Hazel Dell Community Garden & Pollinator Strip

A community-led effort to restore land, support pollinators, and grow connection in NE Hazel Dell / West Minnehaha Neighborhood

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A neglected strip of utility corridor in Hazel Dell is transforming into a vibrant community space — a garden for pollinators, people, and the planet. Located at 1802 NE Minnehaha St, this land is part of a Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) right-of-way. Through a grassroots partnership between local neighbors, federal employee volunteers, and environmental stewards, we’re working to turn this underused land into a living example of regenerative ecology and community care.

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🌱 The Vision

This is a multi-year project, just at the seed stage. Here's what we hope to grow over time:

• A thriving pollinator garden with native flowering plants and habitat features

• Soil regeneration using compost, mulch, and cover crops

• A food-producing community garden space, co-designed with neighbors

• Educational signage and space for community gathering

• A local stewardship group to maintain and evolve the site

• An opportunity for city dwellers to engage with nature and the healing practice of growing food while partnering with biology

🧑‍🌾 Community Roots

This project is:

• Volunteer-led and community-powered

• Open to all who want to help and learn

• Grounded in values of sustainability, inclusion, and long-term stewardship

🌼 What Is a Pollinator Strip?

A pollinator strip is a planted area, usually long and narrow, filled with native wildflowers, grasses, and flowering shrubs that provide essential food and habitat for pollinating insects like bees, butterflies, and beetles. These strips are designed to support biodiversity while fitting into the edges of urban spaces, farms, or infrastructure corridors.

This project will transform a utility right-of-way into a thriving pollinator strip that benefits not just insects, but the entire local ecosystem and community.

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🌎 Ecological Benefits

• Supports Native Wildlife: Provides habitat for a variety of native pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects

• Boosts Biodiversity: Helps restore balance in areas dominated by invasive species or monocultures

• Improves Soil Health: Deep-rooted plants build organic matter, prevent erosion, and promote microbial life

• Connects Fragmented Habitat: Acts as a corridor for wildlife movement across urbanized areas
   

🚜 Benefits to Local Agriculture

For nearby farms like Arcadia Refuge, pollinator strips play a vital role:

• Increased Pollination: Improves fruit and seed production in vegetables, herbs, and flowers

• Pest Control Support: Attracts predatory insects that help manage pests naturally

• Microclimate Buffering: Offers windbreaks and shade for young crops

• Educational Value: Demonstrates sustainable growing practices and community-scale conservation

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🏘️ Benefits to the Community

• Beautifies neglected land, transforming an overgrown area that currently attracts litter and illegal dumping

• Inspires community pride and stewardship, showing what’s possible when neighbors work together

• Provides a gathering place for volunteer events, learning, and connection

• Demonstrates sustainability in action, fostering a culture of care for land, wildlife, and each other

• Empowers local ownership, offering an opportunity for residents to not just enjoy public space, but to co-create and care for it together

• Complements nearby parks by giving the neighborhood a space that’s by the community, for the community — a project rooted in participation and shared purpose
   

This is more than a landscaping project, it’s a shift in how we treat our shared spaces. By reclaiming this forgotten strip of land, we’re building a more resilient and connected neighborhood from the soil up.​

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💚 Gratitude

This work is possible because of a coalition of caring people — from neighbors and volunteers to BPA staff and local supporters. Thank you for helping us grow something meaningful.