NYU Students Built Urban Pollinator Garden

The student-led project established a new native plant habitat in New York City.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Botany

Bold vector editorial illustration of a raised wooden planter filled with native wildflowers and grasses in an urban setting. — NYU students established a new native pollinator garden near Washington Square Village in August 2024 to support local insect species. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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In August 2024, NYU students Lily Primeaux, Priya Massie, and Neo Ng established a new pollinator garden at the Community Agricultural Project near Washington Square Village. The group created the site to provide critical habitat for native New York City pollinators.

Why it matters

The initiative aims to support local ecological health by providing refuge for native species like golden digger wasps and skipper butterflies in an urban environment. A prior field trip to the Lentol Garden in Brooklyn inspired the students to initiate the project.

The student team utilized a $3,000 microgrant to fund the project and sourced native species, including wild columbine and Joe-Pye weed, from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy. Researchers are currently using custom measurement devices to study the site.

The players

Adam Roddy

He is an Environmental Studies professor who is collaborating with engineering students on research within the garden.

Gowanus Canal Conservancy

This Brooklyn-based organization operates a nursery that supplied the native plants used for the project.

NYU Office of Sustainability

This institutional department provides funding for campus environmental initiatives through its microgrant program.

The details

The students transported their plants from Brooklyn to the NYU campus via subway and a 45-minute walk before planting them in a shaded raised bed. The group actively maintains the garden by avoiding pesticides and leaving dead stems in place to support insect life, though they continue to manage outbreaks of powdery mildew.

Priya Massie and Neo Ng founded the SEEDS club in 2023.
The team applied for the sustainability grant in 2024.
Students transported plants to the garden site in July 2024.
The group planted the garden on a raised bed in August 2024.

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Deeper Dive

The project follows the operational framework established by the NYU Community Agricultural Project. This new garden serves as a specialized extension of the existing site's mandate to integrate urban agriculture with interdisciplinary academic research.

The garden demonstrates how small-scale urban plots can utilize native plants to foster biodiversity in dense city environments. Future research at the site could provide insights into managing pest challenges like powdery mildew in similar residential or campus settings.

The takeaway

Urban greening projects require careful maintenance strategies like avoiding pesticides to successfully support local insect populations. Students looking to replicate this work can seek out campus sustainability grants to help cover the costs of native plant procurement.