JUNE 19TH – 25TH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL POLLINATOR WEEK
Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership, and fifteen years ago, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the designation of a week in June as National Pollinator Week. The purpose of this week is to address the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. We all hope that this year will be the best in bringing awareness to protect our pollinators. You can go to www.pollinator.org for more information on National Pollinator Week.
Our pollinators are dying because their food and homes are disappearing, diseases have increased, and rising temperatures and natural disasters are affecting their survival ability—all related to climate change.
Like almost everything, a good education is the key to success. This is very true when it comes to understanding the habits of our bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and learning what we, as homeowners, can do to support, protect, and increase their population. To me, the bottom line is for all of us to become more in sync with nature. We all need a newfound appreciation for Earth’s precious resources and the love of nature.
My challenge to everyone is to start thinking about how you can become more connected with nature through your landscape. Plant more native plants that support our beneficial bees, butterflies, and birds. Native plants require a lot less maintenance—especially when it comes to spraying chemicals.
Here are some tips to think about:
- Have less lawn and more shrubs and trees.
- Grow more native plants.
- Stop using—or at least reduce the use of pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals.
- Compost your leaves.
- Let your dead plant stalks remain through the winter; these stalks become a needed habitat.
POLLINATOR KIDS ACTIVITY
JOIN US THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 24, FROM 10 AM TO 2 PM
KIDS WILL HAVE A FUN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE BUTTERFLIES OUT OF COFFEE FILTERS & PIPE CLEANERS.
If we do our part at home, the pollinators will reward us with beautiful fruits and vegetables for years to come!!