Pollinator Pathway
Town of Clinton in Dutchess County
Welcome to the Town of Clinton Pollinator Pathway! Clinton is bounded on the north by the towns of Rhinebeck and Milan, on the south by the town of Pleasant Valley, on the east by the towns of Washington and Stanford, and on the west by the town of Hyde Park.
We are a part of the regional undertaking to create a corridor of adjacent properties—private and public spaces—that provide safe habitat for birds, butterflies, and bees, as well as other valuable insects. Our goal is to make Clinton a pollinator pathway by identifying and encouraging native plants, removing invasive ones, discouraging the use of pesticides, and planting flowers, shrubs, and trees vital to pollinator survival.
With its large woodland tracts and rural farm fields, Clinton is an ideal destination for pollinators. Their favorite summer milkweed and autumn goldenrod thrive naturally in the meadows and along the roadsides, while vital trees, such as oaks, are plentiful in the woods. Citizens can contribute by identifying and conserving valuable plants already growing on their property, and by allowing meadows to grow. For gardeners, pollinator-attracting gardens of any size—even a small border or planter filled with flowers—have an important place on the pollinator pathway.
The Omega Institute has pledged its participation in the pathway. Residents are encouraged to add their properties to the map below. Everyone’s efforts can make a huge difference to our pollinator population and add to the pleasure we find in living here.
We hope that you will join the fun!
Town Gardens
Clinton Town Hall Complex
Located at 1215 Centre Rd (Rhinebeck), the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) replanted an existing garden with Happy Star Coneflower (echinacea purpurea), Little Moonshine (achillea hybrida), Joe Pye Weed (eupatorium purpureum), Sneezeweed (helenium autumnale), Butterfly Weed (asclepias tuberosa) and Wild Bergamot (monarda fistuosa).
Clinton Nature Trail
Funds for the purpose of enhancing Open Space were given to the towns in Dutchess County where the Iroquois Pipeline was run, carrying Natural Gas from Canada to New York City. In 1992, the Town of Clinton used these funds to purchase 24.2 acres to become the Clinton Nature Trail. The area comprises of paths through a meadow and in a wetland along the Little Wappinger Creek. Some native plant species include: Hawthorne, Shag-bark Hickory, Northern Catalpa, American Sycamore, American Hog-peanut, Golden Rod, Common Yarrow, Deertongue, Wild Yam, Poison Ivy and Common Milkweed. Four nest boxes have had Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds nest successfully for many years.
Frances J. Mark Memorial Park
Fran Mark was a County Legislator for many years and is memorialized in this Town of Clinton Park located at 337 Clinton Hollow Rd. It includes a pavilion with a kitchen, swimming pond, baseball field, horseshoes, playground, basketball court and picnic tables with grilling stations, all surrounding the pond area.
In 2017, CAC member, Maya Goer-Palenzuela, started planting a Wildlife Border next to the parking lot with donations from her gardens. She continued working with the town of Clinton for the next 3 years enhancing the border by adding mostly native plants as well as two Cherry Trees near the pavilion and a Red Maple near the pond. Some of the pollinator plantings include Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata); Blue grama (Bouteloua gracillis); Rocky Top (Echinacea tennesseensis); Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata); Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis); Blue cardinal flower (Lobelia siphilitica); Achillea ‘Paprkia’; Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillate); Smooth aster (Aster laevis); Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’’; Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula); Carex humilis ‘Hexe’; Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabillis); Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum); Monarda bradburiana; Sporobolus airoides.
Partners
Town of Clinton Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Omega Institute for Holistic Studies.