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
The Eco Seeds Project
HHS student Lena Hobby used a grant from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund to expand native habitat by distributing seeds within the community and teaching people how to plant them. The project consisted of researching, purchasing and distributing native wildflower seeds to local residents to plant in their own gardens and yards, and to plant some of the seeds in some of the large habitat restoration areas in the Village. The HPP is thrilled to have this budding young seed-swapper in the community!
Planting native pollinator plants supports local ecosystems, which have been reduced and fragmented by residential and commercial development, monoculture lawns, deer, and invasive species. The Eco Seeds project is an attempt to help to reverse the loss of our native habitat. Read more here.
New Student Adopt-a-Spots
Revitalizing Zinsser Community Gardens
Garden cleanup, design, planting, and community engagement project by Sophia Ballard, with funding from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund. This project aims to enhance the sustainability, accessibility, and appeal of our local community gardens, a beloved institution since they were created as Victory Gardens during World War I. See more photos and details here.
Educational Garden at Zinsser Park
HHS student Chloe Smith installed an educational garden at Zinsser Park. Her garden permits both children and adults to learn about plants and how they benefit the environment. It also affords a reflective space to stimulate one's senses and awareness, allowing for a more personal experience, and an ongoing outward-facing educational space for future troops of Girl Scouts and other community members. Chloe is grateful to funding from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund. Check out more photos and Chloe's detailed write-up, and her custom website.
New Pollinator Garden at 5 Corners
HHS students Hanna Lambert, Siri Lambert, Niahm Lynch, Akansha Muthukrishnan and Emma Boudrias have installed a pollinator garden at Five Corners. This garden complements HPP's 5 Corners garden catty-corner across the intersection and will build on the Beautification Committee's Foodtown garden across the street as well. The more habitat for pollinators, the healthier our local ecosystem will be! Hanna & friends' garden was made possible by a grant from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund. Check out more photos and their how-to description!
Restoring the HHS Garden Club Garden
Jack Maney, Lola Berlin, Mila Sultan worked to restore the HHS Garden Club's garden, which is on the east side of the school building. The garden was started years ago by previous members of the club, but had fallen into disrepair. Following a reinfusion of equipment thanks to the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, plus a little elbow grease to restore the garden and make it more substantial, the Garden Club had a record turnout of new volunteers this fall. Check out more photos and their how-to description!
New Pollinator Garden at Hillside Elementary School
HHS student Cassie Probst-Huertas has installed a butterfly garden at Hillside Elementary School, also made possible by a grant from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund. It is attached to the school's vegetable garden and right next to Hillside Woods, and will help support pollinators to benefit both places. Check out more photos and Cassie's project write-up here.
Pollinator Support at Zinsser Community Gardens
HHS students Marcus Gelman and Will Andrus have installed a raised-bed wildflower garden in Zinsser Park. With fencing, it can support flowers deer would otherwise destroy. Their garden was also made possible by a grant from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, and will draw pollinators to Hastings' Community Gardens. Check out more photos and their how-to description!
Pollinator Festival
Sully Griffin and Victoria Lugomer-Pomper used their grant from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund to host a pollinator festival in Draper Park on September 14th. They created a fun forum for the public to learn about the importance of pollinators, with science experiments, games, face painting, seed giveaways and free ice cream. For photos and more, click here.
New Pollinator Mural
In the alley between Hastings Paint & Hardware and VFW park, Hastings resident and artist Emma Gelman has produced a tribute to pollinators to raise awareness and beautify the alley. The project thanks to a grant from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund. For more about Emma's mural, click here.
In December 2023, Hastings BOT has passed a new leaf blower law that is now in effect. This law limits gas-powered leaf blowers to fall months only, and limits all blowers to only one-at-a-time on every property one-half acre or less. Click for more info, and for the door hanger translated into Spanish. You can copy the text, print and share.
See our talking points and itemized instructions for tips on how to negotiate an ecologically healthier yard with your landscaper. This doc is a good read whether or not you employ a service. Read it here.
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.
