native plant initiative

• Identify and pursue opportunities to add native plants to public open space.
• Support and participate in restoration projects that remove invasive species and create healthy ecosystems on City-owned open space.
• Engage in community education to explain the benefits of native plants and encourage their use in home landscapes.
• Advocate for a street tree program that utilizes suitable native tree species.
• Collaborate with the City of West Haven and other groups with compatible goals.

The NPI’s first steps have included adding native shrubs along the shoreline boardwalk and installing a native plant garden at the main branch of the West Haven Public Library.

Native plants form the base of the pyramid on which all life depends. A great many plants are necessary to feed the insects that pollinate our food crops and support the next generation of birds and smaller organisms which, in turn, feed larger wildlife. Click here to view a Connecticut DEEP slide show on restoring native plants.

By their very nature, native plants are well adapted to their climate and accustomed to the types of soil, seasonal temperatures, and amount of precipitation that we experience here in Connecticut. Once native plants are established, they generally require little or no maintenance. Proper selection, care, and placement of native plants can produce a landscape that is both visually attractive and beneficial to wildlife.

Please support our efforts! By clicking the “donate” button below, you will be taken to our donation page. Ten percent of every contribution to the Native Plant Initiative will go to the Land Trust’s general fund. Matching funds will be sought for NPI donations, but may not always be available.

Please also consider becoming a member of the Land Trust.