By Cheryl Harrison, Master Gardener

Pollinator Week 2025 is scheduled from June 16-22 this year.  It is an annual celebration initiated by Pollinator Partnership to raise awareness of the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystems and food systems. This year’s theme, “Pollinator Cultural Connections,” emphasizes the deep ties between pollinators and human culture.

What Is Pollinator Week?

Pollinator Week is a global event dedicated to celebrating, protecting and promoting pollinators—bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other insects—that are essential for the reproduction of over 75% of flowering plants and about one-third of the world’s food crops.

The 2025 Theme: “Pollinator Cultural Connections”

The 2025 theme invites reflection on how pollinators are interwoven with human culture, including agriculture, art, and spirituality. Many Indigenous communities have long recognized the importance of pollinators not only for their ecological contributions but also as a foundation for cultural symbolism.

What Can We Do?

You can contribute to pollinator conservation by:

• Planting native pollinator-friendly gardens: Use a variety of flowering native plants to support pollinators .
• Supporting local initiatives: Engage with community events and support programs like Bee City Canada, which recognizes and supports municipalities, Indigenous communities, campuses, and schools taking action to protect pollinators .
• Educating others: Share information about the importance of pollinators and ways to protect them through social media and community outreach.

One of the fun Pollinator Week activities is a Bioblitz.  From the Pollinator Partnership web site:  “A Bioblitz brings together trained scientists and citizen scientists in a fun, friendly competition to record species observations. Community science efforts like this help advance scientific knowledge and foster public engagement, enable widespread participation in the scientific process, and break down traditional barriers between scientists and the public.”

I signed up for the Bioblitz.  For more information see link.

I love taking photos of the pollinators that visit my gardens.

Tips for Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Garden

• Diverse Planting: Incorporate a variety of native plants with different bloom times to provide continuous food sources for pollinators throughout the growing season.  Native plants are more readily available now.  I only began adding them to my gardens a few years ago.  My gardens consist of lots of the usual perennials eg. day lilies, peonies, iris, daisies.  The natives fit right in!
• Provide Shelter: Include features like bee hotels, leaf piles and tall grasses to offer shelter for pollinators.
• Eliminate Pesticide Use: Pesticides can harm pollinators.
• Water Source: Provide a shallow water source, such as a birdbath with stones for landing.  Pollinators will visit for a drink.

Celebrating Pollinator Week 2025 highlights the interconnectedness between pollinators and human culture.  Participate in local events, support conservation efforts and make informed choices to contribute to the protection and celebration of these essential creatures.

Other Resources

Invite These Super Pollinators and Pest Managers to your Garden by Silvia Strobl, Master Gardener.  See link.

How to Make the Perfect Pollinator Garden.  See link.

Pollinator Partnerships – Threats to Pollinators.  See link.

Ontario Native Plants list.  See link.

PS:  I consider reading the book “Bringing Nature Home” by Doug Tallamy, as my pollinator epiphany.   See link for more information about this book.