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Environment

Basin Rec Pollinator Garden planted at Matt Knoop Park

Michele Roepke

Michele Roepke
Jan 2, 2025

Matt Knoop's new Polinator coral.

Matt Knoop's new Polinator coral. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — The Open Space team at Basin Recreation  has announced that the Matt Knoop Pollinator Garden will open to the public in Spring 2025. It is currently closed for the winter to help the native plant seedlings overwinter without disturbance and become established in early spring.

Matt Knoop new coral
Pollinator signage at Matt Knoop. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

This fall, the Open Space team planted about 220 pollinator plants in the garden, many of which were grown in the Trailside greenhouse. The project started in 2023 with the vision of having a garden that can provide a space for residents of Park City and visitors to learn about how the local flora supports a myriad of pollinator species like bees, butterflies, birds, and other insects.

“The garden will highlight native species of plants that are adapted for our unique climate and serve as an example to the community of how they can incorporate nativescaping into their own gardens to support biodiversity,” Basin Rec Open Space Supervisor Maddie Nelson said. “Additionally, the garden will be a gathering space for the community and offers a way for people to enjoy time outside amongst the beautiful mountains and flora.”

Matt Knoop Basin Rec new coral
Coral, adjacent to the green turf field visible in the background. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke
In 2025, the Open Space team will work to grow more plants in the Trailside greenhouse from native seeds that are sustainably harvested in our open spaces. They grew approximately 600 native seedlings in the greenhouse this year and hope to expand the diversity of species grown for the upcoming year.
 
This September, they had approximately 15 volunteers join them on a native seed collection hike, where they harvested seeds from over 20 different species of plants. They will continue to populate the pollinator gardens at Matt Knoop Park and Run-A-Muk with plants grown in the Trailside greenhouse, as well as using seedlings to restore other open spaces that have been degraded from social trails, erosion, or other forms of disturbance.
 
Future opportunities for people to get involved in the garden could include volunteer weed pull days, planting events, and educational talks about native pollinator species.
 
“We encourage community members to keep an eye on our social media pages and subscribe to the Trails and Open Space Newsletter for updates about the anticipated opening date for the garden, and future events or programs,” Nelson added. “Please note that the garden is for pedestrian use only and will be off-limits to dogs in order to protect the delicate wildflowers and plants.” 

Michele Roepke
By: Michele Roepke

I've lived in Park City for 30 years but right off the starting line, my journalism professors expressed plaudits after class for writing more so about the small-town sports in the surrounding mountains than the urban updates they assigned. Therefore, I’m on par punning and penning Parkites' pastimes. Turning high and early through my career, I’ve worked communications for The Olympics, the Paralympics and the Special Olympics. Additionally, there's been National Geographic, Patagonia, NCAA, USA Nordic and the United States Library of Congress, so I guess you could say this ain't my first rodeo.

Read more from Michele Roepke

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