Pollinator Pathway
Cape Cod
Welcome to Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod, a regional initiative to increase pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife across Cape Cod.
Our goal is to create corridors of native trees, shrubs, and flowers that birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects can rely on as they travel throughout Cape Cod. We are working to EDUCATE towns, businesses, organizations, and home gardeners on the importance of creating pollinator friendly landscapes, ENGAGE them in the project, and DEMONSTRATE the beauty of such gardens through highly visible demonstration gardens such as those pictured below.
Please view A RESOLUTION Declaring the Town of Orleans, Massachusetts a Pollinator-Friendly Community here.
JOIN US!
You can be part of the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod. Simply:
ADD a few more natives--trees, shrubs, and flowers that are adapted to local conditions are the best food sources for native pollinators and often require less water. Find our list of New England Native Plants for Pollinators for examples of commonly available natives and their seasonal bloom times.
SUBTRACT a little lawn -- reduce the size and mow less often.
AVOID chemical fertilizers and pesticides -- they’re not healthy for pollinators or anyone else.
LEAVE the leaves -- go easy on the fall clean-up of beds and borders since many pollinators over winter in leaf matter.
To join the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod, individuals or organizations can click here to get your pollinator garden added to the Pathway map.
Show your support for the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod by purchasing one of our 9" round metal signs (pre-drilled holes). Mount it on a mailbox, fence post, shed or stake and let your neighbors know your yard is on the Pollinator Pathway. Signs available at Cape Cod garden centers and at garden events on the Cape. Contact us at pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com for details.
Public Pollinator Gardens
Jonathan Bourne Public Library, Bourne MA
The Aptucxet Garden Club of Bourne installed a magnificent flag pole pollinator garden at the Jonathan Bourne Public Library. Approximately 100 plants and shrubs, both native and non-native, loved by pollinators were planted in 2024 and will be maintained by Aptucxet Garden Club members.
Oak Crest Cove Gardens, Sandwich, MA
This sunny, highly visible garden is at 34 Quaker Meetinghouse near Peter's Pond, between the parking lot and the Town Recreation Offices. The Sandwich Garden Club carefully researched Cape Cod native plants that would thrive in this location and support many native pollinators by providing host plants for their benefit and a long season of interest to all who visit.
Orleans Conservation Trust Office, Orleans, MA
The Orleans Conservation Trust staff and volunteers transitioned a prominent area around their building on Rt. 28 to all native plants in the Spring of 2023. As a founding member of the PPCC, the OCT wanted to highlight to visitors how a native plant garden can be established by using different planting approaches. The main bed was planted with 1-gallon perennials, while another area was seeded and a third area was planted with many native plant "plugs" or small plants.
Town Green, Orleans, MA
The garden beds in the Orleans Green adjacent to the Snow Library, have traditionally been planted with Rhododendrons - both native and non-native. In the past two years, the Nauset Garden Club and Orleans Improvement Association, working with Town staff, are transitioning this highly visible garden into a native plant garden with much greater diversity and seasonal interest. Including more native Rhododendrons and Azaleas.
Saquatucket Harbor, Harwich Port, MA
This project was a joint effort of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and the town of Harwich Port. The efforts lead to replanting the sandy area under the boardwalk with appropriate native plant materials that thrive in the conditions of this approach from the parking lot to the marina.
Wellfleet, MA Traffic Islands off Route 6
Three traffic islands were redesigned with native, drought-tolerant plants, and were funded, installed and maintained by the Wellfleet Garden Club. As noted in the 3rd photo, the pollinators have found the busy, but attractive location is to their liking.
Meadow on Main - Chatham, MA
Meadow on Main – Mayo House, Chatham Conservation Foundation Office in Chatham, MA showcasing Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Photo Credit: Kathleen Connolly
Photo Credit: Kathleen Connolly
Photo Credit: Kathleen Connolly
Falmouth Herb Garden
55 Palmer Avenue Falmouth, MA. 02540
The Herb Garden is just outside the 1790 Wicks House on Museum on the Green. It contains many medicinal herbs that were used by the original owner Dr. Francis Wicks.
Thompson's Field - Harwich, MA
Thompsons’s Field, a Town of Harwich property with a wildflower garden built and maintained by the Garden Club of Harwich features Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Tickseed (Coreopsis) and Beardtongue ‘Husker Red’ (Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’).
Association to Preserve Cape Cod - Dennis, MA
Pollinator garden at the headquarters of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Dennis MA featuring Monarch butterflies feasting on Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) flanked by Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). The garden also features Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Goldenrod (Solidago).
Mass Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary - Wellfleet MA
The Mass Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet MA features a pollinator garden with Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveborecensis), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) supporting wasps, bees and moths.
Theresa's Way - Orleans, MA
A pollinator pathway at Theresa’s Way in Orleans, MA sponsored by the Orleans Improvement Association is under development.
Lyn Peabody Wildflower Gardens - Brewster, MA
Trillium luteum, Podophyllum peltatum and Iris cristata blooming at the Lyn Peabody Wildflower Gardens, maintained by the Nauset Garden Club at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster, MA
Photo Credit: David March
Photo Credit: David March
Photo Credit: David March
Memorial Park Garden
55 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth, MA. 02540
The Memorial Park Garden maintained by the Falmouth Garden Club contains many pollinator friendly native perennials, shrubs & trees. A few of the perennials are Bee balm, Geranium, King Solomon's seal and Pink turtlehead. Some of the shrubs include Oakleaf hydrangea, Mapleleaf viburnum and Azalea. Native trees include American holly, Dogwood, River birch and Franklin alatamaha.
Colonial Garden
55 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth MA 02540
A garden at the Museum on the Greens maintained by the Falmouth Garden Club.
Join the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod as a "Participating Organization" and be listed below! If your non-profit group, business, or town supports the above four principles of our regional project, and is working to increase pollinator friendly habitats and food sources on Cape Cod, we want to link to your organization's webpage and help you spread the news of your good work. To get started and to learn more, please email us at pollinatorpathwaycapecod@gmail.com. Current participating organizations include:
Garden Clubs
Conservation Trusts and Audubon
Garden Centers
Ecological Landscapers
Other Partners
Anyone can help in this effort – even a single pollinator plant placed in a pot on a deck or patio advances the cause. Cumulative efforts can make a huge difference to our pollinator populations, and they’re in desperate need of our help.
We hope that you will join the fun!
FOUNDING PARTNERS
