1. Sustainability Commission
Economy • Environment • Society
Think long-term, act now
“Community Sustainability is the commitment to adopt practices that support and
balance the social, economic and environmental aspects of our region, now and
into our future.”
Groton Sustainability Commission, Winter 2010
Sustainability Commission, Groton Town Hall, 173 Main St., Groton, MA 01450
sustaining@townofgroton.org · (978) 448-1111 · www.SustainingGroton.org
Pollinator Protection Initiative
The Groton Pollinator Projectwas developed by the Groton
Sustainability Commissionto fosteran awareness and appreciation
for the important roles that pollinators play in the health and wellbeing
of our shared, local and regional, community, economy,and
environment, with a focus on restoring and sustaining pollinators
through education, outreach, and restoration action.
Goals (short term):
 To promote the
projectto various
bode targeted for
spring 2014
collaboration; the
trails commission,
conservation
commission,garden club, parks commission,in order to gain
buy-in and commitmentof action and partnership.
 To promote and implementa small-scale class-basedor after-
schoolprogram educating and interacting with students,
teachers, families with an indoor/ outdoor/ experiential focus,
perhaps “growing butterflies” for graduation time release.
Goals (long term);
 To engage town bodies,retail, commerce,institutions, and
private groups and citizens in a town-wide protectionand
restoration plan for pollinators.

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 To gauge the status of pollinators within the community and to
fosterrestoration plans that maintain ongoing assessmentand
monitoring of pollinator species.
 To gauge and record the economic benefitsto the community
which will coincide with increased habitat for pollinators, i.e. the
increased output and resilience of gardening/farming/
beekeeping/greenhouse/nursery/ and farming economy.
 To fosteran awareness and appreciation for the critical role that
meadow and wildflower ecosystemsplay in our environment
and ecology,the beneficialrole they play in combating climate
change through their role in carbon sequestration,and the
economic and ecologicalbenefits of replacing lawns with
wildflower systems.
 To engage in education, and fosterdialogue that dispels the
myths and fears of bees and various pollinators, and to educate
the community on the overall very docile,nonharming nature of
most speciesof pollinators.
 To fostera dialogue and greater understanding of the role that
increased diversity and living biologicalsystems play in
reducing the population of “pest” species,with a focus on tick
populations, and the role that meadows and pollinators can play
in helping to reduce their population without the use of harmful
pesticides.
Who are pollinators?
Bees and wasps, butterflies and moths, beetles,birds, bats, and even
ants act as pollinators.
For additional information contact Allison Dolbert at
alison.dolbear@gmail.com