April 22 is Earth Day! To celebrate our planet’s amazing pollinators, we’ve put together a list of 13 ways you can help butterflies and bees. For more ideas, visit our blog post “Make Your Yard a Pollinator Pit Stop” for beginner-friendly plant guides and citizen science projects.
Join the Science Mill’s Butterfly Bonanza (+ Bats & Bees) on Saturday, April 24 from 10am-2pm for up-close encounters with pollinators and all-ages activities.
13 ways to help butterflies and bees:
Plant native species with a variety of shapes, colors and blooming seasons
Add a border of native flowers around your vegetable garden
To sync with pollinators, garden by early spring and don’t clip late blooms in the fall
Give thirsty bees a drink (but it’s best to avoid sugar water)
Find places in your yard to protect bare soil and brush for native bees to nest
Build a bee condo or bee hotel for native bees
Avoid chemicals on your yard and when you buy plants and seeds (some are pretreated)
Support the reduced use of neonicotinoid pesticides that harm bees
Rethink weeds: dandelions offer bees some of spring’s first nectar
Rethink lawns: non-flowering grass + little plant diversity = pollinator dead zones
Relocate beehives with professional help instead of exterminating
(Visit the Science Mill’s Butterfly Garden to see these beautiful blooms and many others!)