Andover Group Eyes Pollinator Garden Program

ANDOVER, MA — A group of garden enthusiasts is meeting Friday at Memorial Hall Library to discuss ways to bring a pollinator program to Andover.

Heading the hopeful initiative is Maria Bartlett, the environmental awareness chair for the Andover Garden Club. Amid our current "insect apocalypse," Bartlett told Patch she wants to get her community excited about bringing birds, bees and butterflies to home gardens.

Similar programs exist across the U.S., including Pollinator Pathway, which neighboring North Andover joined in May of 2021 with a qualifying garden at Town Hall.

One of the best ways to attract pollinators is by planting native flowers, grasses and shrubs, such as New England aster and winterberry holly. But the whole neighborhood has to be on the same page, Bartlett said.

The Friday meeting, which will run from 1 to 3 p.m., is just an initial brainstorming session, open to anyone who's interested in helping rebuild Andover's pollinator population.