Ohio Pollinator Pathway Summit Builds Momentum Across the Region
- Louise Washer
- 21 hours ago
- 2 min read
This past January, more than 200 Pollinator Pathway members gathered in Ohio for a weekend dedicated to pollinators, native plants, and community action.
The summit began Friday evening with a screening of The Little Things That Run the World, drawing a large and engaged audience. The film highlights both the urgency of insect decline and the hopeful solutions already taking root in communities like those across Ohio. It also features Pollinator Pathway co-founders, sharing how a message grounded in hope and practical action has inspired so many communities to get involved.
On Saturday, leaders from North Central Ohio, Licking County, and Franklin County Pollinator Pathways met at Ohio Wesleyan University for a collaborative “Leaders Lab.” Through peer learning and facilitated discussions, organizers shared best practices and envisioned what success could look like five years from now — including connected habitat corridors across counties, updated municipal policies supporting native plants, and expanded outdoor classrooms in schools. Participants identified priorities such as shared mapping tools, model ordinances, resource hubs, microgrants, and continued network convenings.
According to National Pollinator Pathway Executive Director Jana Hogan, who attended the meeting, “A clear theme has emerged from this summit: local pathways are thriving and innovative, but shared tools and coordinated support could help accelerate impact.”
Following the Leaders Lab, the Third Annual Summit, (Re) Learning the Earth, convened in the afternoon, featuring diverse local perspectives on the pollinator and native landscape movement through pop-up talks and breakout sessions led by Patti Shipley (Leaves for Wildlife Native Plant Nursery), Michael Keeler (Ohio Native Plant Concepts), Dave Heithaus (Knox County Parks), Traci Cardinal (Dark Sky Ohio), Alison Meyer (art teacher and native plant designer), Susan King (Licking County Pollinator Pathway), and naturalists from Delaware City Schools and Preservation Parks of Delaware County. The broader conference also featured regional presentations, including highlights from the successful Meadows for Monarchs project, a replicable model that provides training, native seed mixes and access to tools to help land owners convert grassy areas into biodiverse pocket prairies.
Terry Hermsen, organizer of the Summit and the North Central Ohio Pollinator Pathway, reflected on the weekend’s momentum: “What stood out most was the spirit of collaboration. Each community is doing impressive work on its own, but when we share ideas and resources across counties, our impact multiplies.”
Pollinator Pathway groups in Ohio are demonstrating what’s possible when grassroots leadership connects across communities and organizations. Small plantings become corridors. Individual efforts become collective impact. The more we connect, the stronger the pathway becomes.