Route 30 Pollinator Corridor
In March, Keep Chester County Beautiful and the Easttown Township Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) held a webinar for residents, businesses, and organizations near the Route 30 Corridor to discuss opportunities for creating a "Route 30 Pollinator Corridor". A Pollinator Corridor is a designed connection of gardens, both public and private, that provides food sources and resting places for bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators. Even small pockets of native plantings spaced at least every ½ mile along a corridor increases the likelihood that pollinators will find the food and shelter they need to survive within their foraging ranges.
Easttown's EAC members shared the story of their recent successful pollinator garden plantings in partnership with a local commercial property management company in Berwyn. The EAC members showcased three small sites they converted from derelict strips of mulch or gravel to vibrant gardens, including a curb strip, a planting strip at a local bank, and a traffic triangle. Each site had unique challenges, but the final products highlighted the ability of native plants to thrive in tough conditions like road salt, shade, and limited water. The EAC members also discussed their volunteer monitoring system and ways individuals and businesses can start their own pollinator gardens along the Route 30 corridor.
PennDOT's Adopt-and-Beautify program offers an avenue for businesses, organizations, and individuals to "adopt" areas along a state road such as Route 30 to plant and maintain pollinator gardens. Beautification on private property outside of the road right-of-way should be coordinated with the property owner. Contact Keep Chester County Beautiful for project ideas or for help getting started at sustainabilityObfuscation@chesco.org.