In the midst of a worldwide decline in pollinator populations, some people are transforming their yards for the benefit of birds, bees and butterflies.
When Ben Grosscup and Janna Walters-Gidseg purchased their home on Chapman Street in Greenfield last September, they decided to continue the work of the previous owners, Lori and Stephan Gordon, who planted fruit trees and other pollinator-friendly plants on the property over the four years they lived there.
“We felt inspired by what the Gordons had already done with this property before we got here, and we wanted very much to carry on the work that they started,” Grosscup said.
Since they moved in, they’ve expanded a garden in their side yard — which Stephan Gordon said originally contained about 130 perennial food plants — planted more pollinator-friendly plants and cleared a 1/10-acre area. Grosscup said the plan is to begin an edible food forest with fruit and nut trees and edible ground covers.
Tom Sullivan, a local bee educator, has advised both couples on their plantings. Stephan Gordon said after moving to another home in the city, he and his wife are starting their work all over again.
“It wasn’t the plan, but we can’t stop ourselves,” he said.
Worldwide declines, Sullivan said, make it more important than ever that people make changes that support birds, bees and butterflies.
“There’s a bigger movement out there that’s really looking to transform landscapes all over the planet into regenerative landscapes that provide habitat for the full range of biodiversity we need as a society to be able to sustain ourselves in the big picture,” Grosscup said. “Our little backyard is just one tiny, tiny example of that.”
On Conway Street in Greenfield, Doug Wight is also doing his part. This spring, he rented a rototiller, dug up all the grass in his yard and replaced it with flowers.
“The pollinator bees are being killed off and by replacing your lawn with flowers, you provide an opportunity for the pollinators to come back and survive and breed and grow strong,” he said. “All the way around, it’s just a much healthier way for the environment, and I think it’s a lot more beautiful. I can’t tell you how many compliments we’ve had from people walking by.”
A big problem for pollinators, Sullivan said, is the use of pesticides — particularly neonicotinoids, a form of insecticide that has been linked to declining bee populations. Given their widespread use, he said, it’s not enough to refrain from applying them to plants directly. Because the insecticide can linger within plants for a long time, he said, it’s important to check whether the nurseries selling the plants have used them.
He added that while making yards pollinator friendly is a good start, these creatures fly, so creating a continuous habitat is crucial for their survival.
Sullivan said ideally, the tree belts between sidewalks and streets would be filled with flowering plantings.
“In all of those places that are public, we can create pollinator habitat immensely by creating corridors,” he said. “It would be beautiful, on top of that.”
For those interested in making their yards more pollinator-friendly, Sullivan said an easy first step is to remove a strip of lawn and plant wildflowers in its place. He said those who want to take it a step further can dig up a 3- to 4-foot-wide perimeter around their yard and fill it with wildflowers to create a larger habitat.
“It beautifies your house and it’s simple, ornamental and active,” he said.
Both Sullivan and Grosscup also share a hope that one day Greenfield will pass an ordinance banning the use of pesticides.
“I don’t see why we need them, I don’t see the social good that they’re serving and I think that could be paired with a really large-scale campaign of education to reveal the benefits of the alternatives,” Grosscup said. “Having a diverse, edible landscape could be a really exciting alternative,” he said.
Aviva Luttrell can be reached at aluttrell@recorder.com.