Gardening education

June 21st to June 27th of this year is National Pollinator Week. These days are meant to help us take closer notice of another essential workforce, pollinators, and think more about the vital services they perform to keep the world running.



Pollinators are animals that ensure plants reproduce. During their regular commute to and from work, they pollinate 75 - 95% of the flowering plants on this planet. Hummingbirds, wasps, bees (primarily native bees), butterflies, beetles, bats, syrphid flies (frequently mistaken for sweat bees in late summer), and moths are out there with us whether we see them or not. Unfortunately, their numbers have fallen enough that we are now noticing the widespread consequences from our actions.



Food deserts are areas where there are limited nutritional options. Habitat loss, decreased forage, and a decline in the quality of that forage (think pesticides here) are major issues we contribute to positively or negatively through our action or inaction. Cultivating available spaces to increase options for food, water, and/or shelter for these animals make our shared existence more fruitful. Consider our pollineighbors, fellow citizens in the spaces we all inhabit.



You don't need to become a master gardener, horticulturist, botanist, entomologist, or landscape architect to help pollinators immediately. Staggered mowing schedules, partially mowing the lawn and leaving patches of clover, and leaving dandelions alone immediately provide more forage than a lawn mowed to blank uniformity. Adding more pollinator friendly spots will provide essential services for pollinators and help to create corridors for them.


Through increasing awareness of our pollineighbors, we begin building towards a friendlier climate via our interdependence. 



Consider your pollineighbors. We are not alone - we're in this together.  

Follow our resource links below to learn more about pollinators, how they  benefit our planet and what you can do right in own your  backyard to promote pollinator activity!