June is a special time for those who cherish the buzzing, fluttering, and humming of pollinators in their gardens. It’s Pollinator Month, with Pollinator Week—a dedicated week within the month—serving as a focal point for celebrating and protecting our vital pollinator species. Here at Garden for Wildlife, we’re passionate about supporting pollinators and empowering home gardeners to make a difference right in their backyards. Let’s explore why pollinators are essential, what Pollinator Month and Pollinator Week are all about, and how you can create a pollinator garden.
Why Pollinators Matter
Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other insects, play a crucial role in our ecosystem. They are responsible for the reproduction of about 75% of the world's flowering plants and nearly 35% of global food crops. Without them, we would see a dramatic decrease in the variety and availability of our food.
Despite their importance, pollinators face numerous threats, such as habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate change, and disease. This makes it more important than ever for individuals and communities to take action to protect and support these essential creatures.
What is Pollinator Month and Pollinator Week?
Pollinator Month, celebrated every June, is a time to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and the challenges they face.
Pollinator Week is an annual celebration dedicated to promoting the health of pollinators, initiated and managed by Pollinator Partnership. It's a time to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and to spread the word about how we can protect them. The beauty of Pollinator Week is that you can participate in a variety of ways! Popular activities include planting for pollinators, hosting garden tours, joining online bee and butterfly identification workshops, and much more.
Pollinator Week 2024 celebrates the critical role that pollinators play in our ecosystems, economies, and agriculture. This year's theme, "Vision 2040: Thriving ecosystems, economies, and agriculture," encourages us to envision a future where pollinators not only survive but thrive. These vital creatures—bees, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, and hummingbirds—are the unsung heroes behind the food we eat and the beauty around us.
How Pollinator Gardens Can Make a Difference
As a home gardener, you have a unique opportunity to create a haven for pollinators in your own backyard. Here are some practical steps you can take to support these vital creatures:
1. Plant Native Species
Native plants are the backbone of a pollinator-friendly garden. Keystone native plants provide the most nutritious nectar and pollen and are well adapted to local conditions. By incorporating a variety of native plants, you can offer continuous blooms throughout the growing season, ensuring that pollinators have a steady food source. Some great options include milkweed for monarch butterflies, coneflowers make great native plants for bees, and wild columbine or other native plants for hummingbirds.
2. Provide a Water Source
Pollinators need water to survive, especially during hot summer months. Add a shallow water source for wildlife to your garden, such as a birdbath with pebbles or a shallow dish filled with water. This gives pollinators a safe place to drink and cool down.
3. Create Shelter and Nesting Sites
Different pollinators have varied shelter needs. Bees might use bare ground or hollow stems, while butterflies need places to pupate and roost. Leave some areas of your garden a bit wild, with leaf litter, dead wood, or even a small brush pile. You can also install bee hotels to provide nesting spaces for solitary bees. We recommend leaving the leaves!
4. Avoid Pesticides
Pesticides can be harmful or even deadly to pollinators. Adopt sustainable gardening or integrated pest management practices and use organic or natural solutions whenever possible. Native plants are natural pest control, and you can encourage beneficial insects that prey on pests, and consider hand-picking larger pests like caterpillars or beetles.
5. Educate and Advocate
Use your garden as a platform to educate friends, family, and neighbors about the importance of pollinators. Share your successes and challenges on social media, and participate in local community events. Advocating for pollinator-friendly practices in your community can lead to broader changes that benefit the environment.
Pollinator Month and Pollinator Week are perfect opportunities to celebrate and support the pollinators that are so crucial to our ecosystem. By making a few changes in your garden, you can create a haven for these important creatures. At Garden for Wildlife, we’re here to help you choose the best native plants and provide guidance on creating a pollinator-friendly garden. Together, we can make a significant impact, one garden at a time.
Happy gardening and thank you for supporting pollinators! 🐝🦋🌸