Audubon’s 2019 climate report, Survival by Degrees, and its call to “advocate for natural solutions…[including] putting native plants everywhere to help birds adapt to climate change,” and the importance of “embracing … all the communities where we work.” In 2020 Menunkatuck  Audubon Society received an Audubon in Action Grant to  partner with Community Placemaking and Engagement Network (CPEN) to create a native plant nursery Newhallville, an underserved neighborhood of New Haven. CPEN works with young people to engage them in the productive use of public spaces and vacant lots. Four youths are growing native plants in a vacant lot for free distribution to inner-city residents and sale in other areas.

Matching funds from Menunkatuck and CPEN combined with the Audubon in Action Grant enabled us to start the Urbanscapes Native Plant Nursery.

CPEN acquired the use of a vacant lot in Newhallville and during the pandemic in 2020 we were able to run a pilot program  growing about native 300 perennials and shrubs and sell and give away 250 of them.

After the success in 2020 and with the  pandemic easing, in 2021 we expanded our growing operation, growing 1500 native perennials from plugs and 400 native shrubs. Many of the plants were transplanted into three new butterfly gardens in Newhallville. Others are donated to homeowners in the neighborhood to help establish pollinator patches to expand New Haven’s Pollinator Pathways gardens.

The Greater New Haven Green Fund awarded Menunkatuck a grant for $7783 to support our young workers to grow and plant “Native Plants for a Bird-Friendly New Haven.”

We also sell plants to interested gardeners in the greater New Haven area. Profits from the sale of the plants helps pay stipends to the youth who work at the nursery and serves as seed money for future growth.

See the plants we have for sale at the Plants Sale for the Birds page.