Pollinator Pathway
East Haddam
East Haddam is one of the largest towns in area in Connecticut. The town includes 3 major State Parks, is part of the Nationally recognized Eightmile Wild and Scenic River and the Salmon River Partnership. The Town of East Haddam, the East Haddam Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy and the State of Connecticut have joined together to purchase large swaths of connected open space. These areas include bogs, streams, meadows and woods. They are naturally pollinator friendly. East Haddam Conservation Commission enhances these naturally occurring areas with active support through planting of pollinator friendly and native plants in town reserves and preserves.
Here are some steps you can take:
Create a way station for pollinators!
Plant some of your lawn with native plantings including flowers, shrubs, and trees
Leave leaf litter on garden beds to over-winter, creating safe places for insects and their babies
Rethink your lawn!
Institute No Mow May
Mow higher and less often
Leave the clippings on the grass as fertilizer rather than adding chemicals
Consider the use of slow-release organic fertilizers if you do need to fertilize
Plant native ground cover within your lawn
We encourage all residents who love pollinators, native plants and flowers to add their personal gardens and meadows to East Haddam’s list of pollinator friendly habitats, connecting to other towns around us such as Lyme and East Hampton.
The pollinator pathways initiative is a project of East Haddam Sustainability Team.
Photo Credit: K. Lamb
Photo Credit: K. Lamb
Photo Credit: K. Lamb
East Haddam Gardens
East Haddam Conservation Commission created a Pollinator Garden on Patrell Preserve with the expertise of local Master Gardeners in 2019.
Volunteers with students and teachers have established pollinator gardens in East Haddam Elementary School and Hale Ray Middle School. The plants are started from seed. Students gather the seeds in the fall. They are germinated, potted and sold to the public as an ongoing fundraiser to support the gardens. At the same time native pollinators friendly plants are distributed into the community.
East Haddam’s Community Garden, a 4 acre plot with a deer fence around it, is also a haven for pollinators, with many gardeners planting flowers, especially sunflowers. Some gardeners go further leaving patches of milkweed, evening primrose, mountain mint and other native pollinators among their vegetables.
East Haddam’s Garden club encourages pollinators with their plantings in prominent areas in large planters in East Haddam Village, the Four Corners and Rathbun Library. They have also brought in speakers to educate members of the garden club and the public on planting pollinator friendly flowers in home gardens for all growing seasons.
As a town we encourage private residents and organizations to join and add to our pollinator pathways. Friends of Machimoodus Sunrise State Park have created a pollinator garden and First Church of Christ Congregational is planning a Native Plant Garden and has been encouraging No Mow May by leaving their grass on Town Street to become a meadow every spring. Ballek’s Gardening Center, a local farm and plant Nursery also offers a wide variety of pollinators and advice on native plantings.
