Community members gather at the Phoenix Library for a ribbon cutting, celebrating the opening of the library's new pollinator garden
Peyton Gast / Jefferson Public Radio
A new 4,000-square-foot pollinator garden opened Thursday at the Phoenix Library, giving the community a green space inspired by residents’ hopes for recovery after the 2020 Almeda Fire.
The garden wraps around the library, with greenery near the entrance, colorful flowers in the back and tall trees shading pathways through the space.
Library leaders say the project grew out of community listening sessions held after the fire, which destroyed much of Phoenix. Residents expressed a desire to restore some of the plants, wildlife and natural spaces lost in the disaster. Josh Letsinger, community engagement manager for Jackson County Library Services, said the garden is one way to do that.
“This is just a place where people can gather and can relax,” Letsinger said. “We can start to bring some natural beauty back to the space.”
Ginny Auer, executive director of the Jackson County Library Foundation, said she was struck by how strongly residents wanted to restore some of the flora and fauna lost in the fire. She reached out to foundations and local businesses to help pay for the project.
At Thursday’s opening, she addressed donors, community partners and others who helped create the garden.
“When we look around at this beautiful space, we are looking at what can happen when a community comes together to help,” Auer said.
State Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, said the project brings together two priorities he sees in the Rogue Valley.
“This is kind of a convergence of two big threads that people care about — a community and preserving a livable planet,” Golden said. “I’m not at all surprised that people got excited and stepped up for that.”
Frances Chaney of the Robert and Frances Chaney Foundation said she was happy to support the project because of her interest in horticulture and gardening.
“It’s just a beautiful project,” Chaney said. ”It’s turned out lovely and just great for the community.”
Crystal Zastera, facilities manager for Jackson County Library Services, helped develop the garden. She said plants were carefully selected to attract pollinators like butterflies and bees.
The garden is designed so that plants that attract butterflies are near the front of the library, while those that attract bees are in the back. Zastera said that when the flowers bloom, their colors are designed to flow from reds to pinks and purples.
Peyton Gast is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
