Why are we doing this? Because the world’s community of pollinators is in crisis.
One in four native bee species faces extinction.
Significant declines in other pollinator populations include: beetles, ants, birds, moths, butterflies, flies, gnats, and small mammals, such as bats.
Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 80-95% of plant species on earth.
Habitat loss and pesticide use are top reasons for this decline, and we can do something about that!
Conservation techniques work. When homeowners, governmental agencies and private companies commit to expanding pollinator-friendly, pesticide-free habitats, we change the future for pollinators and secure our own. We encourage your home to become a part of the path through Hastings!
The Pathway. Major arteries of the Hastings Pollinator Pathway plan include:
The Old Croton Aqueduct & Saw Mill River, which connect to neighboring villages north and south
Mt Hope Blvd and Farragut Avenue/Parkway, which run east and west
Every home garden, large and small
Thanks to the incredible success of Hastings students, Bloomberg has awarded the Village a second grant, with projects underway now. See some of the impressive projects Hastings teens accomplished in 2024 that support local pollinators and pollinator pathway educational efforts.
Hastings BOT updated its leaf blower law in December 2023. This law limits gas-powered leaf blowers to fall months only, and limits all blowers to only one-at-a-time on every property one-half acre or less. Click for more info, and for the door hanger translated into Spanish. You can copy the text, print and share.
We have prepared itemized instructions on how to negotiate an ecologically healthier yard with your landscaper. This doc is a good read whether or not you employ a service. Read it here.
Our Newsletter Archive includes every issue. 😊
This map graphic illustrates a conceptual pathway that connects Hastings to regional efforts, but each and every yard is important!
Join with friends or neighbors to beautify and support pollinators on a Village-owned parcel.
See what Hastings Village and others in the northeast are doing. Hastings' pathway will help connect H2H - the Housatonic to the Hudson.
Add your garden, whether you are just beginning and looking for support or are stewarding a pollinator oasis. And, find neighbors who are planting native plants and going pesticide free!
Installing or expanding a garden is one of many ways to help the pollinator pathway project. Explore our resources, from quick-start guides to nursery sources and plant selection advice.
It's been over 50 years since Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring and the U.S. banned the use of DDT. A slew of killing chemicals have taken its place. It's like the mythological Hydra, whose very breath was poisonous: cut off its head, and two more grow back. However, there is no Hercules to slaughter this beast. It's up to us.
People have forgotten that applying yard and household chemicals is a cause of cancer and other diseases. What else would explain why the suburbs around New York City have the highest volume of pesticide applications in the state? Their use serves no vital purpose and is a direct danger to the health of residents and local ecosystems. More.