Pollinator pathway – Seattle project to create continuous pathway for pollinators

Planting camas attracts the native Western bumblebee

The tiny insects that do the bulk of the work to pollinate trees, shrubs and other plants have been in steady decline across the country. But one Seattle project is trying to change that by creating a continuous pathway for native pollinators, including Western bumblebees, orchard mason bees and butterflies.

The Pollinator Pathway project envisions a mile-long stretch along Columbia Street near downtown Seattle where plants friendly to these insects are planted in the strip between the street and sidewalk. On the bookends of the path are two existing green spaces, one at Seattle University and another at a small park called Nora’s Woods. The organization will provide homeowners along the pathway with simple designs and plant lists to create a garden that invites these native pollinators. The gardens would ultimately be maintained by the homeowners or groups that volunteer to take care of them.

We love the idea behind this project. Ecoyards uses native plants whenever possible to provide habitats for native bees, butterflies and birds. Native plants not only attract these pollinating workhorses, but they often require less maintenance, water, and fertilizer. Over time they’ve adapted to our climate and growing conditions, and native insects have come to rely on them for food, shelter and other needs.

The Polllinator Pathway Web site has a wonderful plant list with photographs of both native and non-native plants that attract bees, birds and butterflies. The native plant list includes trillium, deer fern, sword fern and Oregon grape for shade gardens, and nodding onion, lupine, yarrow and tiger lily for sunny gardens.