Pollinator Pathway
Martinez
Martinez is creating a connected network of native plant habitats that supports bees, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife while showcasing the beauty of California's native flora. Centered around the Alhambra Native Plant Trail, this community-led effort has been expanding since 2010, transforming public spaces, businesses, parks, and private gardens into thriving pollinator habitats.
The Pollinator Pathway features more than a dozen public native gardens—including the John Muir National Historic Site, Martinez Library, Senior Community Center, Marina, Boys & Girls Club, and Kiwanis Garden—as well as numerous private gardens that collectively create an important wildlife corridor through the city. Community volunteers continue to plant, maintain, and expand these spaces while educating residents about the importance of native plants, biodiversity, and healthy ecosystems.
Learn more: Friends of Alhambra Creek
Resources:
Town Gardens
The Native Garden at the John Muir National Historic Site
Established in 2007 and expanded in 2012, the Native Garden at the John Muir National Historic Site is a living demonstration of how native plants, dedicated volunteers, and time can transform a landscape into thriving wildlife habitat. Created by the Friends of Alhambra Creek, the garden showcases a diverse collection of California native plants—including flowering currants, manzanitas, California buckwheat, deer grass, sages, toyon, and coyote mint—that provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other native wildlife throughout the year. Located beside the Visitor Center at John Muir's historic home, the garden inspires visitors to discover the beauty and ecological importance of California's native plants while honoring Muir's legacy of conservation.
Learn more: John Muir Brochure
Alhambra Native Plant Trail
Since 2010, the Alhambra Native Plant Trail has grown into a citywide network of native plant gardens that creates a wildlife corridor for birds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects throughout Martinez. The pathway includes 15 public demonstration gardens at parks, community spaces, businesses, and historic sites, along with 16 private pollinator gardens, all connected by a shared commitment to restoring California native habitat and inspiring others to plant for pollinators.
Wildlife Garden at Moorhen Marsh
3800 Arthur Road, Martinez, CA 94533
The Mt. View Sanitary District Native Gardens showcase how public utility lands can provide exceptional habitat for pollinators and wildlife. Surrounding restored marshes, these California native gardens support monarch butterflies with abundant narrowleaf and showy milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis and A. speciosa), along with a rich diversity of nectar plants, including Helenium puberulum. The site is also home to numerous birds, the endangered Western Pond Turtle, and other native wildlife. Maintained by dedicated volunteers, the gardens offer visitors an inspiring example of how native plants can restore ecosystems while creating beautiful places for people to explore and learn.
Learn more: https://www.mvsd.org/
