Cheshire Land Trust Plants Pollinator Pathway

Volunteers beautify an abandoned strip and restore the habitat.

Volunteers plant native species along the rail trail. The Cheshire Land Trust

The Cheshire Land Trust has transformed an unloved and overgrown strip along the town’s rail trail into a beautifully landscaped garden of flowering native plants. The planting project not only improves the scenery. It also provides a habitat for the butterflies, insects and birds that are vital to our ecosystem.

The ‘Pollinator Pathway,’ was funded in part by The Community Foundation’s small grants program.

To complete the work, the land trust cleared the dead trees and invasive plants and worked with a landscape designer who helped select native plants like purple cone flower, joe pye weed and butterfly weed. Local volunteers, including students from Sheehan High School, helped with the planting and mulching.

The land trust is also using the project to educate people about the importance of native plants & pollinators through social media and signage.

Since the creation of the Pollinator Pathway, visitors have spotted various birds and insects including finches, monarch butterflies, various bees, caterpillars, the cabbage butterfly and the woodland skipper.

The small grant was made possible by the Sarah M. Ferguson Fund at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

Did you know?

About one out of every 3 bites of food exist because of our precious pollinators. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This story is part of the Inspiration Monday story series produced by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.