Meet Anna Devolld: Pollinator Protector
Pollinators, like butterflies, bees, bats, ladybugs and hummingbirds, are small and usually go unnoticed, but they have a huge impact on our ecosystem and economy. They have a rather diminutive hero in the Kenai Peninsula as well, by the name of Anna Devolld. Anna started Promote our Pollinators (P.O.P.) as a Caring for the Kenai project, but it has grown into much more. Anna makes Pollinator Packs to distribute in her community and all over the Peninsula.
“Pollinator Packs are special six-pack pots I designed that contain six different, Alaska-hardy, pollinator-friendly seedlings: the start of a pretty, portable, pollinator garden,” says Anna. “Pollinator Packs serve a large purpose in pollinator population health. They provide 'rest stops' and food sources for pollinators, so they can travel across urban areas.”
Anna also created a children’s activity book and a flyer for adults to promote the P.O.P. cause. As P.O.P. grew, she created a logo and promotional items like reusable tote bags, buttons, stickers, and plant stakes to raise pollinator awareness and interest. Grants and support from local businesses fund P.O.P. and Anna is currently working with the City of Soldotna and City of Kenai to design and install permanent pollinator garden signs in community spaces. Anna also visits schools and community centers to do presentations on the importance of our pollinators and how to help them, as well as to distribute informational material and Pollinator Packs. At just 14, this homeschool student is making big waves.
Anna was motivated to pursue this project by the importance of our pollinators and their rapid decline in recent years. She also wants to lead by example and show young people that “being smart is cool, and that you don’t have to be embarrassed because you like to go to school and learn new things,” says Anna. What’s ahead for this talented teen? “My goal is to continue to be innovative and find new ways to inspire the next generation to be good stewards of our natural resources!”
Download Anna’s fun and educational Pollinator Activity Book here
alaskaparent.com/pdfs/PollinatorActivityBook.pdf
For more info about Anna and P.O.P., visit:
P.O.P. Website: pollinators.devolld.net
Online Class: popcourse.devolld.net
P.O.P. Facebook: @POPKenai
