Somerville’s New Pollinator Action Plan Will Support Local Wildlife

SOMERVILLE, MA — The City of Somerville is working to create forming an advisory committee to work on a Pollinator Action Plan that prioritizes local pollinator health to establish and maintain a healthy and biodiverse urban ecosystem. The plan is the first of its kind in a city as densely populated as Somerville.

More than 75 percent of all flowering plants depend on pollination for survival, including thousands of crop species globally, the city said. However, due to habitat loss and pesticide use, pollinator populations are declining in New England and worldwide.

“In Somerville, we are committed to supporting the health of all our residents, human and non-human alike,” Mayor Katjana Ballantyne said in a statement. “Municipalities have the power, and the responsibility, to support pollinators through our policies, designs, and public engagement. Our hope is that Somerville’s Pollinator Action Plan, produced in partnership with the community, will become a model for pollinator and wildlife conservation in challenging urban environments.”

The Pollinator Action Plan is part of an the Ballantyne administration’s efforts to support, protect, and maintain urban pollinator ecosystems. Other initiatives have included the signing of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, research collaborations with the Tufts Pollinator Initiative, and creating pollinator gardens throughout the city.

In recent years, Somerville has also passed a Native Plant Ordinance, which requires certain percentages of native species to be planted on City land, passed a Tree Preservation Ordinance, which limits the removal of healthy trees, and led an ongoing public education and removal campaign to control and reduce populations of black swallow-wort, an aggressive and invasive non-native plant toxic to Monarch butterflies.

“We know from our research that dozens of pollinator species already use gardens in Somerville,” Dr. Elizabeth E. Crone, Biology Professor at Tufts University and Somerville resident, Sia din a statement. “Creating more gardens like these will provide resources right away for these species. Additionally, more gardens will also allow new pollinator species - ones that need a little bit more green space - to move into the city.”

The Somerville Pollinator Action Plan (SPAP) advisory committee will identify ways to create the best habitat for Somerville-specific and regional pollinators and wildlife in the city. The committee will collaborate with city staff and a consultant team composed of experts in pollination, ecology, horticulture, and the urban environment.

To apply for a position on the SPAP advisory committee, complete this form by October 21, 2022. To learn more about the action plan, visit somervillema.gov/SPAP or email SPAP@somervillema.gov.