KYTC expanding roadside gardens to help save bees and other pollinators

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- KYTC is expanding roadside gardens across the state to help bees and other pollinators.

The program started in 2015 and has since expanded to 200 acres of "pollinator habitat zones." That spans over 100 different land locations from East Kentucky to West.

Each plot gets a seed mix of about 25 varieties of plants with the intent to help bees and other insect species get the nutrients they need.

The program's director Mike Smith said it's a vital movement to our ecosystem.

"Essentially in a way, it's a national security issue because if you don't have food, you don't have security," Smith said.

Each acre of land costs about $5,000 to get started, then there's maintenance that follows each year since the plants are not self sustainable. Despite the cost, Smith said the impact is greater than people might realize, making it an important investment.

"Certainly in this current environment that we're in with high food prices and everything, it's even more important that we maintain our pollinators so that we're able to produce as much food in this country as we can," Smith said.

Now that the program has proved successful, KYTC is implementing pollinator habitat zones in its each of its new highway builds.

"There will actually be pollinator acreage included in the new highway projects, so that will go in at the beginning instead of the end. So we're excited about that," he said.

By the end of 2022, KYTC expects to have 50 more acres planted.