Rep ese tative
Image
of
a
cemete y
with
sola
pa els
su ou ded
by
wildflowe s
a d
ative
g asses
(AI-ge e ated
image)
At
the
back
of
a
Catholic
cemete y
i
To i gto ,
Co ecticut,
a
wide
field
o ce
sat
empty
fo
yea s,
too
fa
f om
the
g aves
to
eve
be
eeded.
The
came
ows
of
da k
sola
pa els,
built
o
la d
ow ed
by
the
Catholic
Cemete ies
Associatio
of
the
A chdiocese
of
Ha tfo d.
Acco di g
to
epo ti g
by
Co ecticut
Public,
the
a ay
holds
oughly
7,000
sola
pa els
ac oss
about
a
doze
ac es,
developed
by
the
Ha tfo d-based
fi m
Ve ogy
u de
a
20-yea
lease
with
the
cemete y
associatio .
No e
of
the
pa els
sits
ea
a y
g aves,
a d
a
st etch
of
fo est
keeps
the
a ay
a d
the
bu ial
g ou d
fully
sepa ate.
What
makes
the
site
i te esti g
ow
is
ot
the
pa els
themselves
but
the
plai
g ee
g ou d
u i g
be eath
a d
a ou d
them,
la d
that
sola
develope s
elsewhe e
have
sta ted
t eati g
as
a
eal
ecological
oppo tu ity
athe
tha
somethi g
to
simply
mow
flat.
Why
Catholic
cemete ies
i
Co ecticut
a e
leasi g
spa e
la d
to
sola
develope s
Why
Catholic
cemete ies
i
Co ecticut
a e
leasi g
spa e
la d
to
sola
develope s
A
cemete y
associatio
typically
ow s
fa
mo e
la d
tha
it
will
fill
with
headsto es
fo
decades.
Fili gs
with
the
Co ecticut
Siti g
Cou cil
fo
the
To i gto
site
desc ibe
a
66-ac e
pa cel,
of
which
just
ove
11
ac es
we e
set
aside
fo
the
sola
a ay
itself,
la d
the
associatio
had
o
ea -te m
bu ial
pla s
fo .
As
c ematio
ates
ise
a d
t aditio al
bu ial
dema d
slows,
cemete y
g oups
ac oss
the
state
have
bee
looki g
fo
ways
to
ge e ate
i come
f om
g ou d
that
othe wise
just
costs
mo ey
to
mai tai .
A
sola
lease
fits
that
eed
well,
si ce
pa els
sit
lightly
o
the
su face,
ca
be
emoved
if
plots
a e
eve
equi ed
agai ,
a d
ge e ate
steady
e t
i stead
of
a
ecu i g
mowi g
bill.
The
Catholic
Cemete ies
Associatio
has
si ce
developed
a
simila
a ay
o
cemete y
la d
i
No th
Have ,
t eati g
this
ki d
of
dual-use
lease
as
a
epeatable
model
athe
tha
a
o e-off
a a geme t.
What
g ows
be eath
sola
pa els
o ce
the
g ou d
is
left
to
ative
pla ts
What
g ows
be eath
sola
pa els
o ce
the
g ou d
is
left
to
ative
pla ts
A
g ou d-mou ted
sola
a ay
like
the
o e
i
To i gto
leaves
most
of
its
soil
exposed
i
the
gaps
betwee
a d
below
the
ows
of
pa els,
a d
what
fills
that
space
is
e ti ely
a
ma ageme t
choice.
Most
develope s
default
to
g avel
o
clipped
tu f
g ass,
kept
ba e
so
t ucks
ca
each
the
ows
a d
so
tall
g owth
eve
shades
a
pa el.
But
that
same
g ou d
ca
just
as
easily
be
seeded
with
ative
g asses
a d
wildflowe s,
tu i g
it
i to
somethi g
close
to
a
meadow.
A
five-yea
field
study
titled
If
you
build
it,
will
they
come?
I sect
commu ity
espo ses
to
habitat
establishme t
at
sola
e e gy
facilities
i
Mi esota,
USA,
led
by
esea che s
at
A go e
Natio al
Labo ato y
a d
the
Natio al
Re ewable
E e gy
Labo ato y,
t acked
exactly
this
ki d
of
pla ti g
at
two
sola
sites
built
o
fo me
fa mla d.
The
esults
we e
st iki g:
total
i sect
abu da ce
t ipled
ove
the
study
pe iod,
a d
ative
bee
umbe s
ose
mo e
tha
20-fold,
with
most
of
that
i c ease
a ivi g
afte
the
seco d
yea .
Why
sola
polli ato
meadows
matte
fo
ea by
fa mla d
too
Why
sola
polli ato
meadows
matte
fo
ea by
fa mla d
too
The
be efits
of
these
pla ti gs
we e
ot
co fi ed
to
the
sola
sites
themselves.
The
A go e-led
study
fou d
that
bees
visiti g
flowe s
i
soybea
fields
ext
to
the
seeded
sola
habitat
matched
visitatio
levels
see
ea
g assla ds
e olled
i
the
fede al
Co se vatio
Rese ve
P og am,
a d
we e
oughly
2
times
highe
tha
visitatio
eco ded
at
soybea
fields
with
o
ea by
habitat
at
all.
That
spillove
effect
matte s
because
a
la ge
sha e
of
global
c op
p oductio
depe ds
o
i sect
polli atio ,
a d
habitat
loss
has
bee
steadily
sh i ki g
the
a eas
whe e
polli ato s
ca
establish.
As
mo e
fa mla d
ac oss
the
cou t y
gets
co ve ted
i to
sola
capacity,
esea che s
a gue
that
seedi g
the
u used
g ou d
a ou d
pa els,
athe
tha
defaulti g
to
g avel
o
sho t
tu f,
could
tu
thousa ds
of
these
sites
i to
a
mea i gful
sou ce
of
polli ato
habitat
athe
tha
a
et
loss
of
it.
What
the
To i gto
site
suggests
fo
cemete ies
a d
sola
la d
goi g
fo wa d
What
the
To i gto
site
suggests
fo
cemete ies
a d
sola
la d
goi g
fo wa d
To i gto ‘s
cemete y
field
has
the
basic
i g edie ts
fo
this
ki d
of
pla ti g
to
wo k:
flat,
su y,
clea ed
g ou d
that
is
al eady
fe ced
off
a d
left
la gely
u distu bed
behi d
its
sc ee
of
t ees.
Whethe
it
eve
becomes
a
meadow
athe
tha
mowed
g ass
is
pu ely
a
ma ageme t
decisio
by
the
develope
a d
the
la dow e ,
ot
somethi g
the
pa els
themselves
p eve t.
As
cash-st apped
cemete y
associatio s
a d
mu icipalities
keep
sig i g
simila
leases
ac oss
Co ecticut
a d
beyo d,
the
choice
of
what
to
pla t
u de
a d
a ou d
those
a ays
is
quietly
becomi g
o e
of
the
mo e
co seque tial
decisio s
i
how
much
ecological
value
these
small,
scatte ed
patches
of
sola
la d
e d
up
delive i g.