Pollinator Pathway

Growing Canopy Along Shared Use Path

Planting native trees along a 500-foot section of Sandra Marker Trail has created new habitat for wildlife while adding shade, beauty, and biodiversity to a well-used public trail. Coast Live Oaks and California Buckeyes provide food and shelter for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife, while connecting people with native plants in an everyday community setting. The project demonstrates how small-scale planting can create lasting benefits for both wildlife and people.

Learn more: https://www.refugiamarin.org/sandramarkertrail

A grant from Point Blue Conservation Science’s Roots Program funded the transformation of an underused school landscape into a 12,300-square-foot native habitat of California native plants for wildlife. Located along a main road through town, the public-facing habitat creates an outdoor learning space for students and the wider community to explore nature and learn about native ecosystems and become stewards of their environment.

Learn more: https://www.refugiamarin.org/native-habitat-garden-hall-middle

Showcasing the beauty and sustainability of native plants, Refugia Marin's first native habitat garden has come a long way since its beginnings in 2021, from invasive plants to a bustling habitat with pollinators and wildlife.

 

This public garden in Town Park, Corte Madera, was our founder's dream come true after asking, "I wonder what would happen if the city let me throw some seeds in this underused part of the park?". Thankfully, the Town said, "Yes", and now, California native plants have transformed the area into a pollinator paradise, teeming with biodiversity and vibrant wildlife.

 

The original area has since been expanded four times, and is now considered our Demonstration Garden, featuring over 80 different species, seating, a small bioswale, and several educational signs as well as plant labels.

 

The garden also sits next to Refugia Marin's lagoon enhancement, and an elementary school's garden that they help maintain.

Learn more about this garden: https://www.refugiamarin.org/native-habitat-garden-townpark

Creating Pollinator Habitat as Student Research Lab

A quiet public corner of Dominican University of California hosts an outdoor research lab filled with pollinators and other wildlife. California native plants provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, birds, and other species, while creating a living learning space for the university community. Interpretive signage helps visitors discover the plants and wildlife around them and understand the important role native habitats play in supporting biodiversity.

Learn more: https://www.refugiamarin.org/dominicanuniversityofcalifornia

The Niven Point Butterfly Garden is a 3,000-square-foot California native plant garden created by Rich Cimino, Janet Bodle, and Kate Littleboy of Cape Marin, along with Kent McDonald of The Sequoia. Once an overgrown, weedy area between the Corte Madera Creek mudflats and the multi-use path behind Bon Air Center and Niven Park, the site is being transformed into a thriving habitat for pollinators and birds.

The garden features 70 California native plant species, including large patches of narrowleaf milkweed and more than 130 flowering pollinator plants, providing food and habitat for Monarch butterflies, other butterflies, bees, and birds. Hundreds of milkweed plants have already been planted, creating an important sanctuary along the creek.

The team hopes to continue improving the garden with a protective fence and hedge, a more permanent pathway, and educational signage highlighting native plants and the remarkable migration of the Monarch butterfly. 

Combining Food, Habitat, and Community at People’s Garden

A youth-led project at San Clemente Park, Corte Madera, the People’s Garden transforms a public space into a thriving garden that brings together food production, native habitat, and community. 

Created in partnership with the Redwood High School Botany Club, the garden provides opportunities for students to learn hands-on about plants, biodiversity, and stewardship while creating a welcoming space where the wider community can connect with nature and discover the value of growing food and habitat together.

Learn more: https://www.refugiamarin.org/peoples-garden

Increasing Native Habitat at Public Lagoon

‘Corte Madera Wilds’ is transforming the edges of Pixley Lagoon by removing invasive plants and replacing them with California native species to strengthen the lagoon’s ecosystem. The project creates habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife while improving this important public landscape. Native plantings, wood-chip mulch, and educational signage invite the community to explore the lagoon and learn more about its unique habitat.

Learn more: https://www.refugiamarin.org/corte-madera-wilds

Turning a barren public space into a thriving native habitat for wildlife and people, the Larkspur Library Native Habitat Garden showcases California native plants. The garden supports local biodiversity while creating a welcoming place for the community to connect with nature. The space will be used to educate the community about how our landscapes can become vibrant habitats that benefit wildlife and enrich everyday experiences.

Learn more: https://www.refugiamarin.org/larkspur-library-habitat-garden