Residents of the Vose Farm Residences enjoyed a “Pollinator Pop-Up” event on Thursday, August 13, as part of Mackenzie Mullins’ summer internship with the town of Peterborough.
“This event was for people of all ages, because there is no age limit on who can help protect the environment,” Mullins said. “I wanted to do something that got kids interested, so I came up with some hands-on crafts like making your own seed balls and making your own pollinators. I wanted to help get children comfortable with pollinators of all kinds, including the ones that might be a little scary, like bees.”
Mullins also designed activities to engage seniors and build on their knowledge of gardening and the natural world.
“I know our community has a lot of older folks, and I know from experience that a lot of older folks like to garden, so I felt like this would spark some interest. I felt like having my ‘Pollinator Pop-up’ at the Vose Farm neighborhood would be a good and accessible way to get newer community members involved as well, and I am very grateful for the Vose Farm staff for allowing me to host an event there,” Mullins said.
Vose Farm residents created pollinator-friendly crafts, including seed balls, to attract pollinators to the apartment complex’s green space.
Mullins, a Peterborough native and a junior at Endicott College, also interned at the Department of Planning and Building in Peterborough last summer.
“I worked with the Office of Planning and Building last summer as their environmental intern, doing a project about the NH Wildlife Action Plan. My boss Danica (Miller) is incredibly supportive and helped me come up with the kind of project that I wanted to do for both summers,” Mullins said.
Mullins says she has always loved working outside and has always been passionate about protecting the environment, which led her to pursue a degree in environmental science. She says she has loved working with the whole staff at the Town House.
“I know sometimes people hate working an office job, but this isn’t just a regular old office. Everyone here is so kind and welcoming, and incredibly funny. This is such a comfortable space that keeps me wanting to come back and work with these people, because they are truly so wonderful. I am the youngest in the office, which is kind of funny, because sometimes they’ll ask me questions like ‘Do you even know what… is?’ because we are kind of part of different generations, but everyone here is so supportive, and they have given me lots of great advice regarding my career and my future,” Mullins said.
In summer 2025, Mullins focused on raising community awareness about conservation. This summer, she focused on pollinators.
“Growing up, I used to be really scared of bees, and especially wasps and hornets. At college, I took a plant biology class and learned more about pollination, and I really got to understand just how important bees are, and that they don’t actually want to sting you; they just want to do their jobs,” Mullins said. “That mindset resonated with me and has helped me get over my fear. I am still a little scared of wasps and hornets, because they can be pretty aggressive even if you leave them alone, but now I am much more comfortable around bees.”
Mullins says that growing up in Peterborough helped her appreciate the power of community, and she hopes to help plan future events that bring people together around pollinators and environmental education. She also hopes to help others overcome any fears they may have about pollinators such as bees, hornets, and wasps.
“The important thing to remember is that our ecosystem needs specific things to survive, one of those things being pollination. Without pollination, we would not have the fruits and vegetables that we humans like to eat, as well as plants that other organisms need to eat. I tried to hone in on this in my work, while making it as accessible as possible,” Mullins said.
Part of Mullins’ outreach was to educate the public about the wide range of pollinators in New England, which includes bees, beetles, birds (hummingbirds), butterflies, flies, moths, and wasps.
“Yes, wasps are scary, but they do have a purpose just like bees and butterflies. Beetles and moths might not be as glamorous, but they have a designated purpose in helping keep our ecosystem going,” Mullins said.
As part of her internship, Mullins also created brochures for the public based on her research about native species (pollinators and plants); invasive species; the impact that pesticides have on pollinators; pollinator pathways, which are part of landscapes that have a plethora of native plant species that help break up fragmented landscapes and allow pollinators to have frequent and consistent areas for pollination, feeding, and resting; and protecting pollinators.
“I spent a lot of time doing research on these topics, as they are all incredibly important and helpful for people to think about. I was able to really figure things out on my own and take my time while looking into things that I did not know before,” Mullins said. “I feel like this research experience was not only beneficial to community members, but I also felt that it was very beneficial for me.”