We are identifying our first garden sites near East High School. Here is how site approval, permissions, and native plant selection will work before anything is planted.
Our first garden builds are being planned near East High School, the neighborhood where Project Pollinator began. No ground has been broken yet, and we want to be clear about why: a garden starts with permission, not with a shovel.
For each candidate site, we confirm who owns the land, what the site receives in sun and water, and who will care for the planting once it is in the ground. Where a site belongs to a school, a neighborhood group, a business, or the city, we ask for written permission before any work is scheduled.
Plant selection comes next. We choose species native to Central Ohio and suited to the specific conditions of the site — the same approach Ohio DNR recommends in its native garden guidance. Our current plant list includes purple coneflower, gray-headed coneflower, wild bergamot, mountain mint, milkweed, black-eyed Susan, and Ohio goldenrod, but the final mix depends on the site.
If you know of a spot that could become habitat, tell us about it. Neighborhood knowledge is how we find the places that matter most.
Project Pollinator is a youth-led 501(c)(3) public charity in Columbus, Ohio. Get involved or review our transparency details.