pollinator garden sign in front of newly planted garden

Pollinator Gardens Take Root

NCDAC turns land at facilities and offices across the state into thriving habitats for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators along the NC Wildlife Federation's Butterfly Highway.

As part of its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) has launched the Pollinator Garden initiative – turning land at facilities and offices across the state into thriving habitats for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. 

Fourteen NCDAC sites across the state are taking part in the initiative, each planting at least one pollinator garden earlier this summer. Each  garden features more than 70 native plants representing 12 different species that bloom across three North Carolina seasons. 

Three people stand at freshly planted garden
Staff at the NCDAC Office of Staff Training and Development stand at their freshly planted pollinator garden.

All the gardens have host plants for butterflies to lay eggs and caterpillars to feed, and each is a registered, “official pitstop” on the NC Wildlife Federation’s Butterfly Highway – a network of habitats to support butterflies, bees, birds, and other nectar-dependent wildlife.

In many facilities, individuals serving their sentences will maintain the gardens, getting hands-on training in horticulture science as they water, fertilize, and tend to the plants. The new gardens also complement existing prison farms in some locations, helping  boost the yield of fresh produce used in offender meals and often donated to local food banks, as well.

“Our pollinator gardens are so much more than pretty flowers,” said NCDAC Sustainability Land Use Manager Jacqueline Bilello. “They offer hands-on vocational opportunities for men and women in custody, and they give us all a daily connection to nature. They remind us that nurturing something for the greater good benefits everyone.” 

Learn more about NCDAC’s sustainability efforts on our website here. 

NCDAC Pollinator Garden locations include:

•    Western Correctional Center for Women
•    Marion Correctional
•    Rutherford Correctional
•    Avery Mitchell Correctional
•    Mountain View Correctional
•    Office of Staff Development and Training 
•    Johnston Correctional
•    NC Correctional Institution for Women
•    Nash Correctional
•    Columbus Correctional
•    New Hanover Correctional
•    Carteret Correctional
•    Tyrrell Prison Work Farm 
•    Caswell Correctional