and sound ecological principles, through Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management., Look for more good things to come as we work to connect and create pollinator habitats across the beautiful state of Tennessee., At your feet is a small Ornamental Pollinator Garden that you can plant at home., This garden includes: , Butterfly Milkweed- Asclepias tuberosa , New England Aster- Aster novae-angliae , Purple Coneflower- Echinacea purpurea , Rough Blazingstar- Liatris aspera , Black-eyed Susan- Rudbeckia hirta, Almost any flowering plants will do but be sure to include some Milkweed. Monarch butterflies cannot survive without milkweed; their caterpillars only eat milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.), and monarch butterflies need milkweed to lay their eggs., Due to shifting land management practices, we have lost much milkweed from the landscape., You too can help restore this habitat for these magnificent butterflies., National Pollinator Week: , In 2007, the U.S. Senate designated a week in June as National Pollinator Week. The celebration is a nationwide effort that calls attention to the steps everyone-from government, to the private sector, to individual citizens-can take to protect and restore pollinator populations. For more information on how you can help, visit the Pollinator Partnership website at pollinator.org, Resources , Tennessee Department of Transportation- Pollinator Habitat Program , Tennessee Department of Agriculture - Bee Information , Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Pollinator Habitat Assistance , US Department of Agriculture - Pollinator Assistance Programs, General Information: , The Xerces Society , Pollinator Partnership , US Fish and Wildlife Service - Pollinators , USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Insects and Pollinators, Creating Habitat Publications: , US Fish and Wildlife Service - Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden , USDA Forest Service - Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native Plants , USDA Forest Service - Gardening for Pollinators , USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Pollinator-Friendly Plants for NE US , The Xerces Society - Project Milkweed