Pollinator Pathway
Darien
Photo Credit: George Phelps
Photo Credit: George Phelps
Photo Credit: George Phelps
Welcome to the Darien Pollinator Pathway! We are a part of the larger undertaking to create a corridor of adjacent properties—private residences and public spaces—that provide safe habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and other insects. Our goal is to make Darien one big pollinator pathway with private, commercial and municipal spaces being pesticide free and hosting native plants. Darien borders Stamford, New Canaan, Norwalk and Long Island Sound, making our town a potential source of connectivity to neighboring Pathways and the Atlantic flyway! Darien's Parks & Recreation Commission recently resolved to launch a pilot program to maintain Casey Field at Cherry Lawn solely with organic materials as part of a multi-year plan to phase out chemicals in Town parks. The Darien Beautification Commission has created large native plant gardens at Town Hall and maintains them without synthetic chemicals. The Town will also maintain its recently acquired 16 acres at Highland Farm pesticide-free, and has received a $92,000 grant to plant native trees, shrubs and plants at the property. Many residents too have taken our pledge and are incorporating native plants into their yards. These efforts can make a huge difference to our pollinator numbers and will help improve the quality of our Town's air, water and soil. We hope that you will join the fun!
Pollinator Pathway Projects and Gardens
Photo: Deepika Saksena
Photo: Juliet Cain
Photo: Juliet Cain
Tree Planting Event at Darien Town Hall
Volunteers helped the Darien Pollinator Pathway and the Darien Department of Public Works plant about 30 native trees and shrubs at Darien Town Hall in early October, 2021. The Pollinator Pathway had purchased the trees with the proceeds of a grant it received from One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization focused on global reforestation. The trees planted included Oaks, Eastern Redbud, Birch, Shadbush, Ninebark, Beach Plum and Winterberry, a mix that will help reduce the risk of loss through disease and will encourage an array of beneficial pollinators and insects to improve our biodiversity.
Photo: Juliet Cain
Photo: Juliet Cain
Photo: Deepika Saksena
Town Hall
Native Beds at Darien Town Hall planted by Darien Beautification Commission and the Darien Pollinator Pathway
Photo: Leah Salamoni
Photo: Leah Salamoni
Photo: Leah Salamoni
Mighty Phragmite Fighty at the Darien Nature Center
This is a multi-year restoration project at the Darien Nature Center, started in the Fall of 2019, to organically get rid of a large Phragmites patch in a wetland area. We first cleared the ground by pulling out and cutting down invasive plants including Phragmites, Mugwort, Knotweed and Bittersweet Vine. Next, we laid a tarp of 50' x 50' over the affected area, and surrounded it with a fence to keep animals off the tarp. The tarp will stay in place until the Fall of 2022, at which point we will plant a pollinator garden. In the mean time, we are using this area to propagate and store native plants during the warmer months for our plant sales.
Photo: Juliet Cain
Photo: Juliet Cain
Photo: Juliet Cain
Tilly Pond
A native plant garden in a partly sunny location at Tilly Pond Park
Add your property to the Pollinator Pathway and take the pledge to maintain a healthy, natural landscape and make your garden a pollinator habitat.
Can you go one step further and join the Kiss My Grass - Goodbye program? If you keep areas of lawn for its own sake (not used for playing or entertaining for example) we would love you to kiss that grass goodbye and come take some native plants from us to put in its place. Yes, we will be giving plants away as long as supplies last! We cannot guarantee to fill all the space you make but we can give you a good foundation and as you become more attracted to the plants and realize all you are doing to help our environment and our climate, we can help you source more plants or grow them yourself from seed. Simply email us with photos and dimensions of the lawn area you have removed and information as to conditions (e.g. sunny, shady, wet, dry) and we will provide some appropriate plants.
Video Gallery
Preparing Your Garden for Winter
Less is more when it comes to making your yard and garden an oasis for over-wintering bees and butterflies.
Pollinators’ Best Hope
A New Approach to Pollinator Habitat That Starts in Your Yard. A talk by Doug Tallamy.
Native Plants & Pollinators
Darien Pollinator Pathways discusses why native plants and pollinators are an essential part of creating a healthy habitat.
Working Together to Protect Pollinators
A collaboration of Norwalk and Darien Pollinator Pathways discuss river clean ups, rain gardens, and habitat restoration.
Our Partners
The Darien Pollinator Pathway is an initiative started by the The Darien Nature Center, The Garden Club of Darien, The Gardener's Center and Florist, Darien Library and the community of Darien.
For more information mail us at darien@pollinator-pathway.org or friend us on Instagram and Facebook.
