Lead: Stesha Pasachnik
Workdays: 2nd Friday of the month from 9:30 am to 11:30 am unless otherwise noted
The Fort Worth Zoo Pollinator Grow Zone located at 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76110 was established in 2019 by Co-ordinators, Amy Coslik and Rebecca Gonzales with help and support from the Fort Worth Zoo and a Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program grant. The Grow Zone was set up response to the National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Pledge for which Fort Worth was named a Champion City in 2019. The space sits on the east side of the Zoo parking lot with a potential of educating over 1 million visitors each year on the importance of pollinators and native plants.
After soil solarization, the area saturated with native seed mixes in the fall of 2019. The area was dense with native pollinator plants initially; however, the invasive grass almost completely took over in Spring, 2021. A Texas Native Plant Society grant obtained in Spring 2022 allowed for a complete restoration of the space coordinated by Amy Coslik and current partner and NPSOT member, Stesha Pasachnik. With these efforts, the Pollinator Zone was increased by almost 100%.
The revised idea for this space is to show case different types of native plant gardening with a wild prairie in the back half and a more manicured garden in the front. In the Fall of 2022, the back half was seeded and the front half was planted thanks to the NPSOT grant and plants rescued from the Forest Park Demonstration Garden.
In late 2022, discussions begin with NPSOT to make this a demonstration garden for the society and approved in January, 2023. The first volunteer day, January 13, 2023, was a hug success and we look forward to more!.