January 23, 2018

Welcome to the I-390 pollinator partnership between NYS DOT and Seneca Park Zoo Society.

Nationally, creation of butterfly habitats is being encouraged to mitigate the decline of monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies and other pollinator species. In the Rochester area, the Seneca Park Zoo Society has a Butterfly Beltway Program specifically for this purpose. In 2015, the zoo society was looking for ways to expand the footprint of its program. Simultaneously, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Rochester Region was examining ways to conserve naturally regenerating wildflowers, specifically milkweed (Asclepia sp.) within the rights of way (ROW) of the region’s highways. The ROW includes the vegetated area that extends from the shoulder of the road out to the fence line or property limit.
The vegetated portion of the ROW can vary from just a few feet to hundreds of feet, depending on the highway type. The common conservation mission between the zoo society and NYSDOT has led to collaboration in the I-390 Pollinator Project.
This iNaturalist project is to track observations within the reclaimed, modified mowing area that was chosen as the pilot site for the pollinator project.

Posted on January 23, 2018 09:25 PM by senecaparkzoo senecaparkzoo | 4 comments | Leave a comment

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