Burlington Wildways

Partnership & Grantee Highlights

04.06.2026

Burlington Wildways is a partnership between Winooski Valley Park District, Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront, Rock Point, and the Intervale Center. They also work closely with the University of Vermont. The Burlington Wildways partnership was formed by a Burlington City Council Resolution in 2017.

Burlington Wildways is one year into a two-year One Hive grant. This grant is centered on two main themes, and we’re pleased to share an update on their progress made so far in these two areas:

1. Pollinator Health: Re-establishing Native Plants on the Landscape through Increasing Supply, Participation and Outreach

In the past year, across a number of different projects, Burlington Wildways has been able to get more native plants on the landscape, through their Grow Wild Campaign. Through demonstration gardens, events, engaging materials, outreach campaigns, volunteer opportunities and a large free plant give away, they engaged hundreds of community members and made steps towards significant pollinator habitat restoration in the city of Burlington, Vermont.

Here is an Instagram video from one of their demonstration garden tours and here are informational zines that Burlington Wildways created in partnership with artist Christine Tyler Hill to explain how and why to create native plantings for pollinators.

Example cover of one of the zines that Burlington Wildways created with artist Christine Tyler Hill.

1. Pollinator Health: Re-establishing Native Plants on the Landscape through Increasing Supply, Participation and Outreach

2. Education and Advocacy: School-Based Tree Nurseries and Pollinator Habitat Restoration

With One Hive funding, Burlington Wildways (and Burlington Parks) co-host a nature-based climate solutions (NBCS) coordinator, Diane Hannigan. Diane comes from a native plant landscaping background and has expanded work with school children from two to four elementary schools, growing native trees, shrubs and plant stock and restoring school and park grounds with the planted stock.

Inclusivity is at the heart of doing this work during the school day. With 42% of students in the Burlington School District representing the global majority, this is a real opportunity to work with children to be a meaningful part of the solutions to our insect and biodiversity crisis. Children have little opportunity for place based nature education and Wildways has noticed that the message is filtering up to adults in the community.

Learn more about Burlington Wildways’ work here.

All photos are courtesy of Burlington Wildways.