Pollinator Pathway
Burlington
The Town of Burlington, CT has joined the Pollinator Pathway, an initiative to create corridors of pesticide-free habitat and safe food sources for pollinating insects, birds, and other wildlife. As an initial step, the Burlington Land Trust has linked with the Burlington Garden Club and the Burlington Conservation Commission to establish a pollinator-friendly habitat in our town. Our mission is to educate and spread the word to our community and private residents of the town who will commit to eschewing pesticides, controlling invasive plants which are dangerous to pollinators, and planting and conserving native plants that are favorable to pollinators in an effort to expand the Pollinator Pathway in our area. As more residential and commercial properties join this effort, quality habitat is created, allowing pollinators to proliferate. Please befriend these creatures that make life on earth possible and beautiful by becoming a new member of the Burlington Pollinator Pathway.
Pollinators fertilize the plants in our yards and parks but also on our farms and orchards. The Pollinator Pathway project is an effort by volunteers from municipal and private conservation organizations, garden clubs, and interested citizens working together to establish pollinator-friendly habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife along a series of continuous corridors. Most native bees have a range of about a half-mile, so the goal is to connect properties that are no farther apart than that.
This project began in 2017 in Wilton. Since then, pathways have been established in over 27 towns in CT and NY and the list keeps growing! Join the effort - protect our future!
Please join us at the
Burlington Public Library on
Tuesday April 23 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.
Learn about the pollinator pathway and the library’s initiative to establish a seed bank and community gardens. Get ideas on how to start your own pollinator garden!
We will have subject matter exerts to assist you with rethinking your lawn and providing you with great resources to make it all happen!
No Mow May Campaign
No Mow May is a campaign to pause mowing in May to let flowers bloom and feed early season pollinators.
Join the Town of Burlington DPW in support of No Mow May. The town will selectively let patches of grass to grow during May. You can help by not cutting your grass during May. Try cutting a pattern on your lawn with cut & uncut grass! Leave a section of uncut grass. Any amount of uncut grass in May is greatly appreciated by the pollinators.
Learn how to participate, why mowing less benefits bees and other wildlife, and how to create a flowering lawn with native plants.
There are many articles, here is one which will provide good, initial information:
Lake Garda Community Garden
The Lake Garda Pollinator Pathway group was formed by a group of a dozen or so neighbors interested in furthering good pollinator pathway practices in their own gardens and on the three community beaches within the Lake Garda Association that spans Burlington and Farmington, CT.
With the help of donated plants from the Burlington Pollinator Pathway initiative of the Burlington Land Trust, they created their first Pollinator Pathway bordering Moore Beach in July 2023. With some left over donations, and cuttings from some of the members' gardens and generous donation of cuttings from the Canton Pollinator Pathway group they created a second Pollinator Pathway on Children’s Beach in August 2023.
Projects planned for 2024 include maintaining and adding additional plants to the two current Pathways and adding native pants to a section off of the third beach area known as Battistoni Beach. A community boardwalk was built to allow access through a wooded area bordering the lake which has become increasing swampy with the wetter climate. We will be researching best natives to plant here that will survive in the wet climate. We will also be examining alternatives to mosquito spraying using the dunk method in our meetings.
Finally we are looking at hosting a nature event for children in the summer (with their parents), whereby we can emphasize the importance of the insects, birds and plants in our Lake habitat and how humans can help, including turning off lights at night to help increase the firefly population
Whigville Grange
148 S Main Street, Burlington, CT 06013
Initial planting of pollinator gardens
Partner Organizations
Burlington Land Trust, Burlington Garden Club & Burlington Conservation Commission
