Pretty in Pink: Pollinator Plants & the Pink Accessories That Help Them Thrive

It’s that time of year when another section of Swaner Preserve suddenly sprouts hundreds of pink flags. If you are driving along Old Ranch Road, you may notice these new vibrant accessories. Each flag marks a brand-new addition of a pollinator-friendly plant to the habitat. For the fourth year in a row, Swaner Preserve is one of the lucky recipients of upland and wetland pollinator habitat kits from UDAF’s Utah Pollinator Habitat Program. With the help of staff and volunteers, over 600 individual pollinator plants were planted and adorned with a little pink flag. The flags help our conservation team find all the seedlings to ensure each one gets watered while they adjust to their new home. The flags will stay in place for 2-3 years to survey for survivorship of plants, grant reporting, and watering during dry spells. 

In anticipation of the arrival of UDAF Pollinator kits, our team has been prepping the planting site, removing invasive weeds, releasing biocontrols, and notifying the local beaver population, who have generously built a dam in the area, which could help our wetland plants thrive. Each plant, in addition to a pink flag, receives a helping of compost and biochar donated by Alpine Forestry. Once planted, we lightly mulch around the plant to prevent mud and soil from splashing on the young leaves when the plants are watered and to retain moisture. Pollinator plants are another piece of the puzzle for continued restoration efforts at Swaner Preserve, including process-based restoration, seeding, integrated weed management, and more! 

In addition to receiving over 600 plants through the UDAF program, Swaner Preserve hosted a pickup location at the Wallin Farm for other grant recipients to receive plants. For a week, Swaner Preserve was lucky to host thousands of little seedlings as they were cared for, sorted into kits, and sent off to their new permanent homes by Pollinator Habitat Program staff and volunteers. Interested in applying for your own plants or learning more about the UDAF Pollinator Program? Check out their website! Want to learn more about conservation and restoration work at Swaner Preserve? Check out the On the Preserve section of our website! 

Group of volunteers placing pink flags to identify newly planted seedlings.

Plants on site at Old Ranch Road being staged and planted.

Hundreds of plants that were ready for pickup for other grant recipients.

Local beaver at work building a dam.

Other Naturalist News

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