Pollinator Garden Creates Ready-made Community and Joy
Tiffany was on the list to receive a DC Natives pollinator garden in her Capitol Hill community in 2022. Upon meeting DC Natives’ Thorne Rankin at her home for the planting, Tiffany signed up to be a Block Captain, stirring interest among her Ward 6 neighbors about becoming part of D.C.’s pollinator pathway.
As a personal trainer in Washington, D.C., Tiffany decided to conserve her energy and stepped down from her Block Captain status after two years. Her love for the organization, however, led her to finding a new role this year – one that may just have led to you hearing Tiffany’s voice on the phone or seeing her email pop up in your inbox.
“I’ve been able to focus my time on taking care of the people interested in DC Natives,” said Tiffany. “I have been setting up the database, checking things five times and finding and fixing errors. I’ve been called eagle eye. I became responsible for the Zoom calls, emailing everyone on the spreadsheet that has shown interest, and inviting them to the Zoom calls. Thorne has been really happy with the fact that I will reply to everyone. Even on the day of the Zoom meetings, I will remind folks, because there’s always so much going on.”
DC Natives’ reach grows because of volunteers like Tiffany, whether behind the scenes or in the garden trenches, and we appreciate it! For Tiffany, DC Natives is not just another nonprofit organization. As a recent Connecticut transplant, recreating community was important, but challenging for many reasons–one being COVID.
“I moved to DC in 2019 before the pandemic,” she recalled. “The first four years with COVID were really kinda rough. I asked myself ‘why did I leave my community in Connecticut for 20 years. It’s hardest to move as a grown person. DC Natives is one of the organizations I credit with actually making me love living here. DC Natives has really brought me so much joy.”
Want to learn more about Tiffany? We asked her our favorite questions.
Q: What’s your favorite pollinator garden plant?
A: Hyssop. I just love it and how the leaves smell. You can make tea from hyssop leaves. My hyssop has so many bees. I get really excited about that.
Q: At what point did you realize you were a gardener?
A: I don’t even think I’m a gardener, no I do. I have imposter syndrome. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but my neighbor is like, ‘I watched what you’re doing, and I’m doing the same.’ But, I think it was when the garden was planted in the fall of 2022 and by the next year, spring 2023 when everything started coming up. I went away for a few weeks, and thought, ‘these are my babies.’ After the first natives came up, I’ve just gotten more excited over each year.
Q: What’s your favorite part about being a block captain/DCN member?
A: I like being part of this organization and community of people who want to do something good for the environment. It brings me a lot of joy. Plants bring me joy. I like the people in the group. Everyone is really nice and I’ve enjoyed being welcomed into the group, helping other people, and helping to move the mission of the group.