Pollinator Corridor

The Washington Park Pollinator Corridor is collaborative partnership with
People and Pollinators Action Network, Washington Park East Neighborhood Association, West Wash Park Neighborhood Association, SummerHome Garden, and Oasis.

“Imagine if more people would put in pollinator plants in small or large gardens or even pots. We could create a patchwork of gardens that pollinators can easily find and travel to, and construct longer migration pathways across a highly populated city. Now, imagine there are 1,000s of them that start to work together as one large ecosystem. This is how individual gardens affect climate issues.”
-Lisa Negri, SummerHome Garden

Scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat is possible because of pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. 90% of wild flowering plants also depend on the incredible dance of pollination.

Habitat loss due to urbanization, pesticide use, and climate change have led to a concerning decline in pollinator populations. The newest research finds that more than 22% of native pollinators in North America are at risk of extinction.

One of the most effective ways to combat this problem is through individual actions like reducing pesticide use and growing native plants. Anchored by the spectacular gardens in Washington Park, the Pollinator Corridor seeks to amplify and connect individual efforts with a campaign of community and ecology.

It’s easy to participate!

• Plant native plants. No garden is too small, it can be a 2 x 2 foot part of your yard, a pot on the porch, a window box in your apartment.
• Find resources on this website including a down-loadable guide book, plant lists, design plans, services to help you install a garden and more.
• Fill out this form to let us know what you are doing and to have your participation noted on an interactive map.
• We are offering free 12” x 12” yard signs with the logo to highlight participation in the Washington Park Pollinator
  
  Have questions? Feel free to reach out [email protected]

The project kicks off for Earth Day with a free seed giveaway in Washington Park near the Big Gardens on Saturday, April 19 from 10 to 2 and on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22 from 10 am to noon and again from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Stop by, say hello, and pick up some free wildflower seeds.

Want to read more about pollinators? Here’s a pollinator reading list from our friends at Habitat Library. (To learn more about the Habitat Library you can read this article in Westword).

CELEBRATING THE WASHINGTON PARK POLLINATOR CORRIDOR with books from the Habitat Library:

• Pollinators of Native Plants: Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants by Heather Holm.
• The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees by Joseph Wilson.
• Attracting Native Pollinators: the Xerces Society Guide.
• Pollinator Friendly Gardening: for Bees, Butterflies and other Pollinators by Rhonda Hayes.
• 100 Plants to Feed the Bees: Provide a Healthy Habitat to Help Pollinators Thrive by the Xerces Society.
• The Pollinator Victory Garden by Kim Eierman

Provided by Jeff Lee, Project & Program Coordinator
HABITAT LIBRARY – A library about people, nature & land