The first phase of the new Pollinator Park at LaSalle Rotary Park got underway this weekend and was immediately capped off with the very first butterfly visit. On Saturday Rotarians and family members from LaSalle, Peru, and Illinois Valley Sunrise began construction of the pollinator ‘demonstration’ plot near the park entrance on the east side.
The 15’ by 15’ plot will also feature an interpretive educational sign about the importance of pollinator flowers for the health of bees and butterflies and pointing visitors to the larger 10-acre pollinator area on the park’s west side. The 10-acre site, phase 2, is scheduled for planting in the upcoming weeks. For the ‘demonstrator’ plot, Rotarians bought an assortment of pollinators including Cone-Flowers, Blazing Star, Golden Rod, and more. As work was wrapping up and shovels were being put away, one Monarch Butterfly came and landed on one the freshly planted flowers, and that image was captured by Peru Rotarian Chadd Kreofsky. “It made the whole day’s effort worth it,” he said. The Pollinator Park project is being funded by the Rotary Clubs of Illinois Valley Sunrise, Peru and LaSalle, in combination with a grant from Rotary District 6420 which serves all of the clubs in Northern Illinois.