Tuxedo residents working to restore pollinator meadow

In conjunction with Sterling Forest State Park and the Trailside Museums and Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park, residents in the Town of Tuxedo have initiated a program to restore essential meadowlands that harbor plant life essential for migrating birds and butterflies.

The first marked nature trail

The Butterfly Meadow is located at the intersection of Route 17 and 17A in Tuxedo. It is adjacent to the first marked nature trail in the United States, created by the American Museum of Natural History in 1925, as part of the Station for the Study of Insects, Harriman State Park.

The pollinator garden is comprised of native plant species for migratory pollinators such as bees, birds, bats and insects. The garden provides a spot to rest, find nourishment and reproduce on the long journey many of these species must make.

Participants work in teams to clear invasive plants that have caused habitat disruption and replace them with indigenous plants to re-install the overall ecosystem and food supply for migrating birds and butterflies.

With radical declines in bird and butterfly populations — for example, the Monarch Butterfly populations are estimated to have declined by 70 percent — efforts are being made across the state to restore and increase habitat for native pollinators.

Guidance from Palisades Interstate Park Commission experts

Careful to maintain the integrity of the nature eco-environment, experts within the Palisades Interstate Park Commission act as advisors and provide valuable guidance for invasive plant removal and provide seeds locally harvested for cultivating and planting by PIPC.

Plantings include seedlings and seeds harvested by Palisades Interstate Parks Commission: Milkweed, Goldenrod, Asters, Wild Bergamot to name a few.

Bird boxes have been installed to attract Bluebirds for nesting, while plans are in the works to install bat houses and eventually bee boxes.

Essentials

For more information on pollinator meadows and butterfly migration you can contact: The Xerces Society at xerces.org and National American Butterfly Association at naba.org.

For those interested in joining the Tuxedo Pollination Team, contact them via email tuxbutterflies10987@gmail.com.