The Darien Pollinator Pathway held its first event on Wednesday, Jan. 23, where over 50 people enjoyed an evening of wine and cheese while learning about the background of the Pathway.
— an announcement, slightly adapted, from the Darien Pollinator Pathway organizers
They also learned about the need to help save our pollinator population which is in drastic decline because of pollution, climate change and loss of habitat.
The evening was hosted by the Gardener’s Center and Florist, one of the collaborators in the Pathway.
The Pollinator Pathway is seeking to restore the balance by encouraging people to landscape without using synthetic chemicals and to include native plants in their yards.
Contributed photo
Organizers who sent in this photo didn’t know the names of the brave man and woman attired in the bee suits. Other than that, from left: Jami Dawson from Darien Parks and Recreation Department, Joanne Gabriel from Tree Conservancy, Juliet Cain from Pollinator Pathway, Kris Barker from Gardeners Center, Deepika Saksena from the Nature Center, Dorothy Minkus from Pollinator Pathway, and Leila Howland Wetmore from the Nature Center.
The Gardener’s Center’s Sean Corenki gave a fascinating talk and slide show on the importance of native plants for pollinators and how to incorporate them into your home landscaping.
There was also a floral design class featuring native flowers. Sipsters generously donated a special bottle of Portuguese wine and a gift certificate as a raffle prize and the Gardener’s Center donated a “landscaping with native plants” consultation as another raffle prize.
Several guests signed the Pathway’s pledge to go pesticide-free and incorporate native plants in their landscaping and bought the yard signs which officially proclaim that their property is on the Pathway!
— See also: Darien Organizations Get Together to Create a ‘Pollinator Pathway’ to Protect Animals that Spread Pollen (Nov. 30, 2018)
Now their properties will be colored green on the Pathway map which is currently located at the Nature Center. Because many people wanted to come but could not due to space constraints, another event may be organized soon.
Check the Darien Pollinator Pathway website www.pollinator-pathway.org for updates on this.
Along with the Gardener’s Center, collaborators in the Pollinator Pathway project in Darien include the Garden Club of Darien, the Darien Nature Center and Darien Library; the Pathway also receives generous support from the Rowayton Gardeners and the Norwalk Land Trust.
Upcoming Darien Pollinator Pathway Events
- On March 7, at 7 p.m. Doug Tallamy, Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware will give a talk titled: “A Guide to the Little Things that Run the World.” Doug Tallamy will remind us of the essential role that insects play, and describe the simple changes we must make in our landscapes to help them survive. This talk is co-sponsored by the collaborators in the Pathway, Rowayton Gardeners, the Norwalk Land Trust and the Darien Land Trust.
- On March 9, the Gardener’s Center will hold a children’s event with butterfly house painting and some simple seed plantings.
In the meantime, visit the Gardener’s Center and learn first-hand how you can live without those chemicals!
The Gardener’s Center is focused almost entirely on solely organic landscaping and has available a wide range of healthy, organic alternatives for landscaping and pest control.