Coxhall Gardens Project
By Chandler Bryant, ABAS Conservation Chair
Thanks to collaborative funds from National Audubon Society, in 2022 ABAS was able to sponsor a bird friendly “pocket garden” at Coxhall Gardens in Carmel. Coxhall Gardens is a 125-acre municipal Park, owned by Hamilton County Parks & Recreation, that has thousands of yearly visitors of all generations. Within Coxhall Gardens, the parks department has recently redeveloped a beloved Children’s Garden full of mini houses, foot bridges, pergolas, and cleverly planted landscaping beds. It truly is an imaginative play space with fantastic education and programming possibilities.
Considering recent renovations and a desire by Hamilton County Parks & Recreation to plant Indiana native plants within the Children’s Garden, ABAS inquired about adding a small planting bed of about 1,000 sq. ft to provide habitat for birds. This planting bed highlights the many native plants that do well in the residential landscape and provide food and cover for birds. Plant species were selected based on their benefits to bird populations and their conformity to standard suburban landscaping ideals in hopes of encouraging visitors to add these plants to their yards instead of non-native species that do not provide the same ecosystem services. The planting consists of trees with a high level of insect host associates such as white oak and other hard mast bearing tree species, shrubs that provide highly quality soft mast, and forbs that provide seed and insect resources for birds throughout the year.
The signage in the area will also provide actionable steps and concepts visitors can utilize to make changes in their own yards, thus expanding knowledge about the benefits of native planting for birds and the food web. Educational programs by Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Naturalists take place monthly and the area will be used as an educational model for bird-friendly habitat. Daily visitors will have access to signage that reinforces the message throughout the year. This programming area will allow us to educate all generations of our visitors about birds and why it is important to plant native species and species that provide habitat for birds.
