National Pollinator Week set for June

National Pollinator Week will be held this year on June 17-23.

Twelve years ago, the U.S. Senate approved the designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” to help address the issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown into an international celebration of pollinators such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.

The event is a time to celebrate pollinators’ valuable contributions to ecosystems and agriculture. Pollinators help pollinate more than 75 percent of our flowering plants and nearly 75 percent of our crops, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Examples of crops that depend on pollinators include apples, blueberries, squash, almonds, coffee and chocolate.

You can learn more about pollinators and National Pollinator Week at Pollinator Partnerships’ website: Pollinator.org.

Pollinator Partnership provides a number of tools on their site to help you participate in the event. You can download a toolkit for a comprehensive guide to activity ideas, graphics and photos, swag like shirts and posters, and additional resources.

The Toolkit also offers social media guidance. If you use #pollinatorweek on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feeds, Pollinator Partnership may re-share your posts.

The organization encourages participants to host events at schools, gardens, churches, stores, etc. If you do plan to host an event, you can add it to an interactive map hosted on Pollinator Partnership’s website.

Do you plan to show your support for pollinator health to customers and potential clients this year?