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< Back Liz Craig Board Member Elizabeth Craig is master gardener and arborist, she works on the Wilton Pollinator Pathway, Norwalk River Watershed Association and co-chairs the Wilton Garden Club Conservation Committee. Liz served on the Wilton Inland Wetlands Commission for 10 years, recently as chair. ‘What makes living in Wilton great is the open space, all the greenery. An outdoor enthusiast, she enjoys running or walking the dog along Wilton trails, swimming and kayaking in the Sound. Before moving to Wilton, Liz worked as a reference librarian for Merrill Lynch in NYC. Previous Next

< Back Mary Hogue Board Member Mary Hogue is one of our speakers for the Pollinator Pathway and is happy to present to your group in person or virtually. She is the Chair of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Co-Chair of the CT League of Conservation Voters, Chair of the Fairfield Forestry Committee, which includes the Fairfield Pollinator Pathway, Secretary on Sustainable Fairfield, Co-President of Fairfielders Protecting Land and Neighborhoods (FairPLAN), a Board Member of the Mill River Wetland Committee and founding member of Friends of Larsen, a volunteer group for the CT Audubon’s Larsen Sanctuary in Fairfield. She is a graduate of the Maine Composting School as well as UConn’s Master Composter and Master Gardener Programs. Previous Next

< Back Jana Hogan Vice President Jana Hogan joined the Pollinator Pathway in 2017 as a representative of Woodcock Nature Center where she served as President of the Board of Directors. Woodcock's property straddles the Ridgefield-Wilton line, the 151-acre nature preserve, joined the project, helping to launch one of the first Pollinator Pathways. As a founding member, she developed the Pollinator Pathway website. She is responsible for managing correspondence, assisting towns and communities in promoting their pathway project, and adding individual properties to the Pollinator Pathway Map. She is a member of the Ridgefield Conservation Commission, Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment (RACE), and the Ridgefield Garden Club. Jana volunteers for the Norwalk River Watershed Association and the Ecotype project at the Hickories, and is a Scout Merit Badge Counselor for Connecticut Yankee Council. Previous Next

Have you spotted any blooming willows yet this spring? As Keystone Plants, native willows are extremely valuable for wildlife. Entomologist Douglas Tallamy ranks native willows as the number two woody plant family – after oaks –  in their ability to support butterflies and moths. And according to Dr. Robert Gegear of the Beecology Project, early-blooming native willows are important nectar and pollen sources for at-risk bee and butterfly species. So how can we incorporate more of these beautiful and critically important native trees and shrubs into our landscapes? Naturalist Cathy Smith has the answers here. Photo of a Two-spotted Bumblebee on Pussy Willow Karalyn Lamb

No Mow May really took flight this past year! We have seen hundreds of news articles, many new towns creating their own No Mow April/May/Spring resolutions, and we have received so many thoughtful questions on this surprisingly complex issue. Not mowing for one month is not a magic fix, but studies have shown that reducing or eliminating mowing in the spring can increase bee abundance and species diversity when compared to more frequently mowed lawns. No one is in charge of No Mow May, No Mow April, or any of the other variations. There are no set rules. What you choose to do is up to you, and what your local ordinances allow. Do what you can now, make incremental changes over time, and learn as you go. Watch the native bees in your yard. When do they emerge? What native plants do they like? Add some height variation with spring-blooming native shrubs and trees, and see what visitors you attract to your yard.  More information from Xerces Society here:  “No Mow May and Low Mow Spring.” Watch this Xerces webinar about how to make No Mow May work for your own garden situation. Print out a Pollinator Pathway No Mow May yard sign here.

April for most of us means the exciting return of brightly colored warblers, “the butterflies of the bird world,” who undertake a perilous migration northward every spring from their wintering grounds in Central and South America. These small songbirds are following the “Green Wave” of spring tree leaf-out, which brings with it the insects they depend on as their food source. Planting insect-attracting keystone native plants can make your yard into a “re-fueling station" to help warblers and other migrating birds on their long journeys. Check out these simple steps you can take in your own yard. Photo of male Yellow Warbler by Karalyn Lamb