Hastings Pollinator Pathway
Our Mission: to support pollinators by strategically linking large green spaces via networks of pollinator-friendly gardens on public and private land.
Why are we doing this? Because the world’s community of pollinators is in crisis.
One in four native bee species faces extinction.
Significant declines in other pollinator populations include: beetles, ants, birds, moths, butterflies, flies, gnats, and small mammals, such as bats.
Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 80-95% of plant species on earth.
Habitat loss and pesticide use are top reasons for this decline, and we can do something about that!
Conservation techniques work. When homeowners, governmental agencies and private companies commit to expanding pollinator-friendly, pesticide-free habitats, we change the future for pollinators and secure our own. We encourage your home to become a part of the path through Hastings!
The Pathway. Major arteries of the Hastings Pollinator Pathway plan include:
The Old Croton Aqueduct & Saw Mill River, which connect to neighboring villages north and south
Mt Hope Blvd and Farragut Avenue/Parkway, which run east and west
Every home garden, large and small
News
NEW: Talking points and itemized instructions to help homeowners and their landscapers achieve an ecologically healthier yard. This doc is a good read whether or not you employ a service.
Note: The Hastings Board of Trustees is working on a new leaf blower law. You can review their recent discussion here, Item X, timestamp 7:36. Got comments? Email the Board by November 7th.
Announcing: the Hastings Litter League
NEW: The Hastings Vine Squad, in collaboration with Hastings Public Library, announces an option to complement HPP's Adopt-a-Spot: the Hastings Litter League! You can checkout the Litter League's Pickup Kit from the library, which includes litter grabbers and safety vests, and help prevent human trash from harming animals. Grab your friends and family for this rewarding activity!
Our Newsletter Archive includes every issue. 😊
Get Involved
This map graphic illustrates a conceptual pathway that connects Hastings to regional efforts, but each and every yard is important!
Join with friends or neighbors to beautify and support pollinators on a Village-owned parcel.
See what Hastings Village and others in the northeast are doing. Hastings' pathway will help connect H2H - the Housatonic to the Hudson.
Add your garden, whether you are just beginning and looking for support or are stewarding a pollinator oasis. And, find neighbors who are planting native plants and going pesticide free!
Installing or expanding a garden is one of many ways to help the pollinator pathway project. Explore our resources, from quick-start guides to nursery sources and plant selection advice.
It's been over 50 years since Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring and the U.S. banned the use of DDT. A slew of killing chemicals have taken its place. It's like the mythological Hydra, whose very breath was poisonous: cut off its head, and two more grow back. However, there is no Hercules to slaughter this beast. It's up to us.
People have forgotten that applying yard and household chemicals is a cause of cancer and other diseases. What else would explain why the suburbs around New York City have the highest volume of pesticide applications in the state? Their use serves no vital purpose and is a direct danger to the health of residents and local ecosystems. More.