Pollinator Habitat ScorecardAs a part of the larger effort to understand the impacts of power lines on pollinator habitat, the 2024 Summer Stewards began a 10-week summer pilot study of pollinator diversity and habitat availability under the Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) Right of Way (ROW) at Carse Wetlands. Four 150ft × 10ft plots were established in the ROW and pollinator diversity and habitat quality was assessed weekly using the Tier 2 Pollinator Habitat Scorecard developed by the ROW Habitat Working Group. Their assessment included quantifications of nectar source abundance, nectar source diversity, milkweed abundance, and pollinator diversity. The following summer, the 2025 Summer Stewards continued this study for an additional 10-week period over the summer.
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
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Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)
Critical Host Plants for Pollinators Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) and Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) are native plants that provide critical habitat for pollinators under the ROW at Carse Wetlands. Despite their importance to the ecosystem, invasive plants like Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and Poison Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) place intense competitive pressure on local populations of native plants. In an effort to prevent the loss of Joe Pye Weed and Common Milkweed under the ROW, the 2024–2025 Cohort developed an experiment o test the effectiveness of reseeding these two critical species. In Fall 2024, an experimental plot was seeded with locally-sourced seeds of Joe Pye Weed and Common Milkweed, and this plot is currently being monitored.
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