The North Shore Garden Club, Manchester DPW and Conservation Commission have launched a beautiful new conservation project, on Lincoln Street, at the walkway between the high school and grade school this summer.
The test plot converts mown grass into a pollinator habitat and was a huge success in year one, attracting swallowtail and monarch butterflies, and a variety of other pollinators. The project will be expanded to include the remainder of the grass area behind the well house and, with town approval, will continue growing from there.
The decline of native plants, to make room for green lawns, has decimated our bird and beneficial insect populations who rely on native plants for food, bringing an increasing number of animals and insects to the edge of extinction. This project, called the Lawn to Habitat Project, is a first step toward reversing that trend.
Many thanks to Chuck Dam and his excellent team at the DPW, the Conservation Commission, and the North Shore Garden Club for working together to make Manchester a leader in conservation. The project has already been written about in a national conservation journal and a number of towns have called for information to repeat the project.
Well Done Manchester!!
