While undergoing construction, the Florida Museum of Natural History remains closed through Nov. 23. But its closure has not stopped its educational programming.
Earlier this month, the museum teamed up with the City of Gainesville to host Plant for Pollinators: Bees and Trees at Evergreen Cemetery. The free event offered attendees a native plant and a tree while supplies lasted.
Jaret Daniels, curator and head of interim exhibits and public programs at the Florida Museum, said the museum is looking for ways to remain connected with the North Central Florida community while it cannot welcome visitors inside.
“It’s important to deliver high-quality educational programming,” he said.
Daniels also leads the Florida Museum’s Daniels Lab at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. The lab focuses on conserving pollinators in the southeastern United States, with a special focus on vulnerable butterfly species.
Daniels started the Plants for Pollinators initiative to raise awareness about conservation by giving away free pollinator-friendly plants to make it easier for people to support wildlife in their own yards.
“It gives people an easy opportunity to make a difference,” he said. “Hopefully if they have a positive experience, they’ll expand their landscape or continue that effort going forward.”
The museum partnered with the City of Gainesville for Bees and Trees as part of the city’s annual tree giveaway. Daniels said this collaborative event also provided an opportunity to prevent confusion surrounding which plants can best support pollination.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there about what plants to include, what are native, what are non-native,” he said.
At the event, attendees could speak directly with researchers like Daniels about how to support local pollinators. The Daniels Lab emphasized the importance of native plants, which can provide food and habitats for bees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators.
For some attendees, the event was an opportunity to spend time outside while contributing to the community.
Alex Tisdale, who describes herself as a nature enthusiast, attended with her best friend Alexis. The two live in the area and said they were particularly interested in taking home free trees.
Tisdale said she enjoys Evergreen Cemetery and has attended other events there, including cemetery club activities.
“It always looks good to be planting trees,” she said. “If you give people trees, they want to plant them, and they have that sense of ownership. It’s like caring for them. I think that’s a great idea.”
Leo Dugger worked the event to support the cemetery. His wife serves on the cemetery’s board, but since she could not help at the event, he showed up in her place to support an organization he said his family finds very important.
“We need to support the pollinators,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about, keeping those birds and bees happy.”
For other attendees, the event was about more than planting. Daniela Suzarte said bringing people together around environmental conservation creates an opportunity for positive change at the local level.
“It’s a great way to do something for the greater good of where we live [by] having the pollinators and also keeping it green,” she said.
Suzarte also said she appreciates the Florida Museum’s continued outreach efforts while the building is closed. She said keeping people invested in museum programming can maintain interest ahead of its reopening.
“It keeps excitement and the zeitgeist so that we’re all ready when they do open to go and do the fun things,” she said.
For Veronika Thiebach, environmental education is important for both children and adults.
Thiebach completed the Florida Master Gardener volunteer coursework last year and is currently a Florida Master Gardener volunteer trainee. She said she has almost completed the 75 volunteer hours required to become an official volunteer.
Her interest in plants and the environment stems from her previous careers as an elementary school teacher and an environmental lawyer. Thiebach said those experiences have reinforced the importance of continuing education about the natural world.
“You can always learn more about plants in the environment,” she said.
Thiebach said the Florida Museum’s ability to reach people of all ages helped make Bees and Trees successful. Hundreds of people lined up to receive a free plant and tree.
“I’m just hoping everyone gets to go home with one!” she said.
Daniels also said he considered the event a success.
“It’s just great to see such a wonderful turnout,” he said.
But Daniels said he hopes attendees left Plant for Pollinators with more than just a plant and tree. He said he wants people to become more interested in what goes on in their own backyard and inspire them to take action.
“We hope that people understand the benefit of landscaping for wildlife and spending time in their yard looking at all the fantastic bees, butterflies, birds [and] other wildlife that comes in,” he said. “That really stokes up an interest in them to do more.”