© Pollinator Pathway K. Lamb

Connecting organizations | Connecting communities | Connecting habitat

Pollinator Pathway promotes native plant landscapes and works to connect public parks and private land to create a continuous corridor of pollinator-friendly habitat in Licking County.

RE-THINK FALL CLEANUP

Leave some leaves for pollinators, please!

One of the most important things you can do for pollinators is to provide them with the cover they need to survive the winter. Some species of butterflies, wild bees and other pollinators overwinter in or under fallen leaves. Instead of blowing leaves to the curb, please consider leaving some leaves around the base of trees or add them to foundation beds or around native perennials. These "soft landings" are critical for many pollinators to complete their lifecycle. Plus, leaves provide valuable organic matter and help to build healthy soil. Leaves have the same weed suppression and moisture retention properties of shredded wood mulch + they’re free! 

HELP EXPAND MONARCH HABITAT

Collect Milkweed Pods 

Drop off milkweed seed pods to Licking Soil & Water Conservation District in October 

BE A BOUNTY HUNTER IN YOUR BACKYARD 

 Bradford Pear "Bounty" Program 

 Reward offered for removing invasive pear on your property

Bradford Pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) escaped cultivation, forming dense thickets that displace native plants and the pollinators and other wildlife that depend on them.  It is now illegal to sell, grow, or plant Bradford pear trees in Ohio. To stop the spread of this harmful invasive plant, Licking County Pollinator Pathway launched a Bradford Pear "bounty" program which offers a reward  of a voucher for a pollinator-friendly native tree from a local nursery for each invasive Bradford Pear tree removed.

CREATING A GREEN CORRIDOR
What is Pollinator Pathway? 

Pollinator Pathway promotes native plant landscapes and works to connect public parks and private land to create a continuous corridor of pollinator-friendly habitat. Even the smallest green spaces, home gardens and median strips can be part of the Pollinator Pathway. 

How can my property become part of the Pollinator Pathway? 

Plant Native Plants

Native plants are critical sources of food and habitat for butterflies, wild bees, birds and other wildlife and form the base of the foodweb that all species (including our own) depend on. 

Remove Invasive Plants

Non-native, fast-growing species such as bush honeysuckle, barberry and burning bush threaten our parks and natural areas by overtaking the native plants that sustain pollinators.  

Reduce Your Lawn

Lawns can be deadly to butterflies, wild bees and other pollinators. Consider converting part of your yard into a pollinator garden, pocket prairie or mini meadow. 

Adopt pollinator-friendly property maintenance practices

Avoid use of chemicals

Lawn & garden chemicals are harmful to pollinators and may have toxic effects on other wildlife, children, pets and water resources. Skip the spray. 

Leave the leaves

Some butterflies, wild bees and other pollinators overwinter in fallen leaves. Leave some leaves around the base of trees and add them to garden beds.  

Re-think fall cleanup

Wait until spring to "clean-up" or cut back native plants and perennials in order to provide shelter & food for pollinators through the winter months.

CREATING & CONNECTING HABITAT
Add your property to the Pollinator Pathway map

Support and protect native bees, butterflies, birds and other wildlife by adding native plants and trees to your property. Whether you are planting native shrubs in a foundation bed or converting part of your yard into a meadow, every native plant is important to our pollinators! 

Pollinator Pathway yard sign

SPOTLIGHT YOUR PART OF THE PATHWAY
Add a Pollinator Pathway sign to your yard or garden

Spotlight your section of the Pollinator Pathway by adding a sign to your yard or garden.  These beautiful metal medallions  come with pre-drilled holes and are available in two sizes:  6" or 12".  

Past Pollinator Pathway Activities

Seed Collection 

Volunteers fanned out across the Granville Land Lab to collect seeds from white wild indigo (Baptisia alba), bee balm (Monarda fistulosa), rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) and other native Ohio prairie plants.  After seeds are dried and packaged, seed packets will be available to the public via the Community Seed Library at Granville Public Library

Native Plant Sale

In partnership with the Licking Land Trust, Pollinator Pathway offered 16-plant pollinator garden plant packages as well as hundreds of native flowers, shrubs and trees as the featured vendor at the Granville Farmers Market on September 16, 2023.

Community Seed Libraries

Patrons at three local libraries are able to "check out" free packets of native plant seeds to create their own Pollinator Pathway plots. Pollinator Pathway volunteers collected seed locally and hand-packaged it into hundreds of seed packets for distribution at the Granville, Mary E. Babcock (Johnstown) and Homer Public Libraries.    

Milkweed Giveaway

Ace of Clubs 4-H gave away more than 650 milkweed plants as part of 43023 Day on 4.30.23 in downtown Granville to support the endangered monarch butterfly and encourage others to plant native plants as part of the Pollinator Pathway. Learn more.

Workshops

Pollinator Pathway co-sponsored several local events with partner organizations, including a Plant Swap with the Granville Public Library, a Pocket Prairie workshop with the Licking Park District and numerous community presentations. 

Walk & Talk with Author

Urban ecologist & Nature at Your Door author Sara Gagné joined Pollinator Pathway and Granville Public Library for a Walk & Talk along the Broadway Pollinator Pathway where Dr. Gagné shared insights from her research and ways to support nature in urban and suburban landscapes

From plant swaps and milkweed giveaways, to lectures and foraged dinners, Licking County Pollinator Pathway partner organizations offer educational programming to help create and connect native plant landscapes across our community. 

Featured properties on the Broadway Pathway

Robbins Hunter Museum

221 E. Broadway

Plants include: hairy alum root (Heuchera villosa), sweet Joe Pyweed (Eupatorium purpureum), and columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Granville Public Library

217 E. Broadway

Plants include: butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) aster and goldenrod. 

Kinetic Pocket Park

131 E. Broadway

Plants include: rose milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) New Jersey Tea (Ceonothus americanus), culver's root (veronicastrum virginica), Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans). 

United Church of Granville

115 W. Broadway 

Plants include: bee balm (Monarda spp.), columbine, (Aquilegia canadensis) winterberry, (Ilex verticillata), foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

EXPANDING POLLINATOR HABITAT
Community Seed Libraries 


Pollinator Pathway volunteers hand-collected and packaged hundreds of seed packets for distribution at community seed libraries across the county. Patrons can now "check out" free seed packets of Purple Coneflower, Little Bluestem, Rattlesnake Master & more than a dozen other native plant species at Granville, Mary E. Babcock (Johnstown) and Homer Public Libraries and create or expand their own Pollinator Pathway plot.   

Pollinator Pathway promotes native plant landscapes and works to connect public parks and private land to create a continuous corridor of pollinator-friendly habitat. 

Pollinator Pathway partners include:
Licking Land Trust | The Dawes Arboretum  | Licking Park District | Denison | The Ohio State University Newark |  Granville Public Library | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program | Sanctuary Garden at Newark High School | Licking Soil & Water Conservation District | Granville Schools Sustainability Project | Ace of Clubs 4-H | Otterbein Granville | 1500 Trees | City of Newark | Grange Insurance Audubon Center | Licking County Master Gardener Volunteers | Wild Ones Columbus | Licking County Community Center for 60+ Adults, Inc. | Granville Historical Society | Planted in Pataskala | Go Green Granville