What an incredible Earth Week and first half of Spring it has been for our neighborhood! Thanks to the hard work of our amazing volunteers, donors, and partners, we have some massive achievements to celebrate. We are officially seeing the beautiful, compounding results of a journey that began over a decade ago.
A Milestone 11 Years in the Making
We are thrilled to announce that on Saturday, April 25th, GWCA officially hit its 2026 Pollinator/Stormwater Absorption goal for the entire year with the installation of our 18th site at Greenview and Warner!
This milestone is the culmination of a vision that started back in 2015 to expand the GWCA Pollinator Pathway.
A Massive Thank You To:
- Our Donors & Members: Your donations and membership funds made this expansion possible.
- Congressman Quigley & Landlord Marty Signa: Thank you for your incredible support of our green initiatives.
- Our Hardworking Crews: A huge shoutout to the GWCA members, the 2025 LVHS JROTC, and the 2026 LVHS Garden Club (who also added gorgeous new native plants to the LVHS campus on Earth Day, April 22nd!).
- Our Newest Team Members: A warm welcome to TJ and Karolina, who helped us cross the finish line on our 18th site!
Small Spaces, Massive Impact: The Science of Our Gardens
These aren’t just pretty flower beds—they are hard-working environmental assets. Each of our 18 sites is about 100 square feet, but look at what they do:
- Incredible Water Absorption: Each 100 sq. ft. site absorbs more than 2,000 gallons of stormwater per year, keeping it out of our city sewer system.
- Supercharged Soil: We amended the soil 6 inches deep for maximum absorbency using coconut coir and compost.
- Symbiotic Roots: Plant roots were dusted with mycorrhizal inoculate fungi to help them grow strong and resilient.
- Wildlife Habitats: We planted deep-rooted native species specifically chosen to provide essential habitats for birds, butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects.
Bring the Pathway to Your Yard!
We encourage all neighbors to adopt this model! The magic ratio is 100 square feet of native planting for every 3,000 square feet of lot.
You can make a huge difference right at home by swapping out non-permeable hardscapes (like concrete or non-permeable pavers) and non-absorptive landscapes (like standard grass turf) for deep-rooted native plants. If you need recommendations for great local native plant nurseries, Janice is happy to help!
Need some cleanup inspiration? Just take a look at the fantastic progress made by the team over at Access Contemporary Music (ACM)!
How You Can Get Involved Right Now
1. Volunteers Needed: Help Us Maintain Our Beautiful Corners
To keep our gardens thriving, we are looking for everyone to help pick up any litter you see in the neighborhood, specifically at our parkways, corners and the bioswales.
We’re also looking for a few helping hands to do light weeding and trash pickup at:
- Southport & Cuyler – SE and SW Corners (2–3 volunteers needed)
No expert experience is required—we will train you! If you or a neighbor love plants and beautification, please email Janice (jhorwich@sbcglobal.net) and Linda (lmbw5@comcast.net).
2. Share Plants & Grab Compost
- Native Plants: Please let Linda and Janice know if you have native plants to share, or if your specific site needs a few more.
- Mushroom Compost: We have extra bags of mushroom compost available to help your garden beds thrive. Reach out to Janice and Linda to claim what you need.
3. Coming Up Next: Fun for the Whole Family!
We have a wonderful event coming up perfect for our youngest gardeners…We are thrilled to invite you to our annual Kids Pollinator Planting Garden Event on Sunday, May 31, from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM at Warner Park and Gardens.
Why Pollinators?
Pollinators do a massive job for our planet, helping grow the fruits, veggies, and flowers we love. But they need our help to find safe, healthy places to feed and rest. In just 30 minutes, our kids will create a vibrant sanctuary that will support local wildlife all summer long.
What to Expect:
- Hands-on Fun: Kids will get to dig in the dirt and plant their very own pollinator-friendly flowers.
- Mini-Lesson: A super quick, kid-friendly chat about how bees and butterflies help our gardens grow.
- Community Connection: Connect with other local families and watch your hard work grow week after week!
We can’t wait to dig in with you and make our community a little greener, one flower at a time!
