PPEL and York Prison Partner

Boston’s WCVB Chronicle program recently highlighted a partnership between York Correctional Institute and Pollinator Pathway East Lyme.   York is the only all women’s correctional facility in Connecticut and has a long history of using its land for purpose.  A one and a half acre flat field located next to the Warden’s meeting cottage and Bride Lake was seeded this week with 32 native wildflower seeds and 2 native grasses. This meadow will provide successional blooming, butterfly larval host plants and nectar for butterflies. Ecotypic grasses and wildflowers started from seed are being grown by YCI inmates and will be planted in the meadow. As the meadow grows and matures inmates will be trained to maintain the meadow.   As Warden Trina Sexton, says “If you think about a butterfly and the chrysalis and the changes the women are going through here at York, so that when they are released they fly, it is a deeper, more symbolic meaning for the women.”  This unusual partnership is one of many projects around town.  Check out others here.