Somerville Pollinator Action Plan
Engagement Opportunities
**Have 2 minutes? Tell us how you feel about pollinators and how (if at all) you'd be willing to help out! https://forms.gle/i1tqWDYoAAtuULvd8
**Do you have a garden? Tell us where it is to create a map of existing pollinator habitat in Somerville: https://arcg.is/1SjXr40
____________________________________________
Due to habitat loss and pesticide use, pollinator populations are declining in New England and worldwide. In response, Mayor Ballantyne’s Office and the Division of Public Space and Urban Forestry (PSUF) are developing a Somerville Pollinator Action Plan (SPAP) to identify spatial and behavioral interventions that create the best habitat for pollinators and wildlife in the city.
The Somerville Pollinator Action Plan will:
- Describe Somerville-specific and regional pollinator species.
- Explore pollinator habitat within the city’s network of urban open spaces.
- Educate public servants and city residents on the interdependence of pollinators, habitat, and resilient urban life.
- Propose ways that public servants and residents can foster Somerville-appropriate pollinator habitat.
The mayor has appointed a Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Advisory Committee to lead this effort. The committee is comprised of youth, community members and advocates, inter-departmental City staff, and members of relevant Somerville non-profit groups. They will set out goals for the planning process, engage the public, and hire a consultant to write the Plan. Through harnessing the expertise and passion of our citizenry and a qualified consultant, we will produce a document to guide how we care for and foster pollinator habitat to support regional populations and our own urban lives.
Engagement Opportunities
**Have 2 minutes? Tell us how you feel about pollinators and how (if at all) you'd be willing to help out! https://forms.gle/i1tqWDYoAAtuULvd8
**Do you have a garden? Tell us where it is to create a map of existing pollinator habitat in Somerville: https://arcg.is/1SjXr40
____________________________________________
Due to habitat loss and pesticide use, pollinator populations are declining in New England and worldwide. In response, Mayor Ballantyne’s Office and the Division of Public Space and Urban Forestry (PSUF) are developing a Somerville Pollinator Action Plan (SPAP) to identify spatial and behavioral interventions that create the best habitat for pollinators and wildlife in the city.
The Somerville Pollinator Action Plan will:
- Describe Somerville-specific and regional pollinator species.
- Explore pollinator habitat within the city’s network of urban open spaces.
- Educate public servants and city residents on the interdependence of pollinators, habitat, and resilient urban life.
- Propose ways that public servants and residents can foster Somerville-appropriate pollinator habitat.
The mayor has appointed a Somerville Pollinator Action Plan Advisory Committee to lead this effort. The committee is comprised of youth, community members and advocates, inter-departmental City staff, and members of relevant Somerville non-profit groups. They will set out goals for the planning process, engage the public, and hire a consultant to write the Plan. Through harnessing the expertise and passion of our citizenry and a qualified consultant, we will produce a document to guide how we care for and foster pollinator habitat to support regional populations and our own urban lives.
-
Meet Your Neighbors Videos!
Share Meet Your Neighbors Videos! on Facebook Share Meet Your Neighbors Videos! on Twitter Share Meet Your Neighbors Videos! on Linkedin Email Meet Your Neighbors Videos! linkWe have just received a wonderful set of videos from Dr. Nick Dorian, entomologist and educator who founded the Tufts Pollinator Initiative (sites.tufts.edu/pollinators), an urban pollinator conservation and community outreach group. He is working very closely with the Offshoots team to analyze data and develop recommendations for the Pollinator Action Plan.
Check them out and learn about six pollinator species that we are trying to support in Somerville!
Check out our video tab (either on the right or scroll down past the News Feed) for more videos!
-
April 29th Committee Meeting @4pm
Share April 29th Committee Meeting @4pm on Facebook Share April 29th Committee Meeting @4pm on Twitter Share April 29th Committee Meeting @4pm on Linkedin Email April 29th Committee Meeting @4pm linkHi all,
Our next meeting will be Monday, April 29th at 4pm. We'll talk about how outreach is going, what we are learning, and how we can increase our reach as advocates for this plan. If you'd like to share your thoughts about encouraging habitat for pollinators in the city or if you have suggestions about connecting with more people in Somerville, come join us!
See you soon!
-
March 11th Meeting, 4pm - Community Outreach Planning
Share March 11th Meeting, 4pm - Community Outreach Planning on Facebook Share March 11th Meeting, 4pm - Community Outreach Planning on Twitter Share March 11th Meeting, 4pm - Community Outreach Planning on Linkedin Email March 11th Meeting, 4pm - Community Outreach Planning linkHello again,
The March 11th SPAP committee meeting at 4pm will touch on the "why" and "how" of reaching the residents of Somerville, what we can share, and what we hope to learn. The Offshoots team will be leading the discussion and presenting some ideas and materials. Come listen in and share your thoughts!
If you miss the meeting, remember that they are all recorded and the videos are uploaded to this page. Just keep scrolling down if you don't see them. Watch them any time and send us a note/question in the "Question/Comment" tab.
Hope to see you there!
Time: Mar 11, 2024 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84718702212?pwd=bHVGWEFydW1adXpUQ2pvdHljT2hmQT09
Meeting ID: 847 1870 2212
Passcode: 536134
-
Next Meeting - February 12, 4pm
Share Next Meeting - February 12, 4pm on Facebook Share Next Meeting - February 12, 4pm on Twitter Share Next Meeting - February 12, 4pm on Linkedin Email Next Meeting - February 12, 4pm linkThis next meeting is going to be a good one!
The team from Offshoots, Inc, will be in attendance presenting on the start of the "Analysis" phase. They have been gathering and analyzing pollinator observation data to draw conclusions about what species are in Somerville, who we should target with pollinator designs, and what data is missing. This is their first time presenting their work to the committee, so it will be a chance for everyone to get to know each while learning a lot.
Come join us!
Monday, February 12th, 4-5:30pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87997330736 -
Next Meeting - Jan 8th at 4pm
Share Next Meeting - Jan 8th at 4pm on Facebook Share Next Meeting - Jan 8th at 4pm on Twitter Share Next Meeting - Jan 8th at 4pm on Linkedin Email Next Meeting - Jan 8th at 4pm linkHello again! We are back!
While the team at Offshoots gets going on their work, the SPAP Advisory Committee will be reviewing their progress, providing guidance along the way, and developing a plan for their own role as advocates of this work in our community. This is our first meeting back after completing the hiring process and it will be focused on external expert consultants and mobilizing our networks.
Come join us if you'd like to see where we are at! As always, we reserve time for public comment at the end, around 5:15pm, and we look forward to meeting you.
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87997330736
Meeting ID: 879 9733 0736
-
Consultant hired & work begins
Share Consultant hired & work begins on Facebook Share Consultant hired & work begins on Twitter Share Consultant hired & work begins on Linkedin Email Consultant hired & work begins linkHello all,
Since our last post, City staff guided the SPAP Advisory Committee through the process of selecting an applicant from the pool of qualified firms who responded to our "Request for Proposals." They had multiple internal discussions of their impressions and concerns, interviewed candidates, and voted on a final selection. After much deliberation, they selected Offshoots, Inc.! The team at Offshoots is now developing a project schedule, gathering data, research, and getting reading to dig into the "analysis" portion of the project. They'll be looking at data collected by community members over the past few years to understand pollinator populations/species in this area and will work to identify existing and potential pollinator habitat across Somerville.
We are excited to have them on board and look forward to seeing their work over the next few months.
Our next committee meeting will be January 8th from 4-5:30pm. We'll post more information on this page when it is available.
Stay tuned and thanks for following along!
-
Our RFP is live!
Share Our RFP is live! on Facebook Share Our RFP is live! on Twitter Share Our RFP is live! on Linkedin Email Our RFP is live! linkThe Request for Proposal document is live! This document describes the Pollinator Action Plan project and invites interested consultants to apply. If you are curious, you can find it under "Open Bids" on our Procurement website: https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/finance/procurement-and-contracting-services
Any interested applicants must submit a proposal by September 13th. Then committee members will read each proposal carefully, evaluate them based on a set of pre-determined criteria, and decide which candidate to recommend to Mayor Ballantyne.
I will update this page when we know more. In the meantime, please feel free to leave questions or comments here. Or you can subscribe to receive updates via email. Thanks for your interest and please stay involved! We are glad to have you here.
-
Wondering what we're up to?
Share Wondering what we're up to? on Facebook Share Wondering what we're up to? on Twitter Share Wondering what we're up to? on Linkedin Email Wondering what we're up to? linkHi all,
If you're wondering why there has been no update for a few weeks, it's because we have reached the end of Phase 01! The committee developed a "Scope of Services" and City of Somerville staff are working hard behind the scenes to finalize the documents and publish the "Request for Proposals." Once it is live, consultant teams can apply! This is an exciting moment and we are all looking forward to seeing who is interested in doing this work.
More details to come, but for now, we wait. :)
-
Next Meeting - In Person, July 24th, 4:15-5:30pm
Share Next Meeting - In Person, July 24th, 4:15-5:30pm on Facebook Share Next Meeting - In Person, July 24th, 4:15-5:30pm on Twitter Share Next Meeting - In Person, July 24th, 4:15-5:30pm on Linkedin Email Next Meeting - In Person, July 24th, 4:15-5:30pm linkHello to all who have been following the work of the Pollinator Action Plan Advisory Committee!
July 24th will be the last meeting of Phase 01 and we will hold it IN PERSON at the Somerville Community Growing Center from 4:15-5:30pm. Some of us have never met except through Zoom, so this will be a great chance to have more casual conversations and to celebrate the work done up to this point. If you would like to join us there, please do! We'll spend some time going over next steps for the committee members, how the consultant hiring process will go, learning about the Growing Center, and getting to know each other. If you can't attend, don't worry! You can always share a thought or a question with us in the "Questions/Comments" tab here on this SomerVoice page.
In Phase 01, the committee met twice a month and spent their time:
- Learning about existing pollinator action plans;
- Learning about City policies and processes for hiring consultants;
- Learning about City processes and challenges for planting and maintaining habitat;
- Discussing the overarching goals of the Somerville Pollinator Action Plan;
- Developing the job description ("scope of work") for the consultant team who will write the Plan.
There were some great conversations, some good points raised, and a culture of collaboration fostered among the committee members.
Phase 02 will begin at the end of September (exact dates TBD) and the committee will shift to meeting once a month. They will make a recommendation to Mayor Katjana Ballantyne about which consultant team to hire and then will support them in developing the plan itself. Our committee members include scientists who conduct research on pollinators, community advocates with networks of passionate gardeners, City staff, among others. Together, they will help the consultant team gather the data they need, reach Somerville community members, and they will provide comments and feedback to the team as they develop proposals.
There is a lot to look forward to! We hope you will stay in touch and keep checking back for more information about opportunities to get involved during Phase 02. If you subscribe to "Stay Informed" on this SomerVoice page, we will email you when we pin down dates for committee meetings and public engagement events. Or when in doubt, you can contact us directly at spap@somervillema.gov.
Hope to see you soon!
-
Next Meeting - July 10, 4-5:15pm
Share Next Meeting - July 10, 4-5:15pm on Facebook Share Next Meeting - July 10, 4-5:15pm on Twitter Share Next Meeting - July 10, 4-5:15pm on Linkedin Email Next Meeting - July 10, 4-5:15pm linkPhase 01 of the committee's work is nearly complete! They have been working hard to define the consultant job description, or the "Scope of Work." This job description will be made public in the coming weeks and we'll be looking for qualified applicants who would like to develop the Pollinator Action Plan. The next phase of work will begin in the fall once we have received those applications. But to get there, they need to finish the "Scope of Work" first.
At the next meeting, you can expect them to spend some time in breakout rooms, discussing the draft document, and then we'll gather together to review their comments and their proposed edits. Please log on and listen in. We'd love to see you there.
As a reminder: We always welcome your feedback! Five minutes will be set aside at the end of the meeting for comment and you are always welcome to leave questions/ideas on this page. Thank you for being here!
Photo Credit
Banner photo courtesy of Nick Dorian/Tufts Pollinator Initiative
Key Dates
-
May 13 2024
-
June 10 2024
Zoom Meeting Link
To join the SPAP Advisory Committee meetings:
April 29th, 4-5:15pm:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84918856854
Meeting ID: 849 1885 6854
May 12th and June 10th, 4-5:15pm:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84718702212?pwd=bHVGWEFydW1adXpUQ2pvdHljT2hmQT09
Meeting ID: 847 1870 2212
Videos
- A video by Nick Dorian describing the Transverse Banded Flower Fly
- A video by Nick Dorian describing the Banded Longhorn Beetle
- A video by Nick Dorian describing the Two-Spotted Bumble Bee
- A video by Nick Dorian describing the Great Black Digger Wasp
- A video by Nick Dorian describing the Monarch Butterfly
Follow Project
Who's Listening
-
Email spap@somervillema.gov
Documents
-
Precedent Projects
- 2023_Easthampton_PollinatorActionPlan.pdf (84.3 MB) (pdf)
- 2021_Lincoln Pollinator Action Plan.pdf (29.9 MB) (pdf)
- 2021_Franklin County Regional Pollinator Action Plan.pdf (14.3 MB) (pdf)
- 2021_EU Progress Report on Pollinators Initiative.pdf (445 KB) (pdf)
- 2021_Tufts_PollinatorGardens_LandscapingforBiodiversityinthe21stCentury.pdf (6.29 MB) (pdf)
- 2020_EU Guide for Pollinator-Friendly Cities.pdf (2.22 MB) (pdf)
- 2019_Seattle POLLINATOR PATHWAY TOOLKIT.pdf (2 MB) (pdf)
- 2018_Great Barrington Pollinator Action Plan.pdf (5.48 MB) (pdf)
- 2016_MDAR MA Pollinator Protection Plan.pdf (1.89 MB) (pdf)
- 2015_Portland Pollinator Vision Plan.pdf (61.4 MB) (pdf)
- 2015_US Pollinator Research Action Plan.pdf (748 KB) (pdf)
-
Meeting Agendas
- 20240429_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (155 KB) (pdf)
- 20240108_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (154 KB) (pdf)
- 20230724_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (167 KB) (pdf)
- 20230710_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (175 KB) (pdf)
- 20230626_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (179 KB) (pdf)
- 20230605_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (180 KB) (pdf)
- 20230522_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (180 KB) (pdf)
- 20230508_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (178 KB) (pdf)
- 20230424_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (152 KB) (pdf)
- 20230410_SPAP Meeting Agenda.pdf (173 KB) (pdf)
-
Meeting Slide Decks
- 20240429_SPAP Meeting 14.pdf (918 KB) (pdf)
- 20240108_SPAP Meeting 9.pdf (950 KB) (pdf)
- 20230710_SPAP Meeting 7.pdf (503 KB) (pdf)
- 20230626_SPAP Meeting 6.pdf (1.68 MB) (pdf)
- 20230605_SPAP Meeting 5_combined.pdf (9.8 MB) (pdf)
- 20230522_SPAP Meeting 4.pdf (2.07 MB) (pdf)
- 20230508_SPAP Meeting 3.pdf (1.08 MB) (pdf)
- 20230424_SPAP Meeting 2.pdf (629 KB) (pdf)
- 20230410_Kat Wyatt_SPAP Precedents Presentation.pdf (2.02 MB) (pdf)
- 20230410_SPAP Introductory Meeting Slides.pdf (834 KB) (pdf)
-
Meeting Minutes
- 20240318_SPAP Meeting Minutes_off week.pdf (185 KB) (pdf)
- 20240311_SPAP Meeting Minutes.pdf (221 KB) (pdf)
- 20240226_SPAP Meeting Minutes_off week.pdf (258 KB) (pdf)
- 20240212_SPAP Meeting Minutes.pdf (276 KB) (pdf)
- 20240108_SPAP Meeting Minutes.pdf (192 KB) (pdf)
- 20230710_SPAP Meeting Minutes.pdf (169 KB) (pdf)
- 20230626_SPAP Meeting Minutes and Jamboard Prioritization.pdf (1.27 MB) (pdf)
- 20230605_SPAP Meeting Minutes and Jamboard Brainstorm.pdf (623 KB) (pdf)
- 20230522_SPAP Meeting Minutes and Jamboard Brainstorm.pdf (912 KB) (pdf)
- 20230508_SPAP Meeting Minutes.pdf (222 KB) (pdf)
- 20230424_SPAP Meeting Minutes.pdf (263 KB) (pdf)
- 20230410_SPAP_Meeting Minutes.pdf (282 KB) (pdf)