Rogers Park is buzzing with new gardens, thanks to equipment company
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One of the biggest employers on Chicago's North Side is getting some buzz for something unexpected--new pollinator gardens to enjoy at the corner of Pratt and Ridge Boulevards in Rogers Park.
He might need help remembering all the names, but to Brian Kane, appreciation for these flowers comes naturally.
"Some of my favorites are the Pale Purple Coneflower, the Butterfly Milkweed, and Wild Columbine. You can see that throughout the campus here," Kane said.
"It's just a great, peaceful place to come. It's attractive for the community. It collects rainwater and provides important pollination for birds, bugs, and other critters."
While he's no pollinator expert, he's familiar with things that buzz.
"So we manufacture switch gear and protection for the utility power grid. The products we make are critical parts of the grid."
At S&C Electric Company, Kane is the senior safety and environmental affairs manager.
"We first had this idea back in 2019. We saw a presentation by the Field Museum's Keller Science Action Center, which specializes in turning industrial land back into native gardens and landscapes."
Kane figured S&C's campus of 47 acres had room to spare and share.
"We moved the grass, and we planted thousands of seedlings of native plants. If you look around today, you can see bees, butterflies. It's a black-and-white change from what we had last year."
The pollinator garden is now open to the public.
"We're in a residential neighborhood. We like to be good neighbors, and so this was one great way that we could do something right out here in public and let the neighborhood share in," Kane said.
No expertise is needed to see beauty.
"The sunflower and the milkweed really add a burst of color. It's amazing to see what it looks like today versus what we started with last year," added Kane.