June 18th

By Mutt Mulligan

5 ways to support pollinators during Pollinator Week

Pollinators – birds, bats, butterflies and bees – are not just fun to observe in our own backyards. They are also vital to our very existence.

Pollinators are responsible for creating one of out of every three bites of food we take. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce. These little critters have a big impact!

June 21-27 has been designated Pollinator Week. Backyards, school yards, green roofs, parks, planted medians and other green spaces provide food and shelter for pollinators.

Here are some ways you can use your backyarding efforts to protect pollinators during Pollinator Week and beyond:

• Remember, size doesn’t matter. Pollinator habitats can be created on every landscape from window boxes and patio containers to huge estates and farms.
• Select flowering plants that thrive in your yard’s conditions, taking into consideration things like climate zone, soil type, the sun/shade ratio and average rainfall.
• Plant a healthy balance of grasses, garden flowers, shrubs and trees.
• Plant in clusters to make your plants an easy target for pollinators to find.
• Let some dead branches and logs remain in your yard as nesting sites.

To learn more about how to plant for pollinators and the planet, check out this TurfMutt infographic