Nature completely surrounds East Lyme, complementing our community immensely. With various types of wildlife, these plants differentiate between native and non-native and for Pollinator Pathways East Lyme Inc, the goal of maintaining a sustainable balance between plant species is necessary.
Pollinator Pathways, an organization that was birthed in the Norwalk area, was then led by Founder and President of PPEL, Marjorie Meekhoff, to branch off into Pollinator Pathway East Lyme Inc. Pollinator Pathways ensures a healthy and stable environment for plant life through dedication and hard work. For this goal to happen, the removal of both non-native plants and invasive plant species is crucial for native plant life to flourish.
Focused and strong-willed, Meekhoff noticed the lack of environment stability in EL when in 2018, she first identified that monarch butterfly reproduction and sustainability was being interfered with due to the constant mowing removal–specifically in the Industrial Parkway roundabout–of vital native plants: Asclepsias syriaca and
Solidago canadensis.
After this understanding, Meekhoff wanted to take more action for the health of the environment. “I began thinking that maybe there are more spaces to rewind native plants,” Meekhoff said.
Although never intended to be a garden club specifically, Pollinator Pathways is considered to be an “ecological restoration organization” filled with change makers that do not only want to do good for the community of EL, but do good for the wildlife community as a whole. Taking one step at a time, Pollinator Pathways blooms happier ecosystems day by day. A happier environment flourishes when the native plants to said environment are planted once again.
However, “before any native plants can be planted, the extensive work of invasive plant removal has [to] become the first priority and [Pollinator Pathways] is becoming experts at it,” Meekhoff explained.
Their expertise has expanded since their five year existence as successes are met. Titled the “East Lyme Pollinator Proclamation” in a formal government document where they were signed for maintaining landscape for their scientific research, the future is gleaming bright for Pollinator Pathways. So far, they have already proved how important native species are within an environment to the East Lyme Zoning Board, which enforced that landscapes of new commercial development must contain only native plants.
Always ready to take action, the rest of the EL community can help out by simply taking care of the environment.
