When driving by, it's easy to see the obvious food access role the Victory Garden plays in our neighborhood. People can often be seen picking beans and herbs for the night, meeting a neighbor for the first time, catching up with an old friend, or at TownFolk Table on Saturdays, distributing food to build a stronger, healthier community. But when we take a closer look, there's an amazing story unfolding on a small scale. That's exactly what local business owner and fellow TownFolk member Marcus Descant is setting out to teach right here in our neighborhood. His latest initiative is called "Bug Camp" and it teaches gardeners old and young about what exactly those little critters are doing in the garden.
Photo courtesy of Marcus Descant
Marcus had a key role in the design and construction of the Victory Garden. According to Marcus, "Portions of it were designed for building populations of butterflies and other pollinators as well as predatory insects. These insects help us, they improve yield and manage pests."
He also notes that at the moment, "Gulf fritillary caterpillars are mindless eating-machines packing on more than 1000 times their initial body mass in less than 2 weeks. The assassin bug population is especially high right now, so hopefully we'll get to see a knarly insect death unfold right before our eyes. The group at Bug Camp will look for a number of different bugs in the garden, identify their roles, and work on improving beneficial insect populations. This can be achieved by planting certain flowers and herbs throughout the garden. The best gardens and communities are diverse ecosystems."
Join Marcus of the Urban Naturalist for Bug Camp, where part of the camp will take place at the Victory Garden, June 27th—June 30th to learn more about the crucial role of bugs in the ecosystem.
View his event page here.