This Earth Day 2025, Brightview’s Tenafly community is celebrating nature – and taking action – with their growing Pollinator Garden Project, a meaningful step in the community’s growing sustainability efforts.
Designed to spark curiosity and environmental stewardship, the initiative offers a fun and hands-on opportunity for residents to get involved and stay active. It’s more than just gardening; it’s about making a lasting impact.
A study shared by National Geographic noted that there has been a troubling 22% decline in butterfly populations over the past two decades in New Jersey . By incorporating native plants and pollinator-attracting species, we aim to support local and struggling insect populations, including bees and butterflies. Through this project, the community hopes to reverse that trend, one flower at a time. After all, pollinators are essential to healthy ecosystems—and to the food we eat.
In spring 2024, BV Tenafly began a partnership with the nearby Tenafly Nature Center to bring grassroots awareness to the importance of pollinators and native habitats. A special part of the collaboration is its intergenerational programming—a local Girl Scout troop joined residents for a series of planting events sharing in the responsibility of creating a pollinator-friendly space. With hands in the soil and hearts rooted in purpose, the Tenafly neighborhood is fostering learning, connection, and coming together to make a lasting environmental impact.
"It was nice to get back to this- gardening. I have shoveled and dug in the garden in a long time. Nice to see the young kids involved in nature." -Richard Koblitz
Beyond supporting pollinators, the garden also contributes to a thriving ecosystem for birds, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, frogs, and countless invertebrates. Located along a community walking path, the garden offers a peaceful place for residents to connect with nature and witness wildlife up close. As BV Tenafly expands the garden year after year, their goal is to achieve Certified Wildlife Habitat status from the National Wildlife Federation. This project is further proof that small spaces can make a big difference an inspiring reminder that real environmental change can start right in our own backyards.
Beyond this garden, Brightview Tenafly incorporates a range of wellness-focused and eco-friendly features, including:
- A holistic wellness program that promotes an active lifestyle
- Energy-Efficient appliances and individual climate controls
- Eco-friendly cleaning products used in amenity spaces
- Easy to use recycling collection areas and other green building best practices.
To learn more about Brightview’s sustainability efforts, please visit: https://www.brightviewseniorliving.com/about-us/sustainability.
Brightview Senior Living builds, owns, and operates award-winning vibrant senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. We offer senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, Enhanced Care, and Wellspring Village™, a specialized neighborhood for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Schedule a personal visit to experience our communities firsthand.
