Pittsford Lands $10,000 Grant to Plant Native Trees and Build a Pollinator Garden

Pittsford received $10,000 from Monroe County's first Community Climate Action Fund to plant native trees and build a new pollinator garden. The grant puts county money behind Pittsford's pollinator garden effort, which has been growing through resident yards and public parks since 2022.

What the $10,000 Will Fund

What the $10,000 Will Fund

The money goes toward native tree planting and a new pollinator garden in Pittsford — specific locations haven't been named in public announcements. The structure of the grant is demanding: Pittsford must contribute a minimum 50% local cash match, and Monroe County reimburses only after completion and submission of expenditure proof. Projects must be finished within 18 months of signing the agreement. Every recipient municipality is financially committed before the county writes a check — the town executes first.

Pittsford received the maximum individual award. The program capped grants at $10,000 per municipality.

Monroe County's Community Climate Action Fund, Explained

Monroe County's Community Climate Action Fund, Explained

The Community Climate Action Fund made $200,000 available in its first pilot round. Nine municipalities split $101,800 in county grants. Those communities added $131,300 in matching funds, bringing total project investment across the county to $233,100.

Projects cover a range of climate priorities. The county's grant announcement lists Irondequoit and Penfield installing EV chargers, Greece and Rochester studying a trail feasibility plan, and Perinton converting grasslands at Garnsey Road Arboretum. County Executive Adam Bello described the program as bringing climate action to local neighborhoods.

Pittsford Already Had a Head Start on Pollinators

Pittsford Already Had a Head Start on Pollinators

In September 2023, the Town launched the Pittsford Pollinator Pathway Challenge in partnership with Color Pittsford Green, asking residents to plant at least 10 native species and eliminate chemical pesticides from their yards. The new grant extends that same model into a new public installation.

It's not Pittsford's first public native-habitat project. The Town partnered with Color Pittsford Green in 2022 to create a Bird Harbor at Great Embankment Park, featuring native plantings for food and shelter. Town Supervisor Bill Smith described the town's goal as building out pollinator corridors across Pittsford. The new trees and pollinator garden are the next segment of that corridor.

Why Native Plants and Trees Do More Than Look Good

Why Native Plants and Trees Do More Than Look Good

Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Megan Meyer put the stakes plainly in 2023: "Insects pollinate 80% of our food crops, it goes right up the food chain." That's a food security argument as much as an ecological one.

"Insects pollinate 80% of our food crops, it goes right up the food chain."

— Megan Meyer, Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

The Pittsford Pollinator Pathway already runs through resident yards enrolled in Color Pittsford Green. The new trees and pollinator garden are the next public addition to that network.