Maple Grove’s Great River Energy Boosts Pollinator Habitat Restoration Efforts

Nestled along the Maple Grove headquarters of Great River Energy, a team was hard at work Thursday morning on a little gardening project.

“I enjoy doing it because I enjoy being outside and being in wildlife,” said Dan Tix, a restoration ecologist with MNL.

His company has partnered with Great River Energy on a project to help restore pollinator-friendly habitats to 300 acres of land, spread across 71 counties throughout the state.

“We know that these pollinator habitats have a really had a trickle-down effect to our agriculture industry,” said Trevor Roy, a spokesperson for Great River Energy. “The bees, the butterflies the bats, the birds that rely on these native flowers and grasses really are going to go a long way in helping our future food supply.”

The Minnesota DNR says only about 1 percent of the state’s native prairie remains today due to chemical use, industrialization of agriculture and development.

Staff members from MNL planted milkweed and other pollinator-friendly plants outside of the Maple Grove headquarters of Great River Energy Thursday morning.

But planting milkweed, coneflowers and meadow blazing star are things people can do in own their yards to help restore that pollinator-friendly habitat.

“If you’re going to do these plantings, it’s best to use a lot of different species,” Tix said. “You know, five, six different species to mix it up, and to make sure there’s blooming all year long for the pollinators to get food sources all year long.”

A little gardening can go a long way to helping support a healthy ecosystem that benefits bees, butterflies, and ultimately, us.

“It will not look great to start out with, but as the growing season continues, you’re going to see some serious improvements,” said Roy.

To learn more about the benefits of pollinator habitat and how to create an impact in your own back yard, you can visit the Great River Energy ‘“Pollinator Strong” website.

Related: The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes’ Newest Addition: Beehives

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