CVGC PROMOTES THE POLLINATOR PATHWAY

CVGC President Cathy Gallagher, JoAnn Cook, Nancy Percivall and Project Chair Lauren Toomey

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 Lauren Toomey, Claudia West, Margo Antonelli and Marcia Richard