Pollinator Week, celebrated June 16–22, 2025, is a national event organized by the nonprofit Pollinator Partnership. It highlights the essential role pollinators play in ecosystems, food systems, and agriculture. This year’s theme, “Pollinators Weave Connection,” focuses on the vital link between pollinators, our environment, and human life.
In Wisconsin, pollinators include managed honey bees, over 400 species of native bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, wasps, and even the ruby-throated hummingbird. These species help pollinate 80% of flowering plants and one in every three bites of the food we eat. The plants they pollinate also improve water quality and prevent soil erosion.
Whether you are a farmer, gardener, or nature lover, there are simple ways to help protect these pollinators and their habitats.
Ways to Support Pollinators:
- Create pollinator habitat. Plant native perennials and avoid invasive plants. Aim for three types of flowers blooming each season.
- Support specific pollinators. For example, plant milkweed for monarchs or lupine for Karner blue butterflies.
- Provide nesting spaces. Leave bare soil, hollow stems, dead wood, bunch grasses, and leaf litter for solitary bees and other pollinators.
- Reduce pesticide use. Avoid using pesticides when possible. If needed, spray at dawn or dusk to avoid harming active pollinators.
- Join community science projects. Use the WiBee app from UW-Madison to track wild bees, join the Bumble Bee Brigade, or participate in Project Wingspan.
- Support pollinator organizations and local producers. Donate to groups like the Pollinator Partnership and Xerces Society. Buy local honey to support beekeepers.
- Celebrate with food. Download a pollinator-friendly cookbook and enjoy fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, pumpkins, and avocados.
