PZ Park

Statement of Need

W-deco
For New Hampshire and Beyond

Why PZ Park Matters

Pollinators are in crisis — and so is the natural world that depends on them. From the buzzing of native bees to the silent drift of butterflies, our environment is sending us a clear message: we must act now to protect and restore the very systems that sustain us.

In New Hampshire, where woodlands meet meadows and town centers edge into wild landscapes, the opportunity is unique and urgent: to create living sanctuaries in the heart of our communities. PZ Park is one of those sanctuaries — and its creation will not only help local ecosystems but will ripple outward, offering a model of renewal that can inspire far beyond state borders.

Pollinators in New Hampshire

Why A Crisis Close to Home

New Hampshire is home to more than 200 native bee species, 130+ butterflies, and countless moths, beetles, wasps, and other insects that quietly enable nearly 80% of flowering plants to reproduce — including much of our food, gardens, forests, and wild flora. But these populations are sharply declining.

According to New Hampshire Audubon: “Pollinators in New Hampshire are under increasing pressure due to habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, and climate change. Native bees, butterflies, and other insects are disappearing at alarming rates.” (Source: NH Audubon Pollinator Conservation)

Monarches have declined by 80%

The Eastern Monarch butterfly, which migrates through NH each summer, has declined by over 80% in just two decades.
(NHPR, 2022)

Wild pollinators face habitat stress

Over one-third of wild pollinator species in the Northeast face habitat stress or decline.

Grassy lawns
offer no food

Turfgrass lawns — still the most dominant suburban landscaping — offer zero food or habitat for pollinators.

Fragmentation reduces biodiversity

Fragmentation of wild areas, monoculture agriculture, invasive plants, and urban development in NH’s lakes region all reduce biodiversity.

Grassy lawns
offer no food

Turfgrass lawns — still the most dominant suburban landscaping — offer zero food or habitat for pollinators.

Fragmentation reduces biodiversity

Fragmentation of wild areas, monoculture agriculture, invasive plants, and urban development in NH’s lakes region all reduce biodiversity.

The loss is not abstract. It is visible in our gardens, in the declining presence of bees on flowers, in fewer butterflies by summer windows, and in the silence where once humming filled the air.

ClarkPlaza024 copy (1)
What We Can Do

A Garden
of Hope

PZ Park proposes to turn a cleared downtown lot in Wolfeboro into a living pollinator haven — filled with native plants, flowering shrubs, trees, and interpretive paths that welcome both humans and insects. It’s a local solution to a global problem — a demonstration that healing can start right where we live. It’s not just pretty landscaping — it’s climate and conservation work on the ground and in real time.

park image

Architectural Rendering by Eric Buck, Landscape Architect. Design subject to change.

park drawing

Architectural Rendering by Eric Buck, Landscape Architect. Design subject to change.

The proposed pollinator garden will:

  • Use regionally native plants to support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds.
  • Include layered forest-edge landscaping — a practice proven to increase biodiversity and support overwintering habitat.
  • Avoid synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
  • Offer public education through signage and programming.
  • Create a “corridor” connection for pollinators moving through town.
  • Inspire action through visibility: when people see beauty and buzz, they care.
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PZ Park, wolfeboro, NH

Why It Matters Beyond New Hampshire

While the garden will be planted in Wolfeboro, its impact extends beyond. Here’s why:

Pollinators know
no borders

Bees and butterflies don’t recognize town lines — they need continuous habitat to survive. Small gardens, when connected like stepping stones, allow species to move, adapt, and thrive as climate zones shift.

NH is part of major migratory corridors

The Eastern Monarch, for example, migrates from Canada to Mexico. What happens in NH affects this entire chain. Healthy nectar gardens provide vital fueling stops on their 3,000-mile journey.

Local action has national effects

Every town that builds a pollinator garden adds to the national effort to fight insect collapse. PZ Park shows that even small spaces can be leveraged for biodiversity, education, and hope.

Community-based restoration is contagious

The story of PZ Park — one person turning a vacant lot into a beacon of biodiversity — is powerful. It encourages others to do what they can with what they have. That ripple effect is real and essential.

Local action has national effects

Every town that builds a pollinator garden adds to the national effort to fight insect collapse. PZ Park shows that even small spaces can be leveraged for biodiversity, education, and hope.

Community-based restoration is contagious

The story of PZ Park — one person turning a vacant lot into a beacon of biodiversity — is powerful. It encourages others to do what they can with what they have. That ripple effect is real and essential.

With its thoughtful design, layered plantings, and public educational features, the park can serve as a blueprint for other communities looking to do the same. As interest in pollinator-friendly landscaping grows nationwide, PZ Park could spark replication across the region and beyond.

Paul “PZ” Zimmerman didn’t just want to preserve a patch of land. He wanted to build a legacy: a park where people could gather, children could learn, and nature could thrive. Inspired by his mother’s words — “Always follow the birds, bees, and butterflies” — PZ Park is more than a garden. It’s a commitment to the future.

Follow the birds, bees, and butterflies.
Follow the birds, bees, and butterflies.
PZ Park Logo
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