News

Tourism agency to plant pollinator garden downtown

By Lightning Reports, Published: November 5, 2020

The Henderson County Tourism Development Authority will use a grant from the Blue Ridge Parkway Association to create a pollinator garden downtown.

The Parkway Association and the Deer Park Brand partnered to establish sustainability grants to fund conservation initiatives that benefit member communities and visitors alike. The grants are a part of the Deer Park Brand’s larger conservation efforts. In a fierce competition for the grants, three projects stood out for their ability to have meaningful impact on the community and educate and inspire visitors to embrace sustainable practices in their own homes and neighborhoods.

Henderson County Tourism Development Authority will use the grant to create a demonstration pollinator garden in the center of the historic Main Street district in downtown Hendersonville that will motivate residents and visitors alike to make simple changes in their own landscapes to help sustain local ecosystems. The garden will incorporate interpretive signage and a larger-than-life bee mural painted by celebrated artist, Matt Willey, as part of “The Good of the Hive” global initiative to inspire actions to help sustain healthy ecosystems. 

The other two winners were The Orchards at Altapass and the Haywood County TDA.  The Orchards at Altapass is a non-profit organization that works to preserve the regional traditions, culture, and food-ways of the Blue Ridge and is one of the most popular spots along Parkway. The Haywood Tourism Development Authority will use the grant for two water conservation and sustainability projects in the Pigeon River Watershed of Haywood County that will complement local volunteer initiatives.