Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group

habitat conservation + working landscapes

A close-up image of a bee hovering near a vibrant pink flower, surrounded by green foliage, highlighting the importance of pollinators in nature.

Resources library

This online library is a clearinghouse of tools and information related to habitat on rights-of-way and other lands. From seed mix calculators to mowing guidelines and everything in between, you’ll find it here.

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Alt text: Infographic titled

Native seed commerce: More frequently asked question

Policy and Publications

This document prepared by Native Plants helps to make intelligent choices in the marketplace and to helps customers have a working understanding of the diversity of products that are available in the seed trade; how they move in the market; how they are regulated for purity and germination; how they are certified to assure genetic identity; and how they are legally protected as intellectual property
Cover page of a guide by the Ontario Horticultural Association titled

Roadsides – A Guide to Creating a Pollinator Patch

Best Management Practices, Planning Tools

This guideline published by Ontario Horticultural Association aims to create pollinator-habitat patches in Ontario – along roads, in unused public spaces and in home gardens. The goals of the project are three-fold: to provide habitat for our native pollinators; to reintroduce native Ontario plants; and to beautify the province

Alt text: Abstract of a research paper titled

Native Species for Roadslope Revegetation: Selection, Validation, and Cost Effectiveness

Case Studies and Research

This paper published by Restoration Ecology outlines a study performed in Spain that evaluated a procedure to select suitable native species for roadslope revegetation, validated the procedure by means of field sowing experiments, and assessed the cost effectiveness of using native seed mixes as compared to commercial ones.

Native Seed Network

Best Management Practices, Planning Tools

This website provides search tools and information on all aspects of native seed. It includes a database for searching the availability of native seeds to purchase from seed vendors. Also includes a vendor search.

Table displaying various grass and herb species, including their scientific names, common names, and plant families, along with their distribution across states like Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Minnesota (MN). Key entries include big bluestem, buffalo grass, and Indian grass, all belonging to the Poaceae family.

Native Revegetation Plants for Pollinators in the I-35 Corridor (the “Monarch Highway”)

Best Management Practices

This spreadsheet developed by Roadside Revegetation lists plant species and their attributes for the I-35 Corridor. The I-35 Corridor is a multi-state effort that serves as a national model of cooperation to enhance pollinator habitat along transportation rights-of-way. The six states involved in the strategy have agreed to coordinate efforts to establish best practices and promote monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation.

Close-up image of pink sticky geranium flowers (Geranium viscosissimum) with the title

Factors and benefits in the establishment of modest-sized wildflower plantings: a review

Best Management Practices, Case Studies and Research

This review article published by Native Plants Journal highlights some of the previous research in establishing modest-sized wildflower plantings. Components include: pre-planting concerns; planting and maintenance; wildflower dividends; and wildflower establishment recommendations.