Nate and his helpers designed and built the Brian C. Thomas Memorial Pollinator Garden at the entrance of Wescott Beach State Park. Working with officials at New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Nate designed the 1,700 square-foot garden with more than 2,000 native pollinator plants.
The garden is designed to provide a suitable habitat for birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles, but especially pollinator species. Pollinators are animals that feed on nectar and pollen. As they travel from plant to plant, they fertilize the plants and help maintain the ecosystem.
Prior to the installation of the garden, the site was a grass desert. It took 497 hours of service to build the garden.
Nate dedicated the garden to Brian C. Thomas, a former regional engineer for New York state parks. Brian helped Nate spearhead the project but passed away suddenly as the project was starting.
A full slideshow is available at https://www.scouttroop586.com/nate-matteson
— Nate M., Troop 586, Adams, N.Y.
Wow. Great project! It’s so sad that Brian couldn’t see the final finished product.