Ardsley Pollinator Pathway
SLF with closed wings, Photo: Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, bugwood.org With open wings. Photo: Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, bugwood.org
Alert: Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) Spotted in Hastings
A Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) has been identified in Hastings at the corner of Scenic and Ferndale. They have also been spotted in Dobbs Ferry and Scarsdale. You may have read about this worrisome invasive insect in the news. If you see this invasive pest, please kill it, take a picture, and notify, via email (with the picture), the NYS DEC and us. SLFs have devastated areas of Pennsylvania and are now chewing their way through New Jersey. New York State is extremely concerned about these invasive pests since they severely threaten the NYS wine, apple and other agricultural industries.
Here's a handy ID sheet: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/slfposter2.pdf. Right now they are in their adult stage and above are the images of the adults. They are one inch in length. They are not butterflies or moths and tend to hop rather than fly. You will find them on trees and shrubs - they re not pollinating insects and so will not be on flowers. SLF is a beautiful-looking insect, so it may seem counterintuitive to smash it, but hordes of them are on their way and they will quickly damage area trees. In addition, they leave a sticky mess behind which is wholly unpleasant. Next summer, you may find your outdoor furniture coated in a sticky residue and the flies landing on your neck or fluttering in your face.
We won't be able to keep our area entirely safe from these insects but citizen campaigns to eradicate them WILL make a difference. Manually killing them is the best method (not pesticides). We'll provide more information in the fall on this pest.
Upcoming Events:
On Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at 7:00 p.m., the Rivertowns Pollinator Pathway and Healthy Yards will be presenting “Stopping the Second Silent Spring: Reining in Neonic Pesticides with the NYS Birds and Bees Protection Act”, a talk by Dan Raichel, the Acting Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Pollinator initiative.
As bees and other pollinators' rapid disappearance in recent years has threatened food security and ecosystems, one class of chemicals—neonicotinoids or “neonics”—have emerged as a primary culprit. These popular pesticides contaminate New York soil, water, and plant life on a nearly unprecedented scale, raising alarm bells not just for the birds and bees, but also a whole host of wildlife, clean water, and even our own health. Dan Raichel will discuss these concerns as well as the New York Birds and Bees Protection Act—a bill that would eliminate the vast majority of neonics entering New York’s environment by prohibiting wasteful and unnecessary neonic uses.
Because this will be a Zoom presentation, folks will need to register for this event: Register Here
Ardsley's 125th Anniversary Celebration: Come visit the Ardsley CEAC/Pollinator Pathway table. October 10 2 pm - 7pm, rain date October 11
We'll have lots of good information, consults, free items, raffles and more. We would love to see you!
Our Mission
The Ardsley Pollinator Pathway Project's mission is to raise awareness, educate, and encourage the participation of Ardsley’s residents, businesses, government, and other organizations in the creation and maintenance of healthy pollinator habitats in the Village of Ardsley.
The world’s community of pollinators is in crisis.
One in four native bee species are facing extinction.
There are significant declines in other pollinator populations as well, which include beetles, ants, birds, moths, butterflies, flies, gnats, and small mammals, such as bats.
Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 80-95% of plant species on earth.
There are numerous causes for this decline, with habitat loss and pesticide use at the top.
Conservation techniques work! When homeowners, governmental agencies and private businesses commit to expanding pollinator-friendly, pesticide-free habitats, we will change the future for pollinators and secure our own. We encourage your home to become a node on a path through Ardsley!
No effort is too small! We need your help. They need your help.
Ardsley Pollinator Pathway Map
View our growing pathway that will connect us with other communities. Add your own pollinator garden to the map. Click on the purple flower pins to learn more about each steppingstone in our pathway.
Visit the Ardsley CAN by 2030! website to learn more about how you can easily reduce your carbon footprint and make small changes to act sustainably.
