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
Dobbs Ferry Work Session
Join fellow pollinator pathway peeps for fall cleanup just up from the Keeper's House on the Aqueduct in Dobbs Ferry. This garden is an important node on pollinator pathway of the Aqueduct through the Rivertowns, and we'll be lovingly prepping it to look its best for September 28th's Aquefest!
Join us at 2pm on Sunday, September 15th. Learn gardening techniques and catch up on local tea. RSVP to us and we'll keep you posted on any weather-related changes.
New Adopt-a-Spots
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!
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!
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.
Join us at Aquefest
The Pollinator Pathway People of the Rivertowns will be cross-pollinating at Aquefest on Saturday, September 28th in Dobbs Ferry! Learn about the Old Croton Aqueduct's potential for a main artery for a greater Rivertowns pollinator pathway, with gardens already established in Irvington, Dobbs, Hastings and beyond. Come plant some plugs or seeds in the Dobbs Ferry Aqueduct garden at Aquefest! If you live along the Aqueduct, you can add to the pathway by adopting a spot adjacent to your yard. More info here, or go straight to this pdf to apply.
Hastings Passes New Leaf Blower Law
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.
