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Date: 2/28/2023
EASTHAMPTON — The city planner’s office, in conjunction with the Conway School of Ecological Design, is hosting a community meeting on March 2 to discuss and get community feedback on its Pollinator Action Plan.
The meeting is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Easthampton City Hall on the 2nd floor.
“This will be a space to present some initial research that we’ve conducted, get public input, and build overall excitement and coalition building within the Easthampton community surrounding building pollinator habitat in the city,” explained Eli Bloch, assistant city planner.
The goal of the action plan is to enhance, create and protect pollinator habitats on both city and residential properties. The student team from the Conway School has completed some analysis and will continue to look at the city’s land usage and other pollinator research. According to the student team, “the final document will provide educational resources for public engagement to further the understanding and appreciation of pollinator health in Easthampton and the broader region.” This would potentially lead to identifying sites around the city that could change from lawn to native plants, as well as raise awareness for supporting pollinator plants.
City Councilor Owen Zaret initially got the idea started when he looked at having Easthampton identified as a bee city, which means supporting residents in having more native plantings and having more areas in the city supportive for pollinators. The Pollinator Action Plan is part of larger city initiatives that the city has begun to help with the effects of climate change, such as electric vehicle charging stations, looking to electrify city vehicles, exploring solar panels for city buildings and offering rain barrels and compost bins to city residents.
“The Climate Action Plan will build off of the city’s Municipal Vulnerability Plan and Green Infrastructure Master Plan and create a cohesive set of future actions for the city and residents to prioritize and implement,” said Bloch.
The city has worked with the Conway School of Ecological Design for years and on many projects, such as drainage and trail feasibility studies.
“They offer an excellent, high quality, low cost opportunity to explore topics and gather community input that can set the stage for future work,” said Bloch.