Most pollinator plantings have focused on overall abundance – “seeing lots of bees” — rather than on the wide range of wild pollinators found in a biodiverse and resilient ecosystem. The same problem arises from habitats planted with generic pollinator seed packets. While we see lots of flowers, those flowers are often providing resources for only a few common species of pollinators, and don’t satisfy the full pollen, nectar and nesting requirements of a functionally diverse ecosystem.

The Toolkits are designed to increase biodiversity and climate resiliency by attracting and sustaining the widest possible range of pollinator species, and in particular, species of the greatest conservation priority in our region. Each Toolkit targets a particular type of landscape or ecological condition: the plant lists and designs can therefore be applied to any similar landscape. By replicating the Toolkits across Northampton and Hampshire County, the building blocks for a city-wide and regional pollinator corridor will be created.