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Bexley group awarded $47,000 grant to build “Bexley Habitat Triangle” of native yards
Summary
City guest Rebecca Ness told council the Bexley Habitat Triangle will convert invasive yards to native plantings across about 30–35 properties, funded by a $47,000 Village in Wilderness grant and implemented with local partners and volunteers.
Rebecca Ness, a Green Bexley organizer, told the Bexley City Council about a neighborhood project funded with a $47,000 grant to plant native species and remove invasives in a connected area she calls the Bexley Habitat Triangle.
The project, Ness said, is “for people, plants, and pollinators.” She told council the effort began in earnest in January 2024 and had advanced to installations on roughly 30 yards this spring; the team has planned 32 yards this year and expects to finish between 30 and 35 yards as the project develops.
The grant came from Village in Wilderness, Ness said, and the work is a partnership among Green Bexley’s Love Your Alley program, Edge Effect, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, Catch the Water, the Worthington Green Team and City of Bexley volunteers. She said Edge Effect designer Josh Zing led yard designs and that crews have been removing invasive species such as Japanese honeysuckle, tree of heaven and English ivy and installing native shrubs and reinforced rain gardens to reduce backyard flooding.
Council members praised the volunteer effort and the scope of community outreach Ness described. Councilmember Jess Saad called the work “amazing,” and Mayor Ben Kessler thanked Ness for securing the grant and for the hours she and volunteers have devoted to the project. Ness said the project includes education for students and residents and that the team coordinated neighborhood canvassing and a resident survey before construction so designs reflect homeowner preferences.
Ness said the project’s goals include restoring biodiversity, bolstering the local pollinator pathway and demonstrating a replicable model other communities can adopt. She said the funder required the project be replicable and that Worthington is a partner to help carry the model to another city.
The council did not take formal action on the presentation; staff and council members discussed follow-up outreach and thanked participants for volunteer coordination and resident education.
