Led by Project Chair Lauren Toomey, members volunteered in the Pollinator Pathway booth located in the Agricultural Building at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium. Two handouts were given out: Recommended Information to Establish an Effective Native Pollinator Habitat and Essential Pollinator Habitat Garden Instructions by Elmer Dengler.
CVGC's project for 2021-2023 is the Anne Arundel County Pollinator Pathway. The Pollinator Pathway is corridors of public and private properties that provide pesticide-free native plant habitat and nutrition for pollinators. We can reconnect our landscape by making our properties stepping stones for the free flow of species across a healthy, native landscape. The mission is to impactfully elevate environmental stewardship of Anne Arundel County citizens through engagement of households, communities, HOA's, coalitions, local and state government, and unique public-private partnerships. The goal is to create sustainable landscapes, not only throughout Anne Arundel County but Maryland as a whole, that promote climate resilient projects, deliver actionable outcomes of reduced pollution and restored waterways, and bring nature back into our daily lives by focusing on actions people can take right outside their door. Maintaining environmentally-sound gardens and yards by using sustainable gardening practices improves water quality, conserves natural resources for future generations, reduces maintenance, and saves money. While individual efforts may seem small, they all add up to make a big difference in improving the health of our local waterways, the Chesapeake Bay, our personal well-being, and the environment. Most Maryland residents live within a half-mile of a drainage ditch, storm drain, stream or river. These local waterways eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay. The misuse of pesticides and fertilizers, lack of soil management, and poor plant selection can all contribute to the degradation of Maryland’s streams, rivers, and the Bay. By embracing the change of a few simple landscape practices, together we can keep Maryland communities and pollinators healthy. Project Chair Gail Schulz held a clean-up day at the Pollinator Garden located at Crofton Library. Members weeded and edged the garden and worked on plant identification. Markers were added to the plants as an educational component to demonstrate to community members the importance of native plants to encourage the population of pollinators. The Pollinator Garden is a "stepping stone" on the Anne Arundel County Pollinator Pathway.
Thank you to Margo Antonelli, Linda Childs, Trish Demers, Camille DeVito, Denise Frey, Beverly Frye, Cathy Gallagher (CVGC President), Rosa Johnson, Glenna Kidd, Nancy Percivall, Gail Schulz, Lauren Toomey, and Claudia West for helping with the garden clean-up. Thank you also to Jim MacNicholl (Master Gardener) for his assistance with plant identification. The Pollinator Pathway is corridors of public and private properties that provide pesticide-free native plant habitat and nutrition for pollinators. Reconnecting the landscape by making properties stepping stones for the free flow of species across a healthy, native landscape.
Led by member Lauren Toomey with keynote speaker Sam Droege, Wildlife Biologist, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Refuge. Members and guests will view a PowerPoint presentation on the Pollinator Pathway, followed by a discussion with Louise Washer, Pollinator Pathway Northeast founder, on how to implement a successful pathway by reducing turf, planting native plants, and avoiding pesticides. Anne Arundel County is the first county in Maryland to establish a pollinator pathway. The goal of Pollinator Pathway Maryland is to connect the pathway with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Capital Trails Network within Prince George's and Montgomery County, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. For more information on the Anne Arundel County Pollinator Pathway, click the button below. |
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