Butterfly Pavilion, Northwest Parkway Partner to Create Pollinator Habitat

New corridor along toll road aims to boost invertebrate populations and biodiversity.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The nonprofit Butterfly Pavilion is partnering with the Northwest Parkway to transform a section of the toll road into a lush pollinator habitat. The project will involve planting a mix of flowers, shrubs, and grasses to support a variety of invertebrate pollinators like bees, butterflies, flies, and beetles, as well as vertebrate pollinators like hummingbirds. The goal is to help connect existing habitats and provide important data for the Butterfly Pavilion's research on understudied invertebrate species.

Why it matters

Pollinators play a crucial role in growing the food we eat and maintaining the ecosystems that provide the oxygen we breathe. However, many pollinator populations are declining due to habitat loss and other threats. This partnership aims to create a new pollinator corridor that can help sustain and even boost local invertebrate populations.

The details

The pollinator corridor will be located along the westbound side of the Northwest Parkway between mile markers 50 and 51. It will feature a variety of flowering plants, shrubs, and grasses designed to provide food and habitat for a diverse array of pollinators throughout the year. The project aligns with the sustainability goals of Vinci, the company that operates the Northwest Parkway.

  • Study on the current flora and fauna of the corridor's planned location is slated to begin soon.
  • Planting for the project is anticipated this fall.

The players

Butterfly Pavilion

A nonprofit zoo focused on education and conservation surrounding invertebrates, located at 104th Avenue and Westminster Boulevard.

Northwest Parkway

A toll road spanning several miles between Interstate 25 and U.S. 36, operated by the company Vinci.

Rich Reading

The vice president of research and conservation at the Butterfly Pavilion.

Jeremy Peyre

A project director with Vinci, the company that operates the Northwest Parkway.

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What they’re saying

“Putting in the pollinator plants will allow pollinators to move through the corridor and between other habitat patches.”

— Rich Reading, Vice President of Research and Conservation, Butterfly Pavilion

“Pollinators help grow a lot of the food we eat, but they also pollinate a lot of the plants that provide the oxygen we breathe.”

— Rich Reading, Vice President of Research and Conservation, Butterfly Pavilion

“The idea is to try and put in plants that bloom throughout the year, not just in the summer, because some pollinators specialize in different parts of the year.”

— Rich Reading, Vice President of Research and Conservation, Butterfly Pavilion

What’s next

Study on the current flora and fauna of the corridor's planned location is slated to begin soon, with planting for the project anticipated this fall.

The takeaway

This partnership between the Butterfly Pavilion and Northwest Parkway demonstrates how public-private collaborations can create new habitats to support threatened pollinator populations and advance sustainability goals in local communities.