Pollinators – Maryland Grows

Why don’t I see pollinators on my plants?

July 17, 2026Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

One of the most widespread actions implemented to support pollinators and other beneficial organisms is the planting of (native) flowering plants. The idea is that if we offer food to pollinators, they will come. However, we may have planted the plants, but the pollinators still aren’t coming. What could be happening? In this post, I will cover some biological reasons why this may be happening, and some solutions to consider.

Not all flowers are made equal

To a pollinator’s eye, not all flowers are the same. As we mentioned in other posts, each pollinator group (e.g., butterflies, birds, bees, flies…) has a different shape and different sensorial and physical abilities. While a butterfly may be able to reach the nectar at the bottom of a very tubular and long flower, a fly may not. Likewise, a large pollinator that is physically stronger than a small pollinator may be able to enter a very closed flower. Further, a night pollinator can obtain nectar from plants that offer it at night, while it will not get anything from those that offer it during the day…. I guess you see my point. Essentially, pollinators prefer flowers that make it easiest to locate and harvest resources like nectar and pollen. These differences mean that unless those flowers are present in a landscape, certain groups of pollinators may not be seen at all.

A grid of 9 flowers in various shapes and colors and different pollinators from bees and wasps, to moths and birds. — *Different floral shapes and colors make floral rewards more easily accessible to different pollinators. Photos: J. of Pollination Ecology.*

Not all flowers necessarily offer what a pollinator is after

Pollinators visit flowers to obtain something they need. That something may be food (e.g., nectar, pollen, parts of the flower), materials for reproduction (e.g., perfumes), materials for nest building (e.g., resins, floral oils), or simply a place to overnight, stay warm, and/or mate. As a matter of fact, not every single flower serves all those needs, making the pollinators end up “sorting themselves” among the plants that offer what they need.

A yellow blooming flower cluster with a bee climbing inside one of the blooms. — *A bee of the genus Chalepogenus visiting a flower of Calceolaria dentata (native to Chile and Argentina) to collect floral oils and pollen. Photo: A. Espíndola.*

Let me give you an example. In my research life, I work on a specialized pollination system that involves flowers that do not offer nectar at all, but instead offer floral oils (and pollen) in exchange for pollination (you can read more about this from the blog post: Why Do Pollinators Visit Flowers?, May ’20). These flowers are called lady slippers and belong to the Pan-American genus Calceolaria. When we observe which pollinators visit the flowers, we see that it is mostly bees who specialize in collecting floral oils (in our case, bees of the genera Centris and Chalepogenus), and basically nothing else. In landscaping, filling our yards with only one specialized flower type drastically limits pollinator diversity. For instance, if we only planted oil-producing flowers, we would not see many diverse pollinators. This highlights a key rule: the rewards a plant offers dictate the visitors it attracts. Just as varied flower shapes are crucial, providing a diverse mix of nutritional rewards—like nectar, pollen, and oils—is the best way to boost the number and variety of pollinators in our green spaces. As for the floral shape I was referring to, planting species that offer different types of rewards is a very good way to increase the number and types of pollinators we see in our green spaces.

The flowers do not necessarily want to share too much

Plants attract pollinators because they can get pollination from them, which allows the plant to reproduce. From a biological point of view, a pollinator will be a good one if it carries pollen from the stamens of a flower and makes it land on the stigma, so it can germinate and then fertilize the ovules. This is all good and nice; the problem, however, is that many pollinators use pollen as food. This creates a conflict between the plant’s and the pollinator’s interests: a plant needs the pollen (that contains its sperm) to not be eaten but to fertilize its ovules, but many pollinators just want to eat the pollen (and they have good reason for this, since a pollen grain is extremely rich in nutrients!).

A black and white microscope image of pollen grains. Some are spikey, some round, and some beanshaped with cantelope rind-looking texture. — *Pollen grains have different structures and shapes. Photo: Dartmouth College Electron Microscope Facility.*

As a response to this conflict, some strategies have evolved that somewhat “control” the feeding on pollen that pollinators may do. In fact, plants protect their pollen with physical structures that make it hard to be broken by pollinators. Some of these pollen grains feature spikes and thickened walls, which force pollinators to use specialized tools to break through them. Along with this physical “shield”, pollen grains often contain what are called **secondary metabolites.** These are chemical compounds that make the pollen indigestible or toxic, unless the organism trying to eat it has evolved ways to tolerate those compounds themselves. Closely related plants produce similar chemical compounds; the unique chemistry of a plant family dictates which pollinators can digest its pollen. This leads to different levels of floral specialization on the side of the pollinators. Pollinators will only try to visit plants that offer pollen they can digest, which again, restricts the flowers they visit. As for the previous points, increasing the different types of plants by having representatives of different plant families can increase the variety in the chemical quality of the pollen offered, attracting and supporting different types of more or less specialized pollinators.

By Anahí Espíndola, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park. See more posts by Anahí.

Small but mighty. The amazing ground-nesting bee!

June 19, 2026Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

The summer is almost here, and if you are like me, you have already been outside and seen a bunch of tiny bees digging, digging, digging, and buzzing around flowers. Who are these little ladies? And what on earth (pun intended) are they doing? In today’s blog, I want to explain a bit about these super powerhouses, how they do what they do, and point to some of these cool bees that we can find right here in Maryland and our general region.

What are ground-nesting bees?

As its name indicates, ground-nesting bees are bees that nest in the ground, mostly by digging their nests. Ground-nesting bees are found in several families of bees, and being a soil nester/digger is actually one of the most common nesting strategies among solitary bees. In these bees, once the female finds a good nesting site, she starts excavating it to create an underground nest, which often has several brood cells, in which the larvae develop. These nests are usually found in spaces where the vegetation is sparse or the soil bare, and can sometimes be built along with other nests of the same species, leading to communal nesting areas. It is because of this preference for relatively open ground that it is often recommended that at least some uncovered ground is left in our green spaces, which helps provide habitat for their establishment.

A tiny bee is seen crawling out of a mound of soil on the ground. — *Ground-nesting bee coming out of her nest. Photo: Colleen (CC0).*

How do ground nesters build their nests?

As good miners or soil diggers, ground-nesting bees also have specific behavioral and morphological traits that make them good at what they do. Bees that excavate have modified leg structures that allow them to easily move within tunnels, strong mandibles that they use to actually dig the cavity, and modified extremities of the abdomen (the pygidial plate) that function as sorts of trowels and allow them to pack soil on the walls of the cavity they are digging.

Along with having the right tools of the trade, these bees are also selective of the type of soil they use to build their nests. Most ground-nesting bees prefer soils that are not too compacted, with at least some sand content, which makes them easier to dig through. This means that it is more likely that we will find these bees in rockier/sandier soils than in super clay-y ones. As a matter of fact, many ground-nesting bees are associated with dune nesting, and because dunes are often endangered habitats (because they are often disturbed/destroyed by human activities), many sand-nesting specialists end up becoming endangered as well. And as a fun fact about soil choice, bee experts think that because finding “good soil” is so important for the survival of these bees, bees tend to become associated with specific spots for nesting, with the nesting site becoming a sort of “family place”, where several generations of females from the same family line come back to nest over the years/generations.

A close up of the pygidial plant which is a small darker triangular structure at the tip of the bee's abdomen. — *The pygidial plate is a structure present at the tip of the abdomen of ground-nesting bees that functions as a trowel. Photo: MN Native Bees.*

Because digging through the soil with their mandibles (and sometimes their legs) is hard work, bees usually tend to choose the best timing to start their digging. In fact, the hardest part of the soil to dig through for a bee is the surface, which is often the most compacted. For this reason, bees tend to start digging after the soil has become moist (e.g., after rains). Incredibly, some ground-digging bees are even able to add, if needed, secretions or even nectar to humidify and loosen the soil! Once the bee has started her excavation, she continues digging deeper and bringing soil out of the construction area, which leads to all sorts of “mounts” being built around the nest entrance and sometimes chimney-looking structures.

What are some ground nesters from Maryland?

Andrena vicina – The neighborly mining bee

a close up of a bee gathering pollen from white flowers — *Andrena vicina.* *Photo: K. P. McFarland (CC0).*

This Andreniid is relatively large (about 1- 1.5 cm), present in North America and common in the Eastern USA. This species received that cute name because it is one of those that builds communal nesting areas (“neighborhoods”). In Maryland, the species is active right now (~June/July) and is generally seen visiting many native plants and crops. In particular, this is one of the known visitors of, among other plants, Rhododendron and Azaleas, several heather family plants (like Vaccinium, Kalmia), as well as several rose family plants (Prunus, Rubus).

Augochlorella aurata – Golden sweat bee

a tiny metallic green sweat beed in the center of a yellow flower

Augochlorella aurata. Photo: C. Martin (CC0).

This is a species in the Halictid family, and is called a sweat bee because it is often found collecting sweat (for water and salts). This is one of those tiny bees that you may find landing on you on a hot day, really committed to not letting go of your skin! This particular bee is relatively easy to recognize because it is small, metallic-looking, with beautiful green/golden iridescence. This bee is not fully solitary and is a species recognized to display primitive eusociality (for example, honey bees are true eusocials). In this species, there is a queen that starts a nest, and across the season, generations of first infertile and later fertile workers are produced. By the end of the season, the fertile workers are inseminated and disperse to overwinter. This bee species is pretty generalist in its choice of plants, known as a pollinator of many crops (e.g., apples, tomatoes, watermelon) as well as native plants.

By Anahí Espíndola, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park. See more posts by Anahí.

Anahí also writes an Extension Blog in Spanish! Check it out here, extensionesp.umd.edu, and please share and spread the word to your Spanish-speaking friends and colleagues in Maryland. ¡Bienvenidos a Extensión en Español!

Enhance Biodiversity in Your Vegetable Garden by Planting More Flowers!

May 28, 2026Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

A view of a fenced in vegetable garden with Salad tables in the forground and multiple raised garden beds full of various vegetables. Bright orange marigold flowers line the edges of the raised beds and there are wood chip paths inbetween the planting areas. — *Marigolds line the edges of raised garden beds, bursting with vegetables in this county extension demonstration garden. Photo: Jon Traunfeld*

A practice generally used in agricultural contexts is that of floral supplementation. In today’s blog, I would like to dig a bit into this idea and present some strategies to implement it at smaller scales, like small vegetable gardens and green spaces. Read along to learn a bit more!

What is floral supplementation?

Agriculture using western methods generally leads to losses of plant biodiversity in and around fields, mostly because it transforms diverse spaces into large monocultures (the crop fields). This, in turn, reduces the ability of the ecosystem to regulate pests, maintain pollination and eventually can negatively affect yield and production, along with increasing environmental erosion. As a response to these needs, strategies have been developed to increase biodiversity in agricultural contexts, and one of those is floral supplementation. In this strategy, the areas surrounding the crop fields are planted with diverse floral mixes or hedges, or the crop rows are intercropped with flowering plants. Such approaches improve soil quality and reduce erosion, increase diversity of plants and animals associated with them, and in many cases lead to improved pest control and pollination of the crop. Although this is a practice more or less widespread and recognized for production fields, it is not often officially promoted in smaller areas such as gardens or the green spaces that surround them. Let’s fix that! 😊

Why does floral supplementation work?

The idea behind these practices is that they increase the spatial and plant resources available to the local biotic community. By increasing the number of plant species present in an area, the different types of food and nesting resources are also increased and become more complex. For example, there may be flowers that bloom at different times of the season, that produce different types of nectar and can support different pollinators, fruits that support different insects and birds, plants of different heights and structure that can offer shelter to different organisms. These modifications eventually lead to more diverse animal communities being present in the area where the supplements are added. From the point of view of the benefits of these changes on the actual performance of the crop field, this diversity promotes the presence of biological control of pest agents (e.g., predators of pests, parasitoids), as well as increases the diversity and abundance of potential pollinating species. The presence of a more robust plant community can also promote soil retention through the presence of more roots to physically retain it, reducing erosion and water runoff.

Tomato plants with green tomatoes growing in a raised garden bed with a railing in the background. Interspersed plantings include basil, and chard. — *A way to implement floral supplementation in small spaces is through the combination of different crops on the same pace, such as offered by the idea of companion plantings. Photo: Steph L.*

Floral supplementation in gardens

Although the extent of floral supplementation done at the agricultural scale can not be reproduced at the garden level, the same principles can be implemented, especially if the gardening space is not necessarily embedded in a very biodiverse context. Here are some ideas on how to do it.

Intercropping and Companion Planting

A cool way to both increase diversity and production per unit of area is the use of intercropping with companion plantings. Here, different crops can be interplanted, with rows alternating species, or with several crop species planted in a mixed way in the same part of the garden. This relates to the idea of companion planting, where species that are planted together are selected for their ability to successfully coexist and support each other. The table gives some ideas on potential combinations to promote and avoid.

Companion planting promotes the interplanting of different crops/herbs, with species known to be compatible and incompatible in these plantings. Table from Virginia Cooperative Extension publication, Companion Planting in Gardening

Hedgerows

Green bushes with pink flowers along a grassy area under trees. — *Especially if planted with native species, hedgerows can offer a complex structure for a lot of animal diversity to establish close to our gardens. Photo: M. Gimber.*

This strategy can be especially effective if there is a lot of room around the garden plot. Instead of leaving that as a mowed space, it is possible to turn it into a structurally and species-diverse space! For this, one can consider planting sets of native shrubs/small trees that can provide complex shelter spaces and flower/fruit/seed resources for many animals (including humans! 😛 ). Some choices I really like for our area are fringe trees, spicebushes, witch hazels, hazels, pawpaws, serviceberries, native elderberries, or redbuds. Of course, not all these species are appropriate for all areas, so depending on the level of light and soil conditions, some may be preferred over others.

Flower Strips

A close up of Monarda or beebalm with red blooms — Even when not much space is available, the planting of native herbaceous plants can lead to an important bump in diversity around our vegetable gardens. This strip of *Monarda, Solidago, Penstemon, Rudbecia* and some other native plants is directly adjacent to my vegetable garden and attracts many pollinators and predators such as wasps and mantids. Photo: A. Espindola.

Flower strips are also a great choice, and if space is available, one can easily turn them into a small floral meadow. These spaces can be planted with seed mixes, which can be purchased from seed companies specialized in the establishment of native meadows. (Be sure to review the species list since some meadow mixes can contain invasive or borderline invasive plants, others may contain annuals like Cosmos.) If the space available is not very large, it may be more practical to just plant a set of native flowers that bloom at different times through the season. Check out this other post where I direct people to some specific plant lists that can be handy for our area. Especially if the species chosen are perennial, the planting will lead to a long term establishment, and if wanted, new plants can be added over the years, as some species become more established.

Book Review: The Nature of Oaks

January 15, 2025January 15, 2025Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

Winter’s leafless landscapes, while beautiful in their own right, can look barren compared to the cacophony of color and activity of late spring/early summer. Once an oak’s leaves have senesced and its acorns have fallen, you’d think that not much is happening way up there in the canopy. But surprisingly there is! Tallamy’s The Nature of Oaks, takes the reader on a month by month journey of how these mighty trees support an abundance of life year round.

In fact, indigenous oaks (genus Quercus) support the highest number of Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, and skippers) species in the mid-Atlantic region- some 534 different native species (Tallamy & Shropshire, 2009). Lepidoptera in the larva or caterpillar stage, such as the Greater Oak Dagger Moth (Acronicta lobeliae) (Fig. 1), often have a narrow diet breadth feeding on only a single family of plants. The over 500 species of caterpillars that oaks support, in turn, feed birds and other wildlife further up the food chain.

Fig. 1. Greater Oak Dagger Moth caterpillar. Photo: Nick Furlan

Tallamy’s Nature of Oaks gives numerous examples of insects’ impressive camouflaging, and describes how it helps them go undetected by hungry birds. For instance, the oak specialist American Oak Beauty (Phaeoura quernaria) blends in amazingly well with its host plant during both its larval and adult stages (Figs. 2 & 3). It’s no wonder that we often don’t notice all of the activity on oaks, especially given that much of it takes place at night.

Photo of an American Oak Beauty caterpillar on a tree twig. The caterpillar looks very much like the tree twig. — Fig. 2. American Oak Beauty caterpillar. Photo credit: Adrian Romo

Photo of an American Oak Beauty moth on the bark of an oak tree. The bark is covered with gray and green colored lichens. The moth's body colors and color pattern make it difficult to see the outline and shape of the moth. — Fig. 3. American Oak Beauty moth. Photo credit: Basil Conlin

Tallamy also considers what’s going on beneath the canopy. Many oak-dependent species complete their life cycle in either the leaf litter or soil at the base of the tree. Research by our state entomologist and UMD alum Max Ferlauto shows that raking less results in more butterflies, moths, and beneficial arthropods. The harmful effects of leaf removal are widespread, impacting community composition, nutrient cycling, and soil stability (Fig. 4).

Illustration showing the negative effects of removing leaves from the ground. — Fig. 4. Negative effects of leaf removal. Illustration by Maggie Lin

Of course oaks support a host of other arthropods and critters- from tiny wasps that form galls on oak leaves and terminal buds to numerous birds and mammals that depend on the trees’ nutrient rich acorns. Tallamy’s Nature of Oaks contains compelling data and entertaining anecdotes that left me awestruck by the beauty and interconnectedness of these mighty trees with all living things. Tallamy suggests if you can only plant one tree, make it an oak.

If you’re feeling inspired to plant an oak in your yard, Tallamy provides guidance on where and how to plant oaks for long term success. For instance, to overcome the concern of tree damage, he suggests planting young trees closer together (vs a specimen tree) so that they’ll be smaller in diameter and their roots will interlock. In Maryland, we’ve 21 native oak species that are commercially available, including two that reach a max height of 20 feet. For photos and details on growth requirements, habitat value, etc. see the new Commercial Maryland Native Plant List.

Where can you purchase native oaks (and other plants)? This month, the MD Department of Agriculture (MDA) launched a certification program for wholesalers, growers, and retailers of native plants. The program will make it easier for consumers to find sellers via a tiered system (novice, pro, and premium). Certified sellers will be listed on MDA, MD DNR, and UME’s web sites (coming soon). The program will also help consumers quickly identify which plants are native to MD via a new ‘Best Maryland Native Plant’ logo that retailers are encouraged to use on plant tags and signage.

If you’ve any questions or comments about growing or using oaks or native plants in general, I’d love to hear from you at lkuder@umd.edu.

Reference:

Tallamy, D. W., & Shropshire, K. J. (2009). Ranking lepidopteran use of native versus introduced plants. Conservation Biology, 23(4), 941-947.

By Lisa Kuder, Native Plants and Landscapes Specialist, University of Maryland Extension. See more posts by Lisa.

How to Pay for a Pollinator or Native Plant Garden?

December 9, 2024Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

We hear a lot about the importance of establishing native and pollinator gardens. Indeed, these spaces provide many ecological services, from providing food resources and shelter for biodiversity to improving the quality of our soils and reducing water runoff. However, establishing these spaces requires at least some funds, which may or may not be available to many. In this post, I want to share some resources that can provide either funding or materials to establish such spaces in our properties.

Grants and rebates for native gardens and more

In our region, several grants exist that can provide funding to partially or completely cover expenses associated with the establishment of pollinator and native gardens. Some of these are state- or region-wide, while others are county or city-based. Below I share some of these, but because many of these grants are local, if you don’t happen to be in the regions where these are active, do a quick search on your favorite web search engine and I am pretty sure you’ll find one that applies to you relatively easily.

State-wide grant:

The Chesapeake Bay Trust has a state-wide program of mini grants which can be used to fund pollinator and rain gardens, among others. These grants provide up to $5,000 of funding for projects of different sizes, and the submission deadline is on a rolling basis. Applicants can be many different types of organizations, but it’s best is to check their current guidelines to know all the specifics about each year’s rules (these can be found directly on the grant website).

County-based programs:

Log for Prince George's County. It says Prince George's County Maryland Proud. Get to Know Us.

The Rain Check Rebate Program is offered by Prince George’s County and includes monetary support to establish rain gardens (which can also act as pollinator gardens) and other features (e.g., rain barrels, permeable driveways) that will increase water retention and reduce water runoff. Through this program, private property owners receive up to $6,000, and commercial properties, associations, and non-profits receive up to $20,000. The application process is relatively straightforward and simple, and the reimbursements are processed relatively quickly.

The non-profit Unity Gardens provides grants to fund the planting of native gardens (including rain and pollinator gardens) in Anne Arundel County. These grants are open to the public and range from $1,000 to $3,000 (depending on the type of project). Applications open in the fall and spring, but the documentation and guidelines for applications are accessible all year round. Check the website to learn more.

City-based grants:

The city of Ocean City, MD offers mini-grants for local property owners. These grants aim to support the establishment of pollinator gardens and other native plant gardens within the boundaries of the city. The grants provide up to $5,000 of funding, and applications for some of these projects are open year-round, while others have specific deadlines. Check the grants website to learn the specifics about each of these programs.

Free plants to establish gardens

Not every organization or institution has funds to establish grants such as those presented above. However, many cities and other non-profits give away plants at different times of the year. Generally, these giveaways happen in the spring and the fall, when plantings are the most likely to succeed. Below, I’ve included some examples for you. However, note that many local events happen everywhere, so if you’re interested in these giveaways, I strongly recommend that you search or keep an eye out for announcements in your area by the end of the winter or the summer.

Free native garden kits and plants:

The organization Nature Forward provides free native garden kits which include garden designs and the actual plants that go with them! Because this is directly associated with the Anacostia watershed, the geographical range of this program is restricted (check the map on their website). The sign-up is currently full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist.

Sometimes, native plant nurseries decide to organize such giveaways. This is the case of Bona Terra in Friendship, MD, which created a “plant grant,” basically a registration-based plant giveaway. The giveaway can be for individuals or groups, and registration is required to receive either individual plants or trays. Check out their website to learn more and access the forms.

City-based plant giveaways:
Several cities provide free plants to their residents. An example is the City of College Park, which has been giving away native plants that support pollinators throughout the year at markets and public events. Check with your city or local government to see if such programs are available to you… and if they are not, you can always ask for them to be established!!

How to Help Overwintering Pollinators

September 27, 2024September 18, 2024Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

Raise your hand if you want to help butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Good for you.

In my last blog post, I discussed two ways to help pollinators starting in the fall. Waiting to cut back perennials until spring and letting some leaves lie protects overwintering insects.

But there is so much more you can do to help this fall and year-round. It’s all about creating habitat, providing safe spaces for pollinators to live, eat, shelter and raise young.

My neighbors raised their eyebrows when I plunked a moss-covered log into my landscape. But it looks terrific in my woodland garden, a natural accent that provides shelter and food for wildlife.

*Logs are attractive habitats for wildlife, including pollinators. Photo: Annette Cormany*

So, adopt a log. Spiders and beetles are attracted to the moist areas under logs and peeling bark. Bees and butterflies nest and overwinter in drier parts of logs.

Logs help other wildlife, too. Chipmunks use them as highways, toads love their moisture, and other critters use them for sunbathing.

Lay logs horizontally, burying one end a few inches to maintain some moisture. And be sure to ask permission before tossing that log into your pickup. Mine came from a family property. Honest.

Dead-standing trees called “snags” also provide habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. As long as a tree poses no danger to you or your home, consider leaving it. What looks messy to us is beautiful to wildlife.

Beetles and other insects burrow through dead wood, creating tunnels that cavity-nesting bees such as mason bees lay their eggs in. Other insects tuck under bark. I once saw a striking mourning cloak butterfly emerge from the bark of a dead tree.

If leaving a whole dead tree is too much for your sense of order or safety is an issue, fell the tree but leave the log in part or whole. Or leave just the stump. Hardwood logs with the bark attached add more varied, longer-lasting habitat.

*Stumps offer food and shelter to insects. Photo: Annette Cormany*

What else can you do to enhance your habitat for pollinators beyond planting native plants that flower from spring to frost? Plenty.

Add a rock pile or wall. Bumblebees, leafcutter bees, and wasps nest in their cavities. Ground beetles and many other insects shelter where soil meets stone.

*Stone walls – including this handsome one dressed in lichen – provide shelter and nesting sites for wildlife. Photo: Annette Cormany*

Use different sizes and types of rocks and skip the mortar to create more protected nooks and crannies. Planting native plants nearby makes the area even more attractive to pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Thanks for all you are already doing to help support and protect pollinators. It matters.

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

Community Partnerships for Pollinators

September 9, 2024September 9, 2024Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

When we talk about pollinators and how to help them, we have often focused on what plants can support them, who the pollinators are and some traits of their natural histories, or how to create habitat for them. However, besides individual actions that people can take to help them, other options that are very impactful also exist. In today’s post, I want to present one that involves a combination of community and institutional collaboration: the Bee City and Bee Campus USA certification.

What are Bee City and Bee Campus USA?

The certifications called Bee City and Bee Campus USA are labels that cities and campuses, respectively, can receive from the Xerces Society if they commit and act to protect pollinators and their habitats.

For those who have never heard of it, the Xerces Society is an organization interested in the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. Over the years, it has not only become recognized as an important conservation organization but also has developed impactful and meaningful ways to support research on the topic and engage the population and institutions (and many other stakeholders!) in conservation actions that are within their reach. The Bee City and Bee Campus certification is one of those initiatives.

How does it work?

Once cities and campuses decide to receive the certification, they need to submit an application and pay an annual fee. By doing this, they commit to taking specific actions that will lead to the conservation of the thousands of species of bees and other pollinators that exist in the USA, as well as their habitats. The certification is revised every year, and if the institution or city is not performing following the set standards, the certification is not renewed. Today, many institutions and cities across the USA have joined the initiative and are actively following their commitments. If you are interested in knowing if your community is a part of the initiative, an online database exists where it is very easy to search for participating members using addresses or names.

*The Bee City and Bee Campus USA website has a neat tool to search for current members across the USA.*

The commitments that institutions and cities make when they join the initiative involve the establishment and promotion of specific actions. These actions combine institutional and community involvement, which requires the creation of an active committee that will be responsible for running programs that will help the institution reach its goals. Once this committee is created, the group is responsible for proposing and running actions within the reach of the institution. The actions need to be oriented towards promoting the protection of pollinators and their habitats through what can be generally categorized under education, direct action, community involvement, and potential revision of standard operating procedures or policies.

The Xerces Society doesn’t just provide a certification. In fact, it has over the years produced a massive number of tools that help cities or institutions understand how to run the programs. Regular webinars are organized, fact sheets distributed, general manuals and other documentation shared, and a network of participating cities established, allowing for a “hive mind” to develop.

What can some of these actions be?

Education programs involve the distribution of information among the population (for cities) or members of the campus (for campuses). This information can take many different forms but generally educates about the diversity of pollinators, the importance of promoting habitat, the key contributions of pollinators to the well-being of the community and the environment, ways to protect them through individual or joint actions, creating information guides and fact sheets, and more.

Direct actions often require involvement of the institution in establishing habitat for pollinators, distributing resources that will allow the community to protect pollinators (e.g., distributing plants, seeds, other habitat resources), actively reducing the use of pesticides, etc.

Community involvement is promoted by any program that the institution could build to allow its members to come together and engage in projects larger than any individual would be able to take on by themselves. There are many ways this can be done, but some examples are the creation of student-faculty groups that could run research projects that can then be used to inform policies and conservation actions. Others could be the establishment and promotion of institution-wide actions, such as the promotion of months with no or reduced mowing (e.g., “No-Mow Month” initiatives), the running of citizen science projects (e.g., through iNaturalist), establishing days centered around the celebration and recognition of pollinators and their services to humans and the environment (e.g., coordinating Pollinator Week activities), and others.

Finally, one of the unique reaches of this initiative is its ability to promote changes of policies and procedures regularly used by the institution/city. Under this program, the committee should propose and the city or campus implement at least some adjustments in the way the institution in question is run. For example, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plans should be created and used if they are not already in practice, Code can be adjusted to facilitate the planting of native plants, monetary or other incentives can be offered for the creation of pollinator habitat, and more.

I would like to have my city/campus join; what do I do?

If you’re interested in having your campus or city join the initiative, first go to the Bee City/Campus website and check out the requirements and some of the how-to webinars. Along with this, for cities, you may want to get in touch with representatives and present this as a request. If you’re on a campus, get a diverse group of members together and propose this to leadership. If you still feel overwhelmed by this and feel you still have a lot of questions, reach out to Bee Cities or Bee Campuses in your area and ask them for help! They will be more than happy to explain what their path was and how they came to be, so you can also become part of the national initiative.