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Towns along the Pollinator Pathway in ​ Amherst Andover Boston Brookline Cape Cod Dover Marblehead Monterey Town of North Andover Pepperell Plymouth Sherborn Shirley Somerville Wellesley

Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod Buy a sign Welcome to Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod, a regional initiative to increase pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife across Cape Cod. Our goal is to create corridors of native trees, shrubs, and flowers that birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects can rely on as they travel throughout Cape Cod. We are working to EDUCATE towns, businesses, organizations, and home gardeners on the importance of creating pollinator friendly landscapes, ENGAGE them in the project, and DEMONSTRATE the beauty of such gardens through highly visible demonstration gardens such as those pictured below. Please view A RESOLUTION Declaring the Town of Orleans, Massachusetts a Pollinator-Friendly Community here . JOIN US! You can be part of the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod. Simply: ADD a few more natives--trees, shrubs, and flowers that are adapted to local conditions are the best food sources for native pollinators and often require less water. Find our list of New England Native Plants for Pollinators for examples of commonly available natives and their seasonal bloom times. SUBTRACT a little lawn -- reduce the size and mow less often. AVOID chemical fertilizers and pesticides -- they’re not healthy for pollinators or anyone else. LEAVE the leaves -- go easy on the fall clean-up of beds and borders since many pollinators over winter in leaf matter. To join the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod, individuals or organizations can click here to get your pollinator garden added to the Pathway map. Show your support for the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod by purchasing one of our 9" round metal signs (pre-drilled holes). Mount it on a mailbox, fence post, shed or stake and let your neighbors know your yard is on the Pollinator Pathway. Signs available at Cape Cod garden centers and at garden events on the Cape. Contact us at pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com for details. Public Pollinator Gardens Colonial Garden 55 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth MA 02540 A garden at the Museum on the Greens maintained by the Falmouth Garden Club. Memorial Park Garden 55 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth, MA. 02540 The Memorial Park Garden maintained by the Falmouth Garden Club contains many pollinator friendly native perennials, shrubs & trees. A few of the perennials are Bee balm, Geranium, King Solomon's seal and Pink turtlehead. Some of the shrubs include Oakleaf hydrangea, Mapleleaf viburnum and Azalea. Native trees include American holly, Dogwood, River birch and Franklin alatamaha. Lyn Peabody Wildflower Gardens - Brewster, MA Trillium luteum, Podophyllum peltatum and Iris cristata blooming at the Lyn Peabody Wildflower Gardens, maintained by the Nauset Garden Club at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster, MA Theresa's Way - Orleans, MA A pollinator pathway at Theresa’s Way in Orleans, MA sponsored by the Orleans Improvement Association is under development. Mass Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary - Wellfleet MA The Mass Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet MA features a pollinator garden with Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveborecensis), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) supporting wasps, bees and moths. Association to Preserve Cape Cod - Dennis, MA Pollinator garden at the headquarters of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Dennis MA featuring Monarch butterflies feasting on Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) flanked by Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). The garden also features Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Goldenrod (Solidago). Thompson's Field - Harwich, MA Thompsons’s Field, a Town of Harwich property with a wildflower garden built and maintained by the Garden Club of Harwich features Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Tickseed (Coreopsis) and Beardtongue ‘Husker Red’ (Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’). Falmouth Herb Garden 55 Palmer Avenue Falmouth, MA. 02540 The Herb Garden is just outside the 1790 Wicks House on Museum on the Green. It contains many medicinal herbs that were used by the original owner Dr. Francis Wicks. Meadow on Main - Chatham, MA Meadow on Main – Mayo House, Chatham Conservation Foundation Office in Chatham, MA showcasing Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Wellfleet, MA Traffic Islands off Route 6 Three traffic islands were redesigned with native, drought-tolerant plants, and were funded, installed and maintained by the Wellfleet Garden Club. As noted in the 3rd photo, the pollinators have found the busy, but attractive location is to their liking. Saquatucket Harbor, Harwich Port, MA This project was a joint effort of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and the town of Harwich Port. The efforts lead to replanting the sandy area under the boardwalk with appropriate native plant materials that thrive in the conditions of this approach from the parking lot to the marina. Town Green, Orleans, MA The garden beds in the Orleans Green adjacent to the Snow Library, have traditionally been planted with Rhododendrons - both native and non-native. In the past two years, the Nauset Garden Club and Orleans Improvement Association, working with Town staff, are transitioning this highly visible garden into a native plant garden with much greater diversity and seasonal interest. Including more native Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Orleans Conservation Trust Office, Orleans, MA The Orleans Conservation Trust staff and volunteers transitioned a prominent area around their building on Rt. 28 to all native plants in the Spring of 2023. As a founding member of the PPCC, the OCT wanted to highlight to visitors how a native plant garden can be established by using different planting approaches. The main bed was planted with 1-gallon perennials, while another area was seeded and a third area was planted with many native plant "plugs" or small plants. Oak Crest Cove Gardens, Sandwich, MA This sunny, highly visible garden is at 34 Quaker Meetinghouse near Peter's Pond, between the parking lot and the Town Recreation Offices. The Sandwich Garden Club carefully researched Cape Cod native plants that would thrive in this location and support many native pollinators by providing host plants for their benefit and a long season of interest to all who visit. Join The Pollinator Pathway Join the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod as a "Participating Organization" and be listed below! If your non-profit group, business, or town supports the above four principles of our regional project, and is working to increase pollinator friendly habitats and food sources on Cape Cod, we want to link to your organization's webpage and help you spread the news of your good work. To get started and to learn more, please email us at pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com . Current participating organizations include: Garden Clubs Aptuxcet Garden Club of Borne Garden Club of Brewster Chatham Garden Club Falmouth Garden Club Hyannis Garden Club Mashpee Garden Club Sandwich Garden Club Village Garden Club of Dennis West Dennis Garden Club Wellfleet Gardeners Conservation Trusts and Audubon Barnstable Land Trust Brewster Conservation Trust Dennis Conservation Land Trust Harwich Conservation Trust Long Pasture Sanctuary Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Sipson Island Trust Garden Centers Agway Cape Cod Hyannis Country Garden Ponderosa Garden Center Soares Flower Garden Nursery The Farm (Orleans) Crocker Nursery Ecological Landscapers EcoPlantPlans LLC Environmental Landscape Solutions Gardens by Barbara Conolly JuliaGarden Design Kent Land Designs Terra Firma Permagardens Wilkinson Ecological Design Other Partners Resilient Roots Hyannis Main Street BID Rotary Club of Yarmouth The Church of the Holy Spirit The Meetinghouse Farm Anyone can help in this effort – even a single pollinator plant placed in a pot on a deck or patio advances the cause. Cumulative efforts can make a huge difference to our pollinator populations, and they’re in desperate need of our help. We hope that you will join the fun! ​ FOUNDING PARTNERS FOR MORE INFORMATION, QUESTIONS OR ORGANIZATION INTEREST IN PARTICIPATION PLEASE EMAIL US AT pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com

Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod ​ Welcome to Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod, a regional initiative to increase pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife across Cape Cod. Our goal is to create corridors of native trees, shrubs, and flowers that birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects can rely on as they travel throughout Cape Cod. We are working to EDUCATE towns, businesses, organizations, and home gardeners on the importance of creating pollinator friendly landscapes, ENGAGE them in the project, and DEMONSTRATE the beauty of such gardens through highly visible demonstration gardens such as those pictured below. Please view A RESOLUTION Declaring the Town of Orleans, Massachusetts a Pollinator-Friendly Community here . JOIN US! You can be part of the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod. Simply: ADD a few more natives--trees, shrubs, and flowers that are adapted to local conditions are the best food sources for native pollinators and often require less water. Find our list of New England Native Plants for Pollinators for examples of commonly available natives and their seasonal bloom times. SUBTRACT a little lawn -- reduce the size and mow less often. AVOID chemical fertilizers and pesticides -- they’re not healthy for pollinators or anyone else. LEAVE the leaves -- go easy on the fall clean-up of beds and borders since many pollinators over winter in leaf matter. To join the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod, individuals or organizations can click here to get your pollinator garden added to the Pathway map. Show your support for the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod by purchasing one of our 9" round metal signs (pre-drilled holes). Mount it on a mailbox, fence post, shed or stake and let your neighbors know your yard is on the Pollinator Pathway. Signs available at Cape Cod garden centers and at garden events on the Cape. Contact us at pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com for details. Public Pollinator Gardens ​ ​ ​ Oak Crest Cove Gardens, Sandwich, MA This sunny, highly visible garden is at 34 Quaker Meetinghouse near Peter's Pond, between the parking lot and the Town Recreation Offices. The Sandwich Garden Club carefully researched Cape Cod native plants that would thrive in this location and support many native pollinators by providing host plants for their benefit and a long season of interest to all who visit. ​ ​ ​ Orleans Conservation Trust Office, Orleans, MA The Orleans Conservation Trust staff and volunteers transitioned a prominent area around their building on Rt. 28 to all native plants in the Spring of 2023. As a founding member of the PPCC, the OCT wanted to highlight to visitors how a native plant garden can be established by using different planting approaches. The main bed was planted with 1-gallon perennials, while another area was seeded and a third area was planted with many native plant "plugs" or small plants. ​ ​ ​ Town Green, Orleans, MA The garden beds in the Orleans Green adjacent to the Snow Library, have traditionally been planted with Rhododendrons - both native and non-native. In the past two years, the Nauset Garden Club and Orleans Improvement Association, working with Town staff, are transitioning this highly visible garden into a native plant garden with much greater diversity and seasonal interest. Including more native Rhododendrons and Azaleas. ​ ​ ​ Saquatucket Harbor, Harwich Port, MA This project was a joint effort of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and the town of Harwich Port. The efforts lead to replanting the sandy area under the boardwalk with appropriate native plant materials that thrive in the conditions of this approach from the parking lot to the marina. ​ ​ ​ Wellfleet, MA Traffic Islands off Route 6 Three traffic islands were redesigned with native, drought-tolerant plants, and were funded, installed and maintained by the Wellfleet Garden Club. As noted in the 3rd photo, the pollinators have found the busy, but attractive location is to their liking. ​ ​ ​ Meadow on Main - Chatham, MA Meadow on Main – Mayo House, Chatham Conservation Foundation Office in Chatham, MA showcasing Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Photo Credit: Kathleen Connolly Photo Credit: Kathleen Connolly Photo Credit: Kathleen Connolly Falmouth Herb Garden 55 Palmer Avenue Falmouth, MA. 02540 The Herb Garden is just outside the 1790 Wicks House on Museum on the Green. It contains many medicinal herbs that were used by the original owner Dr. Francis Wicks. ​ ​ ​ Thompson's Field - Harwich, MA Thompsons’s Field, a Town of Harwich property with a wildflower garden built and maintained by the Garden Club of Harwich features Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Tickseed (Coreopsis) and Beardtongue ‘Husker Red’ (Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’). ​ ​ ​ Association to Preserve Cape Cod - Dennis, MA Pollinator garden at the headquarters of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Dennis MA featuring Monarch butterflies feasting on Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) flanked by Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). The garden also features Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Goldenrod (Solidago). ​ ​ ​ Mass Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary - Wellfleet MA The Mass Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet MA features a pollinator garden with Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveborecensis), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) supporting wasps, bees and moths. ​ ​ ​ Theresa's Way - Orleans, MA A pollinator pathway at Theresa’s Way in Orleans, MA sponsored by the Orleans Improvement Association is under development. ​ ​ ​ Lyn Peabody Wildflower Gardens - Brewster, MA Trillium luteum, Podophyllum peltatum and Iris cristata blooming at the Lyn Peabody Wildflower Gardens, maintained by the Nauset Garden Club at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster, MA Photo Credit: David March Photo Credit: David March Photo Credit: David March Memorial Park Garden 55 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth, MA. 02540 The Memorial Park Garden maintained by the Falmouth Garden Club contains many pollinator friendly native perennials, shrubs & trees. A few of the perennials are Bee balm, Geranium, King Solomon's seal and Pink turtlehead. Some of the shrubs include Oakleaf hydrangea, Mapleleaf viburnum and Azalea. Native trees include American holly, Dogwood, River birch and Franklin alatamaha. ​ ​ ​ Colonial Garden 55 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth MA 02540 A garden at the Museum on the Greens maintained by the Falmouth Garden Club. Join The Pollinator Pathway Join the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod as a "Participating Organization" and be listed below! If your non-profit group, business, or town supports the above four principles of our regional project, and is working to increase pollinator friendly habitats and food sources on Cape Cod, we want to link to your organization's webpage and help you spread the news of your good work. To get started and to learn more, please email us at pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com . Current participating organizations include: Garden Clubs Aptuxcet Garden Club of Borne Garden Club of Brewster Chatham Garden Club Falmouth Garden Club Hyannis Garden Club Mashpee Garden Club Sandwich Garden Club Village Garden Club of Dennis West Dennis Garden Club Wellfleet Gardeners Conservation Trusts and Audubon Barnstable Land Trust Brewster Conservation Trust Dennis Conservation Land Trust Harwich Conservation Trust Long Pasture Sanctuary Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Sipson Island Trust Garden Centers Agway Cape Cod Hyannis Country Garden Ponderosa Garden Center Soares Flower Garden Nursery The Farm (Orleans) Crocker Nursery Ecological Landscapers EcoPlantPlans LLC Environmental Landscape Solutions Gardens by Barbara Conolly JuliaGarden Design Kent Land Designs Terra Firma Permagardens Wilkinson Ecological Design Other Partners Resilient Roots Hyannis Main Street BID Rotary Club of Yarmouth The Church of the Holy Spirit The Meetinghouse Farm Anyone can help in this effort – even a single pollinator plant placed in a pot on a deck or patio advances the cause. Cumulative efforts can make a huge difference to our pollinator populations, and they’re in desperate need of our help. We hope that you will join the fun! ​ FOUNDING PARTNERS FOR MORE INFORMATION, QUESTIONS OR ORGANIZATION INTEREST IN PARTICIPATION PLEASE EMAIL US AT pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com

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

Early spring is the perfect time to inspect your valued trees, and if need be, consult with a tree specialist if you find signs of damage from invasive insects such as the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, the Emerald Ash Borer and the nematode which results in Beech Leaf Disease. If so, make sure that you ask your arborist about all treatment methods, including non-toxic and biological controls. This way you can ensure outcomes that will provide for the health of your tree and the diversity of your yard. Here are some common backyard tree species and the pests they may be afflicted by: HEMLOCKS: Our valued native hemlocks, both Eastern and Carolinian (Tsuga canadensis and Tsuga caroliniana), respond very well to treatment. Those treatments options include: 1.    Horticultural oil or insecticidal soap: Horticultural oil or insecticidal soap applications, once or twice annually in May and late June, depending on the level of HWA infestations, are the preferred method of control with the least impact on non-target and beneficial species. The oils and soaps are sprayed onto the limbs and shoots and are most effective if the adelgids are thoroughly covered. This method can be done by the homeowner for smaller trees; for larger trees a professional should be consulted. Timing is important to avoid affecting any pollinators who may be in the area. 2.    ST Ladybeetles: Also available to the homeowner is a biological control, a tiny ladybeetle known as ST (Sasajiscymnus tsugae). It is the only HWA predator that is reared commercially and is now available to the public from Tree-Savers. This species feeds on all stages of HWA and studies have shown its ability to adapt and overwinter in the northeast. 3.    Neonics: The use of systemic chemicals (including the neonics imidacloprid and dinotefuran) should be the last treatment method of choice. If your arborist immediately recommends a neonic, you should ask why a less toxic remedy would not work. There may be situations where spraying with oils or soaps would not be effective such as 1) inability to reach all of the of the tree due to its height, 2) the proximity of a building making it difficult to use necessary equipment, and 3) extent of infestation making it unlikely to cover all adelgids with oils or soaps. Hemlock wooly adelgid infestation. Photo by Steven Katovich, bugwood.org Check to see if your state requires a licensed applicator to apply a neonic. Ten states have this restriction. The best application method would be the trunk injection method since it minimizes exposures to other species. However, remember that any use of a neonic should be done with careful consideration of timing and following all label directions to protect pollinators, other beneficial insects and adjacent vegetation. Also, it has been reported that an unwanted outcome of using a neonic is the possible infestation of spider mites, due to killing of the beneficials insects that control spider mites. ASH TREES: The Emerald Ash Borer is another pest that has already done much damage to ash trees in New England. Trees that are heavily infected should be removed and destroyed by a professional. An ash tree infested with EAB may show the following signs: "blonding" or large strips of bark falling off due to increased woodpecker activity; tree canopy dieback, yellowing, and browning of leaves; distinctive D-shaped exit holes in the bark of the branches and the trunk left by adult beetles emerging from the tree. A good rule of thumb is to treat a tree that still has half or more of its canopy. The most effective treatment is a chemical called emamectin benzoate. Another practice that may be recommended, but should be a last resort if used at all, is using the neonic imidacloprid as a trunk injection. In either case, caution to protect pollinators and water sources should be taken as both of these chemicals are toxic to bees, fish and aquatic species. The authoritative publication about pesticide use against EAB is “Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees Against Emerald Ash Borer;” by some of the leading experts on EAB. BEECH TREES: Another newer pest is a foliar nematode which results in Beech Leaf Disease, defoliating many beech trees in New England. For small trees, 2-4” diameter, drenching the soil around the tree with potassium phosphite, a fertilizer, several times a year may improve the health of the tree. Be careful to drench over a wide area so as not to subject the roots to a high dose of this salt. For details see Beech Leaf Disease Management Options. Close up of a beech leaf showing symptoms of beech leaf disease. Photo courtesy of CT Agricultural Experiment Station via bugwood.org by Yonghao Li. In conclusion, have trust in your arborist and ask questions to make sure all options, including non-toxic ones, are considered when making a treatment decision. Written by Mary Wilson. Mary has lived in Newtown, Connecticut for over 50 years. Her love for the New England landscape has led to advocacy work for the protection of habitats and the wonderful creatures they support. She has degrees in education and chemistry. Resources NYS DEC Hemlock Wooly Adelgid Factsheet NYS DEC Emerald Ash Borer Factsheet NYS DEC Beech Leaf Disease Factsheet Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Fact Sheet EAB January 2021 Beech Leaf Disease Management Options