Million Pollinator Garden Challenge!

While creating a presentation on using native plants to attract native pollinators, I found this interesting challenge on creating over a million gardens to attract pollinators. It's inspiring and fun.
By registering your garden, you can also be included on the S.h.a.r.e. map.

Here are some of the photos I included from my garden:

Educating and inspiring others to make more spaces in their yards for pollinator friendly gardens, especially using native trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, will provide the much needed support pollinators need to survive, thrive and flourish. 

Here are some excellent websites and books for more information on how to create pollinator friendly gardens and the how and whys of using native plants:

•       Bowman’s Hill: http://www.bhwp.org/

•       PA Native Plant Society: http://www.panativeplantsociety.org/

•       Pollinator Partnership: http://www.pollinator.org/

•       Xerces Society: http://www.xerces.org/

•       Find Native Plants: http://findnativeplants.com/

•       DCNR: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/plants/nativeplants/

Books:

•       Bringing Nature Home, D. Tallamy

•       Pollinators of Native Plants, H. Holm

•       Attracting Native Pollinators, Xerces Society

•       Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Guide

Clicking on the link here or using the icon on this sites' sidebar, will bring you to the site:

http://millionpollinatorgardens.org/

Xerces "Bring Back the Pollinators" Campaign

The Xerces Society has created this interesting and thoughtful campaign to bring awareness to pollinators. Visit their website: http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/ Here are some details: BRING BACK THE POLLINATORS

Take the Pledge to Protect Bees

Bring Back the Pollinators is based on four principles: grow pollinator-friendly flowers, provide nest sites, avoid pesticides, and spread the word. With these core values, pollinator conservation can be adapted to any location, whether you tend an urban community garden or a suburban yard, work in a city park or on a farm. Bring Back the Pollinators has already spread from coast to coast thanks to Rapid Refill. Now we are asking you to join in this campaign. We make the commitment to you that we will work every day to protect pollinators and their habitat. Will you make a similar commitment to the pollinators? Will you sign the pledge? TO BRING BACK THE POLLINATORS, I WILL: Grow a variety of pollinator-friendly flowers that bloom from spring through fall. Protect and provide bee nests and caterpillar host plants. Avoid using pesticides, especially insecticides. Talk to my neighbors about the importance of pollinators and their habitat. Sign the Pledge Here When you have signed the pledge, you may purchase and install our new pollinator habitat sign in your front yard, community garden, farm, or wherever you are to show your support for pollinators. Together, we can bring back the pollinators! Here are just a few things that Xerces is already doing to protect bees: Making science accessible by publishing reports such as Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees?    Working with farmers to create pesticide-free, flower-rich habitat on farms. Engaging thousands of citizens in a nationwide search for rare bumble bees. Teaching Pollinator Conservation Short Coursesin all regions of the U.S. Maintaining the online Pollinator Conservation Resource Center.

Resourceful Queen Carpenter Bee!

While John was cleaning up a honey beehive a couple of weeks ago in preparation of installing our new bees this weekend, he found at the bottom of the hive body, a queen carpenter bee. The hive had died and she had been feasting on the left over honey and had neatly eaten a large section on the bottom. John brought her in to show me:

I gave her some grass and wood to crawl on, some water and some honey to sustain her for another day. 

The following day she was the unexpected guest at a native pollinator presentation I gave. I released her the following morning. 

Carpenter bees are the largest native pollinators in North America and are distinguishable from bumblebees by their shiny black abdomens. 

They are excellent pollinators because of their large size, hairy bodies and early emergence in the spring. They also are early morning risers and work later into the evening and are especially important pollinators for eggplants and tomatoes. 

Using their large powerful mandibles, they dig holes into wood to create their nests, as pictured here: 

They don't eat wood but rather nectar and pollen. If a carpenter bee seems to be flying erratically, flying into windows or your head, don't be alarmed, he probably is just chasing after a female.

Carpenter bees, like all bees, are important for pollination. 

Just think, one of every 3 bites of food come to us from pollinators. 

So, the next time you are biting into an apple, or peach, pear or plum, strawberry or kiwi, 

thank a bee! 

Without them, these food might not exist and/or would require pollination conducted by hand by humans, which is done now in some places like China, where bees can no longer live due to pollution and over use of pesticides.

See link: http://www.apinews.com/en/news/item/12780-china-hand-pollination