UCO’s Pollinator Garden 

The garden of wildflowers and grasses at the entrance to the University of Central Oklahoma is humming and buzzing with insects. The John F. Barthell Pollinator Garden, which came to life just two years ago, has seen a higher-than-expected number of insect visitors—proving that Edmond traffic isn’t just on wheels. 

The Garden’s Visionary 

The garden was the longtime dream of Dr. Gloria Caddell, a botanist who began teaching at UCO in 1990. She often ventured to the outskirts of Edmond to gather plant samples for her classes, but as native prairies disappeared, she proposed creating native plant landscapes on campus. Her vision came to life in 2023 with the construction of a 4,000-square-foot garden adjacent to the Donald Betz STEM Center, designed in collaboration with landscape architect Connie Scothorn. 

“This garden is a small dot on the Edmond landscape, but the pollinators found it quickly and took up residence,” said Dr. Caddell. “We named it after Dr. Barthell because he was a beloved entomologist on campus.” 

The Garden’s Namesake 

Dr. John Barthell grew up exploring the outdoors in Wyoming, where his insect collection won at the state fair. By fourth grade, he was set on a career in entomology. His studies at the University of California Berkeley and research on bees pollinating almond crops led to a deep interest in insect diversity. As a UCO faculty member, he conducted research on bees in diverse locales, including California and Greece. 

“Little did I know that bees would become a big deal,” Dr. Barthell remarked. “Back in the 1980s, most people didn’t care about pollinators—then the honeybee crisis changed everything.” 

Dr. Barthell’s commitment to undergraduate research at UCO inspired Dr. Victor Gonzalez, a University of Kansas taxonomist, to name a newly discovered bee species after him: Eufriesea barthelli, a vibrant metallic-colored orchid bee. “My goal is to someday visit Mexico to meet the bee in person,” Dr. Barthell said. 

The Garden’s Diversity 

The pollinator garden has become a hub of activity and discovery. Dr. Barthell and his students have identified 25 bee species representing five of the six bee families in North America. Beyond bees, nearly 700 insect species were recorded in 2024 alone, including some yet to be identified. “The diversity is impressive,” said Dr. Barthell. “We’re finding species we never expected in an urban environment.” 

The garden currently hosts about 70 plant species, all finding their place within the ecosystem. “I hope this garden inspires more people to create native gardens,” Dr. Caddell said. “Imagine the impact a thousand native garden beds in Edmond could have for pollinators and our planet.” 

What began as a modest vision has blossomed into a thriving ecological sanctuary, reminding us all of the power of native plants to transform urban spaces into vital habitats for pollinators and beyond.