Pollinator Project Gets New Home — Community Invited to Groundbreaking Friday

Rita Shipp
Nov 12
3 min read

*Harvest Church, home to Kingdom Roots Academy, will soon host the new Buzz & Bloom Sensory Garden in Jasper. Groundbreaking is set for Friday at 9 a.m. behind the church fountain. Photo by Rita Shipp*

JASPER, Texas — What started as a simple pollinator garden has turned into a community movement.

The Longleaf Ridge Master Naturalists, along with Jasper Master Gardeners, are officially breaking ground on the Buzz & Bloom Sensory Garden this Friday, November 14 at 9:00 AM on the campus of Kingdom Roots Academy at Harvest Church. The public is invited to attend, lend a hand, and learn more about the project.

Kingdom Roots Academy students will help care for the Buzz & Bloom Sensory Garden, built through a community partnership supported by H-E-B, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and local volunteers. Photo by Rita Shipp

The garden was originally planned for property near the Children’s Clinic on the Hospital District grounds. However, once the project reached the City of Jasper for approval, the District was told the site would require a new land survey, a civil engineering drainage plat, and a new 911 address registration — all at significant cost and with the potential to delay the project up to a year.

Instead of losing momentum, the team pivoted.

“We’re excited to break ground on a space that will showcase the benefits of native plants and pollinators to the public,” said grant writer Anne Davis. “The garden will serve as an experiential classroom for students and teachers, and we’ll be adding activities and games for kids as part of the experience.”

Thanks to H-E-B’s approval to relocate the site, a generous grant awarded earlier this year will now help establish the garden at Kingdom Roots Academy — a move organizers say actually strengthens the project by allowing students to be directly involved.

Community Support Needed

The relocation means the project will move forward sooner, but it also means losing approximately $6,000 in previously pledged in-kind support from the Hospital District. So now, the group is looking to the community for help.

Items on the project “wish list” include:

benches
timbers and pea gravel for pathways
bee and bat houses
educational / informational signage
deer fencing
labor to help electrify the site
hands willing to weed, plant, and maintain

“This is truly a win-win-win collaboration,” Davis said. “We invite the community to contribute with time, talent, or resources.”

What’s Ahead

This isn’t just a garden — it’s part of a larger pollinator initiative.

The Master Naturalists are preparing a “NO MOW” challenge for 2026, with a goal of getting local landowners to commit to planting wildflowers instead of mowing highway frontage. Participants will receive a No Mow, No Spray sign for their property while supplies last.

Pollinators aren’t just butterflies and bees. They include bats, hummingbirds, beetles — even some reptiles. Texas Parks & Wildlife estimates that bats alone provide $1.3 billion in pest-control benefits to farmers annually.

In other words: they’re tiny, winged, unpaid employees — and we need them.

EVENT DETAILS

Location: Behind the fountain at Harvest Church (Kingdom Roots Academy campus)

Date: Friday, November 14

Time: 9:00 AM

Bring: Gloves, if you want to help — or just come cheer on the effort!

Anyone wishing to donate materials, labor, or support can contact: