The Pelican-- Visit Our Community Gardens

By Diane Wong-Kone

“I must have flowers, always, and always.” – Claude Monet
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     Pollinators, including birds, bats, and many varieties of insects are declining with habitat loss, increased pesticide and climate hange.  Our pollinators, through the collection of their nectar food sources, help our gardens, the flowers and food plants, to grow.  Yet disturbingly, our pollinator species are declining.  We can all help by creating a space in our own yards and community gardens for pollinators! In this way, we beautify our communities and help pollinators too! Lahontan Audubon Society volunteers have been helping in multiple wildlife and pollinator-friendly gardens in west Reno and now is a great time to visit the public gardens!

Oxbow Park
Location:  3100 Dickerson Road, Reno (map)
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     Our volunteer, Judith Lockwood, maintains this pollinator garden at the entrance to Oxbow Park. Each year, she cleans the bed and tends to the plants for local bees and butterflies, and for all of us to enjoy. Thank you, Judith, for beautifying one of our favorite local birding spots!

Bees are not the only pollinators.  Birds and insects like this hoverfly on a showy milkweed are important pollinators too!


Lake Park
Location:  40 Coleman Dr., Reno (map)
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     A new pollinator garden was installed by the City of Reno, One Truckee River and volunteers at Lake Park this year. Please visit and see the new art bench and gardens.  Lahontan Audubon member Cathy Schmidt coordinates volunteers to help maintain this lovely community park. Working together, the neighbors have created a space that can be enjoyed by families and even an occasional rare bird! This is the park where the Acorn Woodpecker stayed last winter! New demonstration areas and signs give homeowners ideas of how to add conservation water features and pollinator-friendly plants to their own yards.

Lake Park gardens feature a rain garden and nectar-producing flowers to feed pollinators like this carpenter bees.

Valley Wood Wildlife Gardens
Location:  6555 Valley Wood Dr., Reno (map)
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     This public park features bird and pollinator-friendly plants and a public food forest that locals are invited to harvest! Lahontan Audubon Society, with grants from Great Salt Lake Audubon and National Audubon Society, enhanced gardens this year with fruit-bearing shrubs and trees. With volunteer care, these fruit trees will thrive and provide food for birds and people. There will be volunteer work party, where you can learn planting techniques next to master gardeners, and a public tour that highlights the plants that thrive in our area, showcasing the vision of sharing our community spaces. All events at Valley Wood will be published on our website calendar, so please check our website often for updates!

Volunteer Work Party – Saturday August 3, 2024, 8:00 am.

Public Garden Tour – Saturday August 10, 2024, 9:00 am.

Volunteers help maintain the Valley Wood Park Wildlife Gardens and some fruit is ready to harvest!

Photos © Diane Wong-Kone