Somerville Pollinator Action Plan

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The Somerville Pollinator Action Plan is a first-of-its-kind urban pollinator research and policy framework, envisioning a city where biodiversity grows alongside community. Pollinator decline—projected at 30% insect loss over the next 20 years—demands urgent attention. iNaturalist and community observation data was mapped to create a baseline of known local pollinators. The plan details pollinator support strategies with both science and aesthetics in mind, including original ecological research, plant lists, revamped municipal policy and maintenance practices, and a ‘Pollinator Pantry’ of 40+ regionally specific planting ‘recipe cards.’ The methodology and open-source framework is replicable across the US to support urban biodiversity. Download the full plan here!

CATEGORY Municipal, Planning, Pollinator Habitat, Public
LOCATION Somerville, MA
DATE 2024
CREDITS
Client: City of Somerville
Ecologist: Dr. Nicholas Dorian
Community Engagement Specialist:
Harry Harding, Conditioning Leaders

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Cover

The Somerville Pollinator Action Plan (SPAP) guides efforts to create an urban environment to support pollinators in Somerville, MA. A call to action is communicated with easy-to-read graphics. Pollinators are grouped into six categories: bees, butterflies/moths, wasps, flies, beetles and birds.

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan With pollinators essential to food production, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability, their decline—marked by a 28% drop in bumble bees and 19% of butterflies in the last decade—demands urgent research and action. This requires considering all pollinators, such as beetles, hover flies, wasps, and birds. Without intervention, insect populations could decline 30% in less than 20 years.

 

Using data from citizen science platforms iNaturalist, Ebird, Tufts Pollinator Initiative and EwA Buggy, researchers mapped species presence and seasonality, setting a foundation for conservation and ongoing monitoring. 299 unique pollinators in Somerville were documented in 9397 observations.

 

 Offshoots Pollinator Action Plan Graphics

 

Offshoots Pollinator Action Plan

The project conservation biologist used over 10,000+ photographs to identify local pollinator and plant interactions, creating priority plant lists (including non-natives and cultivars!).

 

Offshoots Pollinator Action Plan

Somerville, MA is the most densely populated city in New England, with only .17 sq miles of publicly owned pervious land. Interventions must occur both at the residential scale and on public lands. Private actions are critical, especially in EJ wards where fewer pollinators are documented. Cities have a critical role to play in reconnecting landscapes to pollinators and people to pollinators.

Offshoots Pollinator Action Plan Graphic

GIS mapping sets priority areas for habitat creation by identifying gaps between existing pollinator gardens, water resources, and areas with minimal pollinator sightings. Connectivity of pollinator corridors is prioritized considering typical flight ranges, proximity to existing resources, and EJ investment goals.

  Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Graphic

 

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Small actions add up: Sections and diagrams detail specific intervention strategies, like maximizing native plant use and creating soft landings under keystone species. Diagrams and strategies are targeted to specific user-groups: residents, developers, educators, DPW staff and landscape contractors.

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Pantry

Peer-reviewed literature was layered into the hyper-local findings to create a prioritized ‘Comprehensive Plant List’ (over 400 ecoregion- specific species) of both foraging and host plants.

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Graphic

The list was used to create a ‘Pollinator Pantry’ of 40+ ‘Recipe Cards’ for garden designs at different scales, including critical trees and shrubs and easy lawn-to-forb conversions.

 Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Graphic

 

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan

Six charismatic ‘Mascot’ species were selected to help the community ‘Meet Your Pollinator Neighbors!’ Approachable videos and stickers were created about the mascots to encourage community awareness and future monitoring.

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan

For roll-out and dissemination, a ‘Pollinator Ambassadors’ program was developed to train residents through ‘Pollinator Safaris’ to identify insects and spread the word.

Offshoots Somerville Pollinator Action Plan

Over 15 community events were held throughout the planning process to identify community values and educate the public. As part of the plan release, demonstration gardens were planted by volunteers and included complimentary plant giveaways.

CREDITS:

Advisory Committee Members:

Offshoots, Inc. Team:

Alternates and Past Members:

Tori Antonino, Urban Forestry Committee
Lisa Brukilacchio, Somerville Community Growing Center
Michael Fager, Conservation Commission
Alejandra Narváez
Jack Perenick
Renée Scott
Cynthia Stillinger, Somerville Garden Club
Luisa Oliveira, Director of Public Space & Urban Forestry
Vanessa Boukili, Senior Urban Forestry & Landscape Planner
Alison Maurer, Planner of Ecological Restoration, SPAP Project Manager
Cary Breck Miller, Tree Warden

Kate Kennen, FASLA, Principal
Shelby Chapman-Hale, RLA, SPAP Project Manager
Elizabeth Quintero
Cristian Umaña
Jack Beresford
Anastasia Sotos
Alyssa Taylor

Ecologist: Dr. Nicholas Dorian

Community Engagement Specialist: Harry Harding, Conditioning Leaders

David Falk
Cortney Kirk
Anna Mateo
Amy Mertl
Claire O’Neill, Earthwise Aware
Judith L. Schotland