A free algorithm can turn your garden into art for pollinators

Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg's 'Pollinator Pathmaker' artwork aims to address the pollinator crisis while offering a solution.
By  on 
A colourful render shows an illustrated POV of a pollinator as it flows through a garden patch. Caption reads "Algorithmic gardens/"
Watch Next

Mashable's short documentaries feature compelling individuals, innovations, and movements from around the world.


Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg's art has long explored the meeting point between nature and technology. Take Resurrecting the Sublime for example, a collaborative project between scientists and artists that used DNA from a preserved herbarium to resurrect the scent of a plant that was pushed to extinction over a century ago.

Knowing this, it comes as no surprise that when Ginsberg was was commissioned by The Eden Project (alongside the Gaia Art Foundation and Google Arts and Culture) to come up with an artwork addressing the pollinator crisis, she decided to create a piece not just about, but for pollinators. The result is an online algorithm designed to eradicate human bias and create a garden that meets the needs of bees, wasps, moths, and beetles instead of just pleasing the human eye.

The project, called Pollinator Pathmaker has three official instalments so far — one at the Eden Project itself in Cornwall, one at London's Kensington Gardens, and one at the LAS Art Foundation in Berlin. But the real impact of the project comes from its accessibility — people can plant their own pollinator-friendly artwork by going to pollinator.art and entering their own garden measurements and conditions. As Pollinator Pathmaker uses geospecific data, it is currently only available in European countries.

In this Mashable Original, Ginsberg introduces her project and walks us through the steps of designing our own pollinator-friendly artwork.

Picture of Teodosia
Teodosia Dobriyanova
Video Producer

Teodosia is a video producer at Mashable UK, focussing on stories about climate resilience, urban development, and social good.


More from Mashable Originals
How the Sydney Opera House changed the world of architecture
A split-screen shows a B&A photographs of the Sydney Opera House' during its buildng (left) juxtaposed with an aearial shot of the Opera House now. The Sydney Harbour bridge emerges in the background. Caption reads: "Building the house."

How drones are changing the way we fight wildfires
A drone hovering over a wildfire

Why is the world's newest country facing an existential threat?
An image of Wendy Ahonda in a life jacket juxtaposed with an aerial shot of a submerged area in South Sudan

‘Rye Lane’ includes the ultimate scene of meeting up with an ex
The director and two stars of Rye Lane embrace in a colourful room.


Latest Videos

'Deli Boys' may have created a whole new kind of crime boss in Lucky Auntie
By Warren Shaw and Sucharita Tyagi
Deli Boys Lucky Auntie



Alef's flying car is taking the fiction out of sci-fi
A photograph shows Alef Aeronautics' flying car hovering above a field




Netflix's 'Bullet Train Explosion' trailer is 'Speed' on a Japanese train
Passengers and a train conductor in 'Bullet Train Explosion.'

Figure’s humanoid robot will do your chores with voice commands
Figure's humanoid robots working together to put away groceries

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!