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 pollinantor-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.
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!
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".
2023 Events & 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 Library
Patrons at the Granville Public Library are able to "check out" free packets of native plant seeds to create their own Pollinator Pathway plots. Donations of seed to the Community Seed Library are welcome and encouraged for the 2024 growing season. Please complete the donation form at the Library at time of dropoff.
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.
Talks & 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.
Coming in 2024:
Bradford Pear "Bounty"
Bradford Pear "Bounty"
Be a bounty hunter in your backyard: remove invasives!
Reward for removal:
FREE pollinator-friendly replacement tree
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 and callery pear trees in Ohio. To stop the spread of this harmful invasive plant, Pollinator Pathway will be launching a Bradford pear "bounty" program which offers a reward of a FREE pollinator-friendly native tree for each invasive Bradford or callery pear tree removed by property owners in Licking County.
Registration & more information coming soon!
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)
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 University | The Ohio State University Newark | Granville Public Library | Sanctuary Garden at Newark High School | Licking Soil & Water Conservation District | Granville Schools Sustainability Project | Ace of Clubs 4-H | Otterbein Granville | 1500 Trees | Grange Insurance Audubon Center | Licking County Master Gardener Volunteers | Wild Ones Columbus
