Pollinator Pathway

The students of Geraldine Claytor Magnet Academy in Bridgeport, along with their teacher, Ron Rapice, recently completed their pollinator garden project with great success. With the help of the Bridgeport Pollinator Partners as well as the Native and Oliver's nurseries, the students planted over 30 different types of plants, including milkweed, boneset, aster, and more. All are invited to come visit this beautiful garden.

Members of Black Rock Yacht Club including our Juniors have been working on establishing a pollinator garden starting in 2020 with the guidance of the Environmental Committee. With the help of donations of native plants from local gardeners as well as seedlings started by our Junior members the garden has more than 30 varieties of native plants that support pollinators and act as host plants for a variety of native butterflies and moths. It acts as an education for members in promoting native plants and the importance of avoiding pesticides. The hope is to expand the area in the club every year

The Blue Star Garden, a native pollinator garden on the shores of Ash Creek, where it meets Long Island Sound, was established by the Black Rock Garden Club, to honor service members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Black Rock Pollinator Partners teamed up with the Business Owners of Black Rock to set up pollinator planters in front of the restaurants and store fronts along several blocks of Fairfield Avenue. Our goals were beautification of the business district as well as the promotion of public awareness about the importance of pollinators. We were happily surprised by the number of pollinators that were actually attracted to our zinnias, lantana, black-eyed Susans, lobelia and verbena along the Avenue. We chose annuals for their long bloom time. Our efforts were supported by the business owners, Black Rock Compost Company, and several other donors.

Members of Black Rock Pollinator Partners have been adding native plants for pollinators and birds to their yards. More and more of our lawns are being replaced by native gardens, meadows and habitats. The native "meadow" along both sides of the fence includes ironweed, mountain mint, sneezeweed, beardtongue, milkweed, goldenrod and monarda. 

A brand new wildlife habitat (not pictured) contains witch hazel, winterberry, serviceberry, elderberry, chokeberry, ninebark, foam flower, monarda, asclepius, amsomia, meadow rue and more.

BEEport partnered with the Black Rock Garden Club to create a native pollinator garden at the Eisenhower Senior Center. Featuring native perennials and shrubs that provide habitat and food for pollinators, the garden is part of an initiative to establish pollinator gardens at three Bridgeport senior centers, supported by a grant from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.

A native pollinator garden at Baldwin Plaza brings together nature, poetry, art, and community in downtown Bridgeport. Designed by Wild Habits LLC, the garden builds on the Words on Wheels student poetry program, with plans for a brick poetry walk featuring student work. Originally envisioned by Ron Rapice, the project is a collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, Parks Commission, Bridgeport Public Schools, Aspetuck Land Trust, BEEport, and Park City Conservancy.

BEEport and the Black Rock Garden Club are transforming garden beds at the Black Rock Senior Center with native perennials and shrubs to support local pollinators. The project is one of three native pollinator gardens being established at Bridgeport senior centers, with funding from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.