What can we do?
POLLINATOR PATCHES + GARDENS Our approach looks at how to integrate pollinator habitat into the urban built environment. The strategy is to enhance urban and rural connectivity by increasing suitable habitat for pollinators in vacant and underutilized spaces. It is known that fewer species can live and reproduce on smaller habitat islands (MacArthur and Wilson, 1967). By identifying potential habitat that could provide the necessary plant composition and ratio for nesting and foraging we can start reconnecting the landscape. A pollinator can be of any size, the concentration of any habitat type that has specific ecosystem characteristics. Patches can be as small as an under developed corner of a lot, or as big as a park. The idea is to build a network of patches, in conjunction they become a conglomerate that creates a corridor of connectivity in the urban landscape making cities safe havens for pollinator to thrive and provide feeding stations for the migrating species
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POLLINATOR GARDENS Any space can be a pollinator garden: street medians, parklets, sidewalk planting, parking lot medians, along highways, vacant lots, community gardens, schools, churches, green roofs, green walls, front and backyards, window boxes, potted plants on balconies, overhead structures (vines), bus stops roofs, rain gardens, bioretention areas, etc. Once you identify your “patch� look into the history of the site as a means of understanding its social and historic values. Do outreach to understand stakeholders’ point of view. This offers inspiration for the future design and neighborhood approval PATCH VIABILITY ASSESSMENT Conduct a pre-pollinator habitat vegetation assessment and make a checklist of existing plants and pollinators. Conduct a soil test to measure its suitability and then undertake possible remediation. Understand the site limitations and risks: water accessibility, adjacent land use, presence of invasive species, environmental challenges (lack of sunlight, wind speed, traffic volume, pedestrians, etc.). Does the site provide opportunity for connectivity to another pollinator habitat?