By Gabriella Bancheri
Ventnor Middle School life science teacher Michael Capizola is no doubt passionate about what he does, and his brainchild and pollinator garden located at the middle school is quite literally living proof of his passion.
After having the opportunity to chat with Michael while strolling through the garden, I was enlightened by his refreshing and informative perspective. Michael was looking for an opportunity to give the kids a hands-on learning experience that they could use to ‘help our local ecosystems,’ as he told me.
In November of 2022, Michael reached out to local couple and members of the South Jersey Surfrider chapter, Carol Jones and Bill Stuempfig, about his initial idea. The couple were immediately interested in the plans and began discussing logistics right away. As a South Jersey based environmental organization whose mission is to protect the beautiful world in which we live, play, and find endless beauty, it’s no surprise that Surfrider agreed to pay $2,500 to get this project up and running.
To kick off the new year Bill, Carol and Michael devised a plan and consulted Dustin Welch of the Wildlife Gardener to decide the best native perennial plants to include in the garden, making the maintenance low cost and sure to return every year. The consultation took place in February and was primarily to ensure that the correct plants were placed in the ecosystem so they can thrive.
As the plan began to gradually take shape mid-March, Jon Hanson of Reuters Construction cleared the space for the garden. During this crucial process, Hanson donated his services to the cause, and the City of Ventnor granted the team access to a water source and waived dumpster removal fees in their support of the project.
Not long after, the team sent their proposal to The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, another environmentalist non-profit. The plans were approved for a kit that offers 600 (yes, that’s six hundred!) plants in the ground. The kit contains milkweed, bergamot, Narrowleaf Mountainmint, coneflower and few others. These specific plants are meant to thrive in small dry, average soil sites.
After sending the project proposal to Xerces Society, Bill and Carol got in contact with David Solomon of Suburban Fence Company, who provided the fence materials at a discounted price. At the beginning of April, the team began installing the fence and the eco-soil was spread, allowing the project to start taking shape. Two months later, the plant plugs were collected from Kass Urban-Mead at Pinelands nursery, and on June 6th, it was finally time to get planting!
The pollinator garden is now a great habitat for insects and birds alike, giving the former shelter over the winter and the latter a temporary migration habitat, since New Jersey is along the great Atlantic flyway—all while protecting local biodiversity. The pesticide-free habitat provides caterpillars with a large supply of milkweed and migratory monarchs a place to “fuel up” for their migration south, as Michael informed me.
What budded as a simple idea to get the kids learning outside bloomed into a collaborative community-wide effort and beautiful garden. After speaking with Michael, Bill and Carol, it became clear that if there is anything viewers and locals can take away from this project, it’s this: the positivity of environmentally sustainable projects such as this one is contagious, and necessarily so, because it takes a community to make it work.
Whether you’re interested in simply browsing the garden and taking a stroll or immersing in a location-specific horticulture crash course, stop by Ventnor Middle School and get inspired. You certainly don’t have to be a scientist or an avid environmentalist to enjoy the beauty of the garden’s social and environmental impact–although, as the crew behind this project have taught me, it’s never too late to start!
Gabriella is a Ventnor City resident and graduate of the University of London with an MA in Creative Writing and Publishing. Her writing is featured in a variety of digital publications ranging from food and beverage to literature to ecotourism.
