Darien Receives State Grant For Pollinator Pathway Project

DARIEN, CT — Darien is receiving a grant from the state of $92,000 to go toward landscaping and the installation of a pollinator pathway at Highland Farm, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday. The town is kicking in $8,700 that will also go toward the improvement project.

The money is part of a pool of $11 million from the state under the Small Town Economic Assistance Program; 94 communities throughout Connecticut will share in the funding.

It is an effort to assist communities with infrastructure, tourism and other improvement projects during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"Our small towns have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are in need of our help to fund these projects," Lamont said. "Simply put, some of our small towns need to modernize their infrastructure so that we can support efforts to grow the economy but lack the property tax base they need to fully fund these projects on their own. The state can and should do what we can to help with these costs as these small towns drive tourism, honor our deep and celebrated history, and provide us with family-friendly getaways that are part of the New England experience."

Darien launched its pollinator pathway project in 2018, in an effort to help protect the local environment from the effects of pesticides and climate change.

The pathway strings together adjacent public and private properties in town in which the owners agree to go pesticide-free and grow native plants.

Among the organizations involved in the initiative are The Darien Nature Center, the Garden Club of Darien, the Gardener's Center and Florist and the Darien Library, among others.

Lamont reinstated the small town assistance program in an effort to support Connecticut's municipalities while implementing projects that will give a boost to the economy and help in their response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

For this round of funding, Lamont implemented a special coronavirus provision to support towns with expenditures related to their ongoing response to the pandemic, including for new construction, expansion, renovation, or replacement of existing facilities.