I’m thrilled to be part of a county-wide effort to help our native pollinators. With just a tiny bit of mindfulness and care and effort, we can all help in one way or another. For myself, I have added a few new plants to my yard and intentionally chose some native ones. And my love of fireflies allows me to keep my back lawn (and a circle of lawn out front around a tree!) a bit shaggy and long. Surprisingly, I have clover, daisy, and yarrow blossoming happily that would normally have been cut by the lawnmower. I don’t know when I’ll feel compelled to mow it but I’m willing to experiment and discover what will happen. For now, my mowed pathways are fine for me. I’m also not mulching with pine bark and instead using old leaves from a pile that my neighbor offered me. Next up: maybe bee hotels!

If you’d like to know more, I host a monthly gathering at the Ilsley Library and use FPF to announce the event.

                                                                                                                                               Lily Snow

                                                                                                                                            Middlebury