{"id":27071,"date":"2023-02-13t12:44:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-13t12:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.planetforward.com\/2023\/02\/13\/connecting-flights-connecticut-gardeners-forge-pathways-for-migrating-pollinators\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28t18:46:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28t18:46:06","slug":"connecticut-pollinator-pathways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/connecticut-pollinator-pathways\/","title":{"rendered":"connecting flights: connecticut gardeners forge pathways for migrating pollinators"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
connecticut \u2014 pollinator populations are declining due to human development and climate change, experts say. but connecticut gardeners are working to save them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
globally, over 40% of insect species are declining in population. their disappearance is happening faster than plant or bird populations. the main threat is habitat loss created by expanding agricultural fields, followed by chemical pollution, according to a 2019 study<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cmany towns, and most farmers, are using very potent chemicals to kill off insects to protect their crops\u2026but there\u2019s been a real neglect of the reality that those chemicals are toxic to the small insects that need to pollinate things, so there\u2019s nothing left to do the pollinating,\u201d says jackie algon, co-founder and current board member of pollinator pathway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n pollinator pathway<\/a>, an organization founded in wilton, connecticut in 2017, seeks to combat the issues that pollinators and their habitats face. their aim is to create north-to-south migration corridors across north america by planting pollinator-friendly gardens with native plants, and to stop the use of pesticides. individuals or groups can register their gardens or even flower boxes as official pollinator gardens. the organization now has pathways in over 350 towns in 13 states, most in the northeast, as well as one in ontario, canada. just this year, it was registered as a 501(c)(3) organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n the original pollinator pathway was conceptualized and founded by artist sarah bergmann in 2007, and her concept inspired the pollinator pathway organization, according to their website. bergmann\u2019s goal was to connect two green pieces of land in seattle\u2019s urban landscape by planting along sidewalks and in other underutilized areas, according to her website<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n last spring, a group of mansfield residents registered the township with pollinator pathway. the process started with mansfield\u2019s sustainability committee successfully passing a resolution that declared the town a \u201cpollinator-friendly community\u201d in early 2020. due to this resolution, getting municipal approval to build and maintain pollinator gardens became easier, and helped with getting pollinator pathway on board with the group\u2019s proposed garden, according to melissa sheardwright. a private-practice psychologist by day, sheardwright handles outreach in the mansfield chapter of pollinator pathway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n mansfield and wilton show the successes of local sustainability advocacy, however, both towns are suburban areas surrounded by woodland. migratory species, which pollinator pathway focuses on, are most affected by habitat loss caused by urbanization and suburbanization. this is why the end goal of the organization is to create stretches of pollinator-friendly land in both urban and rural areas. without adequate \u201cpit stops,\u201d the pollinators cannot survive the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n monarch butterfly populations in north america have decreased by more than 90% over the last two decades, according to the national wildlife foundation. the areas in which the migratory butterflies seek food and rest are disappearing, taking monarch populations with them. this is caused not only by urban\/suburbanization, but also by global warming, which shifts the seasons and throws off the growing cycles of many organisms. this causes the species that rely on each other to fall out of sync, affecting food and shelter availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cthe insects\u2019 life cycles are now out of sync with the birds\u2019 hatching cycles or with the trees\u2019 leafing out cycles, so nature is confused,\u201d said algon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n monarchs are just one example of the many pollinators whose numbers have been decimated. bees, flies, bats, birds, and other organisms also face migration and habitat issues. bees are a quintessential example, but most people mistakenly think of honeybees as the main pollinators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201choneybees are not native bees\u2026they do a lot of important pollinating, especially for farmers, but 40% of the pollinating that gets done is done by what\u2019s called \u2018solitary bees.\u2019 people spray their yards with pesticides to get rid of them, but they can\u2019t sting you,\u201d said algon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n it\u2019s important to restore plant life to developed areas. but supporting pollinators doesn\u2019t just call for more greenery. the pathways must comprise native plant species that pollinators rely on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n algon\u2019s first brush with native plant species and habitat protection came when she moved to wilton with her husband. she wanted to plant some colorful bushes on their property, but the landscape architect told her that part of the property is on wetlands, and those bushes were invasive. \u201cat that moment, i realized that i was dangerous to the ecology because i didn\u2019t know anything,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n this lack of knowledge is all too common. many of the most popular plants sold in traditional garden centers are non-native. forsythia, for example, looks beautiful in a garden, but \u201cit\u2019s not native and it doesn\u2019t feed the insects,\u201d sheardwright said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n according to the pennsylvania department of conservation and natural resources (padcnr), invasive plants usually are species that can survive in many conditions, and that rapidly grow and reproduce. this allows them to crowd out native species, especially since invasive plants have few natural predators in the new areas. moreover, invasives directly affect pollinator reproduction. garlic mustard, a widespread invasive species, attracts monarch butterflies, who lay their eggs on the plant. but the plant does not provide adequate nutrition for the emerging caterpillars, causing them to die off or grow improperly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n invasive species have cost the united states an average of $26 billion annually in the 2010\u2019s, according to a 2021 study<\/a>. this is a substantial rise from the $2 billion per year spent in the early 1960\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[invasives often] have multiple seeds that spawn more than our natives do, so they take over easily,\u201d said pamela nobumoto, a resident of wilton and frequent collaborator with pollinator pathway. a stay-at-home mom, she started gardening as a hobby. but she has since turned it into her passion. she was certified as an \u201cadvanced master gardener\u201d through uconn extension, a program offered by the college of agriculture, health, and natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\nforging a new path<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
restoring pollinator habitats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n