Pollinator Gardens
Connecting pollinator habitats…
Native habitats are critical for preserving biodiversity. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds depend on the ever-dwindling plants to support their breeding and migration. Some, like the El Segundo blue butterfly and the Monarch butterfly, depend on very specific plants to support their lifecycle. And local birds depend on the seeds and insects that are attracted to and sustained by native plants.
At South Bay Parkland Conservancy, this is an important part of our mission. Thanks to our passionate members and supportive community we have been able to complete the following and hope for many more in the future.
These pollinator gardens will:
Establish more patch habitats for butterflies and pollinators. Key locations in the South Bay will help link other parks like the Wilderness Park habitat to the Esplanade Bluff Garden, recently renovated by SBPC.
Provide educational opportunities for students year-round including leadership, maintenance (watering, weeding), learning about butterflies, and even provide opportunities for analysis of plant biodiversity.
Help beautify areas of the school grounds as well as make them functional and an integral part of the community habitats.
Native and pollinator-friendly plants are carefully selected by SBPC experts to create the right environment for the plants and the pollinators to thrive. Here are some of the plants you may see in pollinator gardens.
ALTA VISTA elementary
SBPC Board Member Aga ChenFu worked with Alta Vista Principal Karin Sato, to connect the work that community volunteers have been doing in the South Bay area with the students at elementary school. Thanks to a Butterfly Garden Grant the school received, Principal Sato saw an opportunity to support butterflies and pollinators at the school site as well as create an opportunity for education and student engagement.
The Alta Vista Butterfly Garden now helps connect the breeding butterfly habitat throughout the South Bay. Wouldn’t it be amazing if all the area schools had a dedicated butterfly garden for educational purposes and to further connect patch habitats for butterflies and pollinators?
RBCG Hillside garden
The Redondo Beach Community Garden opened its doors in June 2023. On the hillside adjacent to the 26 garden plots, SBPC planted a variety of native plants to support pollinators.
The hillside native pollinator garden is maintained by plot members and other community volunteers. Mature CA native plants are also used for seed gleaning, whose seeds are then propagated into new plants or packaged for seed giveaways during community events.
HERMOSA VALLEY school
In 2025 SBPC joined the ongoing efforts for the Hermosa Valley School Sand Dune Restoration, a project initiated in 2014. This unique site offers both public access and a school environment, fostering direct connection with coastal ecology.
The program prioritizes restoring California native plants to the sand dune, enhancing the area's ecological value. A key goal is to provide a critical corridor to connect endangered El Segundo Blue butterfly populations, directly supporting species recovery.
PARRAS middle school
Parras Middle School Girl Scout pitched the idea of reinvigorating two old planter boxes at Parras Middle School and creating a butterfly garden for her Girl Scout project. She attended an SBPC seminar to learn more, created a presentation and received approval from the school. Before the school went on summer break, the garden was planted!
VICTOR elementary
A Torrance community member who had been caring for the garden at Victor Elementary school for years, needed extra help to revitalize it and add CA native plants. Coincidentally, a Girl Scout, was brainstorming her Scout project. She attended an SBPC seminar, came to see the Alta Vista Pollinator Garden and drafted her own plan. A year after initial conversations, she successfully planted CA native plants at the Victor Elementary School garden. She also published a book about pollinators!