The Pollinator Port Project, funded by the Ittleson Foundation, is a collaboration between Rutgers, The Horticultural Society of New York City and the New York City Department of Transportation The project seeks to bridge gaps between parks and other green spaces in the city by providing supplemental resources in Open Streets and plazas managed by NYC DOT. These include nesting resources for overwintering bees in the form of "Bee Bunkers" and "Bee Barrels" designed and built by Dr. Russell's Bee Team as well as floral resources in the form of planters stocked with bee-friendly plants provided by The Hort. Together, these Pollinator Ports will bolster the populations of native bee species in such urban environments. In November, Russell and her team led by undergraduate EENR major Theresa Vitovitch, deployed the first set of these Ports in Fordham Plaza in the Bronx and Parkside Plaza in Brooklyn. Expansion into other parts of the city and into other urban areas is planned for the upcoming months.
December 2023