Four Simple Steps

Bumblebee on *Virginia Waterleaf* (Hydrophyllum virginianum). Recent declines in pollinators have alarmed scientists and naturalists alike. Pollinators include not only bees, but also birds, butterflies, bats, beetles and more.

National Pollinator Week, initiated and managed by Pollinator Partnership, is a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them.

Thirteen years ago, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week.” S.Res. 580 (109th Congress) reads: A resolution recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and agriculture in the United States and the value of partnership efforts to increase awareness about pollinators and support for protecting and sustaining pollinators by designating June 24 through June 30, 2007 as “National Pollinator Week.” (GovTrack)

It’s so simple to bring “back the pollinators” with only these four simple steps – Pollinator Protection Pledge:

Growing pollinator-friendly flowers.
Providing nest sites.
Avoiding pesticides.
Spreading the word.

Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

The National Pollinator Garden Network surpassed our goal to meet the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. So far, 1,057,008 gardens and landscapes have been registered.

Useful info from the Million Pollinator Garden Network:

Use plants that provide nectar and pollen.
Provide a water source.
Situate the gardens in sunny areas with wind breaks.
Create large “pollinator targets” (clumps) of native or non-invasive plants.
Plant a variety of plants that bloom throughout the growing season.*
Eliminate or minimize the impact of pesticides.
Leave a dead tree or tree limb to create bee habitat.
Include plants that bloom at night to attract bats and moths.
Use the Pollinator Partnership regional planting guides to help you determine the plants most appropriate for your area. Enter y our zip code to find suggestions for your pollinator garden.

*Choose plants native to your ecoregion. They will have evolved with the local biodiversity and will be most appropriate for the local pollinator species.

We know that more nectar and pollen sources provided by more flowering plants and trees help improve pollinators’ health and numbers. Increasing the number of pollinator-friendly gardens and landscapes will help revive the health of bees, butterflies, birds, bats and more across the country.

Click here to register your site today and follow the prompts.

Accent on Natural Landscaping

See more pollinator blog posts:
Buzzing ca uses Sweeter Nectar
More on Pollination – Pol len Sac
Plant P ollination Strategies
Pollinat or Syndromes