Community Collaboration in Bloom: Pollinator Garden Takes Root at the Y

Earlier this spring, Alex Gu­gala, Executive Director of the Cook County YMCA, started exploring the idea of a polli­nator garden after friends men­tioned an opportunity through Cook County Soil and Water Conservation.

“They let me know about the shared-cost grant, and we start­ed working on something. That was around March or April,” Gugala said.

With support from Taproot Landscaping, the YMCA re­cently planted 300 native polli­nator plants around the facility.

“It’s kind of like the Pints for a Purpose program,” Gugala noted, referring to the fundrais­er this spring that helped send kids to summer camp. “It just shows Cook County’s ability to work together and make things happen. It’s a really neat way we can spruce up the outside of the Y.”

The planting event on July 31 brought together YMCA staff, volunteers, day campers, and Master Gardeners for a hands-on effort.

“We had a couple of volun­teers lay down plastic back in May or June to prep the site,” Gugala said. “They laid the plastic down to get the grass killed and ground ready.”

The garden now wraps around the west side of the building, just to the left of the main en­trance.

While still in its early stages, Gugala shared the long-term significance, stating, “Having any sort of native pollinators in the area is important. We all know the environmental ben­efit that it has. But a common space is important, also, in my opinion. Someplace that people want to be and enjoy. Adding this really adds to our commu­nity.”

Maintenance of the new pol­linator garden will require a community effort.

“We’ll have volunteers help­ing with weeding. We should be watering it an inch of water a week,” Gugala explained. “As far as upkeep, that’s where our Master Gardeners come in, as well. They’ll be helping us.”

Gugala expressed gratitude for the collaborators behind the scenes, giving special thanks to representatives from Cook County Soil and Water Conser­vation and Taproot Landscap­ing, along with the volunteers and Master Gardeners who helped bring the idea to life.

The new pollinator garden is just the beginning of a blos­soming partnership between the YMCA, local volunteers, and conservation groups. It’s proof that small steps can lead to big changes both in preserving our natural world and in bringing the community together for a cause.