A smattering of poppies line the edge of the Richmond Greenway trail. Their loud orange flowers stand out amongst the greens and browns of the surrounding foliage, as if saying to passing pollinators, “I’m here! Pick me!”
This year, the poppies must reproduce fast. They received very little rain, which means that they are working with limited energy to form and nurture a seed. Creating a seed, the next generation, is everything to a poppy. But poppies must recruit the help of pollinators to reproduce.
Thankfully, a hungry carpenter bee catches sight of a poppy’s bright orange flower. Instinctively, it zooms over to feast on its delicious pollen. The bee wiggles its way into the flower, unknowingly carrying some pollen on its legs from the previous poppy it visited. The bee leaves, full and satisfied, but the pollen it carried stays. The pollen enters the flower, fertilizing the egg, thus beginning the seed-forming process. After this meeting, both creatures have received a gift: for the bee, a hearty meal, but for the poppy, the creation of a life form and the promise it may survive another year.
All around us, pollinator-plant meetings like this one are occurring, even in our urban areas. The Richmond Greenway is one of these meeting places. What used to be an abandoned railroad track, the Richmond Greenway is now a gathering space where residents steward urban gardens that benefit pollinators and humans alike.
There isn’t a better time of year than spring to witness the magnificence of our wildflowers at the Richmond Greenway. Along the Greenway, the Contra Costa RCD maintains a pollinator garden that showcases many native wildflowers. Pollinator gardens are designed to support pollinators, key players in the function of the Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. Pollinator gardens are not just pretty green spaces – they are critical to the wellbeing of the planet and people. Anyone interested in helping the Greenway public gardens can volunteer at Pogo Park, Urban Tilth, and the Watershed project.
The Richmond Greenway is only one of the locations you can visit to see our spring blooms. Other wildflower-viewing sites within Contra Costa County include:
