This week is National Pollinator Week and pollinator practices are taking root at Delaware’s Department of Transportation.
Transportation infrastructure is DelDOT’s primary focus, but the agency’s director of communications C.R. McLeod says it also wants to be a good environmental steward.
“Pollinators are insects that are obviously a critical part of our eco-system. And their work ensures that we’re able to harvest crops and contribute to healthy plants everywhere. So, working with DNREC and our colleagues at University of Delaware, DelDOT has been really able to transform some of our management practices of our roadsides,” McLeod said.
McLeod says one example is how DelDOT handles mowing along the state’s 14,000 lane miles of roadside. In many cases, DelDOT crews are leaving grassy medians and shoulders alone so they can become wildflower areas to promote habitats for pollinators.
McLeod notes the effort to help pollinators is statewide.
"And really some of the biggest areas that you may notice for folks that are traveling around the State….on Route 1 for example...you’ll notice in the median, we really let that grassy area grow up and you’ll see blooming flowers, a lot of vibrant yellows and other colors now,” said McLeod.
McLeod adds that’s just one example of an area crews used to mow several times a year in order to keep the growth down.
He says DelDOT now has a better understanding of the natural habitats required for pollinators and how the agency can help create and protect those habitats.
Helping pollinators this way also has another benefit. It reduces DelDOT’s mowing costs.
