Rachael Harms Mahlandt specializes in “sidewalk joy.”
For years, the Portland artist, who goes by @pdxdinorama on social media, has been helping her neighbors transform ordinary walkways, curb gardens, and front yards into colorful, interactive art installations.
Through the Worldwide Sidewalk Joy Map, Harms Mahlandt encourages artists around the world to “add whimsy” to their own neighborhoods with tiny puzzle libraries, Wishing Trees, toy swaps, miniature art museums, plant exchanges, dino dioramas — and, of course, little free libraries.
And one of her latest additions to the list isn’t just sparking joy; it’s helping the pollinators in her neighborhood thrive.
On May 5, Manlandt shared a video of a Little Bee Library, a bookbox that had been transformed into a miniature garden for local pollinators to rest and recharge.
“Send this to whoever needs a sweet lil’ bee break today!” Harms Mahlandt wrote in the Instagram caption.
In the video, several bees could be seen flitting around the tiny library that was filled with purple wildflowers, as a ladybug rested on the roof.
Small pollinator-friendly hubs like this can have a surprisingly meaningful impact on local ecosystems.
Native flowers provide an important food source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators by offering nectar and pollen in an area where those resources may be scarce.
Below the video, viewers were delighted by Harms Mahlandt’s latest craft.
“I know what my garden is missing, and that will be fixed immediately,” one Instagram user replied.
Another commenter wrote: “Our trinket box tree is actually on a tree that bees and wasps LOVE LOVE LOVE, so I will be making one for ours and crediting you!”
“Perfect for a tiny copy of the ‘Great Gats-Bee,’” another joked.
Other artists have been inspired by Harms Mahlandt’s creation, sharing their own Little Bee Libraries online. Soon, more pollinator-friendly libraries may find their way onto her Worldwide Sidewalk Joy map.
And when it comes to her map, Harms Mahlandt said it’s been a whirlwind success.
“I kept getting messages from people who were either visiting from far away, like visitors from Japan, Australia, stuff like that, coming to see the scene we had here, or people messaging me, saying, I created something like this based on what I heard about in Portland,” she told NPR.
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Header image via Little Free Library
