Wildflowers growing on the Outer Estate of the Eden Project (2020) by Eden ProjectEden Project
Can art and technology help protect pollinators?
There has been a dramatic decline in pollinating insects in the last 40 years due to habitat loss, pesticides, invasive species, and climate change. Everyone, including the art and tech industries, are taking action to help save pollinators in jeopardy.
Pollinator Pathmaker: Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and Senior Curator Misha Curson Eden Project (2021-09) by Steve Tanner and Courtesy: Eden Project
A pollinator-friendly garden in Cornwall...
Artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and the Eden Project have planted a physical garden within Eden’s grounds in Cornwall, designed using an algorithm that creates planting that supports the maximum number of pollinator species possible.
Pollinator Pathmaker, the experiment (2021-11) by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
...and you can create your own
Anyone from beginner to experienced gardener can use our algorithmic tool to create unique gardens for endangered bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators to flourish in.
Transform your garden into a living artwork for other species to enjoy!
Pollinator Pathmaker: inside the experiment
How does it work?
The algorithm has created a planting design to support the maximum pollinator species possible, using plants from a curated selection of plants chosen for their benefits to pollinators.
Pollinator Pathmaker - flower detail (2021-09) by Steve Tanner and Courtesy: Eden Project
Take part in a cultural campaign to save endangered bees
Pollinator Pathmaker invites visitors to help save bees and other endangered species of pollinating insects. It is the first international cultural campaign of its kind.
Pollinator Pathmaker: an user-generated garden (2021-11) by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
Create your own garden!
Simply input the parameters of your garden into the experiment: garden size, climate, soil type, and sun exposure.
The algorithm will then create an artwork with details of how and which plants you can plant.
Click here to get started!
The experiment allows the user to view their personalised garden through different seasons and from a pollinator’s point of view. Each of the 150 plants used on the website have been digitally painted by artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg herself.
Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg's work explores subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, conservation, biodiversity, and evolution, as she investigates the human impulse to “better” the world.
"By planting living artworks for pollinators around the world, I hope we can create the world's largest ever climate positive artwork together."
Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, 2021
The artwork is part of the “Create a Buzz” programme at Eden Project, supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation, that seeks to communicate the story of the UK’s native pollinators: their vital role, their current plight and their restoration.
The work has been originally commissioned by the Eden Project and funded by Garfield Weston Foundation. Additional founding supporters are Gaia Art Foundation and collaborators Google Arts & Culture.
