Watchung Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
The Brookdale Park Pollinator/Monarch Waystation Garden was a project undertaken in 2018, by Jean Greeley, as a Rutgers Environmental Stewards project. In partnership with the Brookdale Park Conservancy, the plan was to convert an overgrown section of the original Olmsted Rock Garden into a native plant habitat and certified Monarch Waystation. With the help of Brookdale Park Conservancy volunteers and their own partners, invasive weeds and shrubs were removed to uncover an existing patch of common milkweed. Native flowers and shrubs were planted to enhance the area for monarchs and other butterflies and pollinating insects by providing nectar and host plants for numerous butterfly and moth species. In 2019 the garden became a volunteer opportunity for the Master Gardeners. With their added help it has been expanding in plant species and aesthetics to make it not only attractive to more insects but to humans as well. New ideas and plans continue to pop up, just like the invasive weeds do each spring and summer. Help is always needed and welcomed! Contact Jean Greeley at jgreeley743@gmail.com.
(click here for a map of the park)
