Penn State University Pollinator and Bird Garden

The 3.5-acre Pollinator and Bird Garden at The Arboretum at Penn State synthesizes research through the creation of beautiful and ecologically rich habitats for pollinators and birds. The innovative design crafts moments in the landscape that support bird and pollinator habitats, provides places to conduct research, and educates and inspires visitors to rebuild habitat at both individual and collective scales. The project was developed in collaboration with the Center for Pollinator Research, Penn State faculty and experts, arboretum staff, and members of the Avian Education Advisory Committee.

In collaboration with Didier Design Studio.

The design process began with a simple question: what criteria distinguish a pollinator and bird garden? The project team outlined three interrelated goals: to create intentional habitat for pollinators and birds, provide places to conduct research, and educate and inspire visitors to rebuild habitat. The garden is designed to showcase the full range of local pollinators, providing an educational opportunity for the local community and Penn State students to observe their impact on the region’s ecology and food systems.

The garden provides a wide array of unique habitat enhancements, including solitary bee nesting structures, a beehive structure, bird feeders, bird nest boxes, wetland areas, and standing dead trees, or “snags,” to attract predatory birds such as raptors and owls. Lake Flato led the design of the Birdhouse, a raised observation platform with three distinct viewing areas focused on birds that nest near the ground, in the low canopy, and in the high canopy.