Aaliyah Sharrock, Contributing writer
What brings people together to learn about native plants, butterflies and bees? For the attendees of Pollinator Palooza, the answer may be as simple as curiosity or even a desire to better understand the ecosystems around them.
That connection was on display at Pollinator Palooza located at Studio Two Three on Aug. 16, where educators, vendors and community members gathered to learn about pollinators, native plants and the relationship between people and nature.
The free event offered visitors an opportunity to learn about pollinators, explore native plants and interact with local businesses and educators.
Yelena Avigail, an educator at the event, is a butterfly expert who showcased artwork, stickers and watercolor paintings while teaching visitors about moths and butterflies.
“My favorite pollinators are moths and I think they are very misunderstood because people think that they are here to eat our clothes, but most beautiful moths don’t even have mouths,” Avigail said.
One of Avigail’s favorite pollinators is the snowberry clearwing moth, a daytime-flying moth that mimics the appearance of a bee. Visitors were also particularly interested in the Atlas moth at her booth. The moth came from Southeast Asia and was raised through its entire life cycle before she used it for educational purposes, according to Avigail.
Kirwin Patmon, owner of The Lit Bae Bookshop, stated the event offered a way to explore the relationship between nature and people’s everyday lives. Patmon runs a Richmond-based pop-up bookshop that travels throughout the DMV area and features books for the LGBTQ+ and Black community.
There is a growing selection of nonfiction about nature that also explores how people interact with the natural world, according to Patmon.
“I think because of how most pollinators are small, people think, ‘Oh, it’s just a bee,’ but without them we don’t live or exist,” Patmon said.
Other vendors connected nature to their own creative work.
Kimberly Griffiths, owner of RVA Petal Party, showcased jewelry, accessories and fresh flowers. She previously worked in horticulture and began preserving flowers in jewelry after combining her interest in plants with her love of jewelry.
Griffiths said one of the most important things for people to understand about pollinators is how essential they are to everyday life.
“People don’t know how essential they are to the world, we need them for crops and food as well as all the fruits and vegetables that we have,” Griffiths said.
Kylie Newcomb, owner of Honeycomb Haus, focuses on creating bouquets and allowing attendees to make their own. She prioritizes native flowers and plants in her work as a florist due to her interest in connecting people with the land, according to Newcomb.
Through education, art, flowers and community conversations, the variety of pollinators featured at the event gave visitors an opportunity to learn about creatures up close and personal.