Pollinator Pathway

Welcome! Madison, NJ is part of the Pollinator Pathway project, a multi-state undertaking to create a continuous corridor of native plants and pesticide-free properties that provide safe habitat and food for birds, bees, butterflies and moths, and other important insects and wildlife. We encourage pollinator gardening with activities like native plant giveaways, eco garden tours, educational talks, and an active Facebook group, Madison, NJ Plant Sharing and Gardening. In 2022, Mayor Conley proclaimed March 28 Mayor's Monarch Pledge Day in Madison, encouraging all residents, property owners, and municipal entities to participate in activities that support monarch butterfly conservation. 

In the last few years, Madison residents have added thousands of native pollinator plants to their yards through Environmental Commission-hosted seedling giveaways and multi-town sales with the Great Swamp Watershed Association. 

Pollinator pathway gardens in Madison include the Madison Public Schools Pollinator Habitat (359 Woodland Rd); Drew Forest and its Zuck Arboretum; the Community Garden; the meadow at Madison Recreation and Conservation Complex (MRC); and the rain garden at Gibbons Pines Park. 

Native trees are also important pollinator plants. The Borough’s tree protection ordinance requires that when trees are permitted for removal, 100% of replacement trees must be native Northeastern U.S. deciduous hardwoods. New municipal street tree plantings are now native hardwoods and more native trees are being added to our parks. These programs can make a huge difference to our pollinator numbers and help improve the quality of Madison’s air, water, and soil. 

Most native bees have a range of about 2,500 feet, so the goal is to connect properties that are no farther apart than that. Click on the link below to join the northeastern U.S. Pollinator Pathway and view the steps you can take to maintain a healthy, natural landscape and make your garden a pollinator habitat.