The Pollinator Pathway

Southington has joined in the establishing of pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife. Learn about Pollinator Pathways and how you can join in too!

Southington’s Pollinator Pathway is sponsored by The Southington Land Conservation Trust, in partnership with the Town of Southington Open Space Committee, Arts for a Cause Pollinator Garden, and the Orchard Valley Garden Club and is a grateful grant recipient from Constellation Energy.

Southington Locations

Click here to view our Pollinator Pathway locations on Google Maps
Pollinator Pathway Updates
constellation-energy

How to Be Part of the Pollinator Pathway


  1. Plant Native Plants
    • Trees, shrubs, and wildflowers native to this area provide food and shelter for local pollinators
    • Plant a container or a garden with pollinator plants
    • Integrate native plants into your landscape
    • Remove non-native invasive plants
  2. Go Pesticide-Free
    • This means a healthy yard for your children and pets, too.
    • Landscape to minimize tick habitat
    • Look into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) solutions
  3. Rethink Your Lawn
    • Consider organic fertilizer
    • Leave chopped clippings on your lawn rather than fertilize
    • Covert some lawn area to native plantings
    • Leave some leaves in beds for overwintering insects
    • Provide clean water for pollinators and birds.
During Pollinator Pathway week in June, volunteers planted 4 shade trees (oaks and maple) on the Rails to Trails near the corner of High and Center Streets. The area has benches and a kiosk so shade will be appreciated when the trees get bigger!

Eight native fruit-bearing shrubs were also planted near High Street, north of Center Street. Their spring flowers will benefit pollinators and the fruits, chokecherry and beach plum, will be a wonderful food source for birds.

Volunteers applied 7 yards of mulch to the planting near the Milldale Depot planting and 6 yards to the planting near the Lazy Lane parking lot.

High and Center Street
High and Center Street
High and Center Street
High and Center Street
Lazy Lane intersection on the trail
Lazy Lane intersection on the trail

Southington encouraging creation of pollinator pathways

August 23, 2019 06:46PM | By Jesse Buchanan, Record-Journal staff
SOUTHINGTON — Town leaders are looking for residents and businesses to join them in creating pollinator pathways – yards and other areas free of pesticides that have plants for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds…. READ MORE or Download Article

 

Helping bees and other native insects survive

August 23, 2019 06:46PM | By Joy VanderLek, The Citizen
Insect apocalypse. Bee colony collapse. Monarch butterflies decimated. Migratory birds and flyways in decline.
These headlines are positively frightening. It’s like one of those scary, end-of-­the-world movies. Only it’s not. We see and hear about these concerns just about everyday. READ MORE | Download Article

 

 

People Across Connecticut are Creating a Pollinator Pathway for Bees and Butterflies
Theresa Sullivan Barger Aug 20, 2019