Pollinate Old Lyme

03/14/2026

Still time to register for this free Pollinator Pathway Webinar on March 19 - spread the word!

Thursday, March 19th 6:30 – 8:00 EDT pm for an online webinar! David L. Wagner, PhD., renowned butterfly and moth expert, will lead us in an exploration of the lives of these charismatic creatures.

Please register in advance for this event. Registrants will receive a recording after the event. Visit the link in our bio/Linktree or copy the link below:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/MeP6ILt2SEWzHLoCG6mpjA

Learn about the threats they face and how to protect and restore the places where these keystones of biodiversity can thrive.

David L. Wagner is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut with core research interests in butterflies and moths, insect decline, and invertebrate conservation. Dr. Wagner received a B.S. in plant science from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Wagner’s most recent book, Moths of the World: A Natural History, released in 2025, and Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History (Princeton) have cemented his reputation as a leading expert in his field.

03/01/2026

Snowbound and planning your lawn/garden? See this from UConn https://extension.uconn.edu/publication/alternative-lawn-options-for-new-england-landscapes/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQRNKpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJ1cWZpb05sZFVhdmtxbFhmc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHp_VnqsvsT5Q0H5hJOqsPG987fwjKsH0yqFP98rWuetQZeo0pyoSiZmZYBJS_aem_OXC5vGGEggvyOpfPo9YpPg

Lawns are an integral component of the home landscape. Turf areas contribute recreational space and offer a focus of the landscape design. Grasses also sequ ...

01/31/2026

Catch this free program by Pollinator Pathway (the gals who started it all in CT & NY in 2017!) on Thursday, Feb 5 - Pesticide-Free Landscapes for Pollinators and People

Join us for this free webinar to hear about actions we can take at the state and local levels to challenge the use of pollinator-toxic pesticides in our landscapes. We are pleased to welcome three renowned experts (all Pollinator Pathway Advisory Board Members) for this panel discussion. Register with the link in our linktree/bio!

There will be a question and answer session following the presentations.

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/sNAOJgFSQSe8tnhv-3_04Q #/registration

Subscribe to our newsletter and ‘bee’ in the loop with all things pollinator!

While we have your attention! Please note that we have a special appeal for Municipal Ordinances & Resolutions Updates:

By passing resolutions, ordinances and other policies that benefit pollinators, such as banning the use of pesticides or encouraging the use of native plants, communities can actively build healthier environments and support biodiversity. Municipalities that lead by example can be instrumental in changing the way their residents approach lawn and yard care. Some municipalities have even passed pesticide regulations which are more stringent than those of their state government.

Listed on our website are examples of actions taken by towns. Please consider asking your town to pass a similar ordinance or resolution to help create healthier and more welcoming habitat for pollinators and people alike!

If your town, county, or state has legislation that should be listed, please let us know by emailing [email protected]

pollinatorpathway

01/31/2026

Doug Tallamy will be speaking at Flower & Garden Show in Feb, plus this free talk in West Hartford in March

🌱 Doug Tallamy is coming to West Hartford! Join Dr. Tallamy, one of today’s foremost native plant advocates and co-founder of Homegrown National Park, on March 11 for a free lecture and book signing. Learn more and register at bit.ly/DougTallamyWH.

01/26/2026

Enjoy Jim Sirch's blogpost on this winter day! https://beyondyourbackdoor.com/blog/f/beneath-the-snow-they-wait?fbclid=IwY2xjawPkZaNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEecZDPftswtJeT6kHwtCZ-h1a3nqYm4sS9vSbYlWiDNLM-a1SQNXYCl0w1nRs_aem_ISDYvje4FBtwmkzVJV0D7w

As I write this, a snowstorm is howling outside, the kind that erases edges and piles a foot of white silence on the landscape. It’s hard not to think back to those sultry August nights—air thick, crickets loud, flowers ...

01/21/2026

If you live in Old Lyme, please take a few minutes to complete this survey - want more composting options/education? Or would you like to help others learn how to compost? Please let the Town know! Deadline is Friday, January 30. Click here for the survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TrashReduction

OLD LYME, CT – The town is on a mission to reduce household waste — and residents can weigh in. Waste and recycling coordinator Raechel Peterson is asking full- and part-time residents to complete a survey aimed at identifying how changes in trash and recycling practices could help save money an...

11/08/2025

Put down the leaf blower! If you want to provide a home for some rare and lovely moths, plus many other insects, follow Jim Sirch's advice - Leaves are not Litter! (his January 2024 blog post is timely advice in November, too)

Winter is upon us and it is a snowy day in mid-January, but I can still hear in my mind the roar of leaf blowers that were buzzing as recently as last month. Using leaf blowers and removing leaves in our yards may seem l...

10/28/2025

Yes, it is time to remind ourselves - Leave the Leaves in your landscape! Or, as Margaret Roach explains in this podcast, if leaves on your grass annoy you, please just gently move the whole leaves to another area of your yard so the insects - beneficial, beautiful and otherwise - can overwinter in them.

EVERY GARDENER has certainly heard the rallying cry each recent autumn to “leave the leaves,” invoking us to go gentler with our cleanup to support a diversity of beneficial invertebrates who call the fallen leaves

10/08/2025

Lots of great fall programs about native plantings, ecosystems, what to do (and not do-please Leave the Leaves, don't vacuum them up!) coming up.

Free remote talk by Doug Tallamy, sponsored by Wild Ones, a national organization that promote native landscapes - and check out CT's chapter, the Mountain Laurel Chapter of Wild Ones FB page, click this link to register for the Oct. 16 talk:
https://wildones.org/next-steps-for-nature/

10/01/2025

Here's another great local native plant sale, Sunday, Oct. 5, by Lyme Land Trust, see full list of native plants that will be for sale. https://www.lymelandtrust.org/eventshow/fall-native-plant-sale/

10/01/2025

Fall is an excellent time to plant gardens! Check out this Old Lyme sale for native plant selections.

Fall Plant Sale at the Old Lyme Historical Society, October 4th and 5th. Stop by for great prices on Fall plants!