Nature Done Wright

Allendale has a new pollinator garden in front of Lee Memorial Library, thanks to Maggie Shaw. The garden features a sculpture by Allendale's Mike Bertelli. Here's how both came about. (I wish I had more pictures of the garden; I guess you'll have to see for yourself.)

ABOUT THE GARDEN (by Maggie Shaw)

In New Jersey, pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are endangered due to loss of habitat. Some contributors of habitat erosion include changes in climate, the increasing deer population, and invasive species.

For my Gold Award project, I decided to create a 600-square-foot garden specifically designed to attract pollinators and provide a suitable environment for them to thrive. It is extremely important to protect pollinators because of the numerous ways they benefit the environment.

During the planting process, I made sure to purchase deer-resistant and native pollinators from our local nursery, Rohsler's. Additionally, I had a number of plants generously donated to my project by master gardeners.

I believe that the town library is the perfect location for this garden, as it serves as a community center in Allendale. I hope that this pollinator garden will help raise awareness of this environmental issue and inspire others to get involved as well!

I would like to thank Mrs. Bleckman from the Allendale Garden Club for helping me design and create the garden, as well as the Mayor, whose support made this entire project possible. Thank you to Mike Bertelli for incorporating the beautiful bird sculpture in honor of Stiles Thomas with the pollinator garden, which makes this community garden even more meaningful.

ABOUT THE SCULPTURE (by me)

In May, just after the death of Allendale legend Stiles Thomas, several of his friends from the Celery Farm Nature Preserve planned to place a bronze marker on a boulder in one of Stiles ’ favorite spots in the 107-acre preserve. 

  We enlisted the aid of local sculptor Mike Bertelli, who had created the moving September 11 tribute by the Red Barn at Crestwood Lake. 

 Mike, who knew Stiles, obliged but wondered, “Is that all you’re going to do? Stiles was Mister Allendale, and Stiles deserves more recognition than this. We should do something for the whole town to remember him by.”

I asked Mike what he had in mind. He said, “What about a bluebird sculpture?”   

Stiles, in addition to his many other talents, was once known as the Bluebird Man of Bergen County, for the hundreds of bluebird nesting boxes he erected in North Jersey to provide homes for a bird species that was rapidly losing population.

And Mike was off to the proverbial races.

Step One 

  As luck would have it, local Girl Scout Maggie Shaw was creating a pollinator garden at Lee Memorial Library, Would Maggie let Mike put his sculpture in the garden? Yes. Were the library and the Borough of Allendale in favor of adding Mike’s sculpture to the garden. Yes. 

Step Two                                                                   

   Mike researched how an Eastern Bluebird looks, drew up some sketches, and got some feedback from Stiles’ friends and family. Mike also designed a base and pedestal and then got to work on the sculpture.

    He carved a model out of clay, determined how it should sit on its pedestal, got some feedback, and tweaked it until it was just right. He then made a mold for the sculpture and created it out of an epoxy-resin compound.

   Mike then painted the sculpture, built the pedestal and base, and voila!, Allendale now has a sculpture to go with its new pollinator garden.