We all know that Bexley is a great place for people and as an arboretum it can be a great place for our birds, too. But we have some work to do!

In addition to joy and beauty, birds provide several ecosystem services. They're important pollinators and seed dispersers for many plants. Birds serve as an early warning system if there’s an environmental issue. Additionally, they eat garden-decimating insects and millions of mosquitos and reduce rodent populations.

Unfortunately, many bird species, even common species, are declining at alarming rates and need our help. Join us this May for Green Bexley’s Love Your Alley as we learn all the ways to support our birds in Bexley. There are many ways to get involved and you don’t need an alley to participate: join a class, go native in your yard or alley, and join a plant installation team.

Since 2021, Green Bexley’s Love Your Alley has distributed 3400 plants to residents, installed 60 native gardens, hosted 13 educational events, local artists painted 20 murals and we’ve held two festivals. We’ve also banded together with more than 200 students from Bexley High School and Columbus School for Girls. We will continue these efforts in May and we’d love for YOU to join us!

By planting native plants, we are cultivating our land to create a Homegrown National Park to support our ecosystem. Native plants pack a powerful sustainability punch: they support our birds and pollinators, assist in flood prevention, fight climate change, and protect the aesthetic that defines the Midwest. With the majority of land in the US developed, our ecosystems are threatened. Homeowners are in an incredible position to restore biodiversity and protect ecosystems, and it’s as simple as using our properties to plant native!

All are invited to our free speaking events, classes and the festival. Matthew Shumar from the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative is kicking off our events on May 2. Josh Zingg from Scioto Gardens will offer a small garden design class and a hands-on gardening skills event. Lastly, James Muller will teach us about Birdscaping!

Bird and nature lovers of all ages are invited to the festival on Saturday, May 11, from 12:00–3:00 in the pool parking lot. Swing by for free native plants from Natives in Harmony. Local artists will sell their artwork and the Garden District will offer crafts featuring the Birds of Ohio. Learn about birds from the Audubon and native plants and insects from Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative, Columbus Garden School and OSU. Native Landscapers including Catch the Water, Columbus Landworks and Ohio Native Concepts will be on hand to answer your questions. The Bridgers String Band will play Oldtime style music and there will also be delicious food from Portia’s Cafe Food Truck and J-Pops.

Thank you to the Bexley Community Foundation and Monarch Joint Venture (through OPHI partnership) for their generous grants and Leaves for Wildlife for their plant donation!

For full event details visit greenbexley.org/loveyouralley