Five years ago the U.S. Senate unanimously approved and designated the final week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marking a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week, which is June 20th -26th this year, has now grown to be an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.
To learn more about the importance of pollinators and how to attract them to your own yard, read my posts Enjoy the Birds and Bees in Your Own Backyard and Gardening for Hummingbirds, and Create a Butterfly Garden.
For even more information, plan on attending some of these activities in the area which have been planned for National Pollinator Week.
June 20th - 24th, 10:00 am - 1pm daily
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave, Wheaton, MD 20902
Learn about pollination and pollinators, vote for your favorite pollinator, play "I Spy" pollinator scavenger hunt, plant a flower to attract pollinators in your garden.
Contact Lynn Richard , lynn.richard@montgomeryparks
June 21, 2011 - 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
USDA Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg 476, Entomology Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
The BRL will host an open house for the public to highlight honey bee research activities conducted at the nation’s capital by the USDA Agriculture Research Service. Visit the lab and hear about our research, advanced beekeeping techniques, and how to identify bee diseases. A detailed agenda and directions to the lab will be posted on our web site during May. Contact - Bart Smith bart.smith@ars.usda.gov , http://www.ars.usda.gov
Tuesday June 21, 2011, 11am-3pm
Smithsonian's National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Come explore the exciting world of pollinators! All the fun takes place behind the Invertebrate Exhibit. Discover which of your favorite snacks you wouldn’t have without the helpful honeybee and its wild relatives. And taste the difference a plant makes when it comes to honey at our Pollination and Food table. Butterflies are more than just beautiful, they are pollinators too! Learn all about how they do it at our Butterfly table. Discover the secret language of color that plants and pollinators, such as butterflies and bees, use to communicate. You can even make your own pollination pinwheel at our activity table. Sure, you’ve heard of honeybees and bumblebees, but did you know there are thousands of other types of bees buzzing around in your backyard? Learn all about how these bees live and help keep our planet green at our Bee table.
Contact : Amy Rutherford, rutherfordam@si.edu , http://nationalzoo.si.edu
Don't Miss These Keeper Talks
11:30 – Native Bees
12:30 – Butterflies
1:30 – Hummingbirds
2:30 – Flower Power
June 25th, 2011 - 10am - 2pm
University of Maryland Extension, Salisbury Zoo, Salisbury, MD 21801
The Maryland Master Gardeners will have a display on pollinators - high lighting butterflies. plants and flowers that provide nectar and pollin will also be on display. A local bee keeper and the University of Maryland State Specialist will also be there with handouts and live bees.
Following the Pollinators Day, a local bee keeper and Ginny Rosenkranz, Extension Educator, will create a video on beekeeping, finding Queens, opening up a hive and talking about the plants that need pollinators to provide us with the vegetables and fruits of summer. the video will be available as Delmarva Gardens - pollinators.
Contact Ginny Rosenkranz rosnkrnzy@umd.edu
Virginia, By proclamation, Governor Robert F. McDonnell declared June 20-26, 2011 as Pollinator Week in the State of Virginia.
June 25, 2011 - Noon - 5pm
Rockwood Backyard Beekeeper Association, Rockwood Nature Center 3401 Courthouse Road, North Chesterfield, VA 23236
Celebrate the role of honeybees and other pollinators in agriculture and our ecosystem. Knowledgeable speakers will offer presentions on an array of current and interesting topics such as basic beekeeping, native bees and how to attract them, what's happening to our bees, landscaping for pollinators, and more. Children's and Family Activities Include: Arts and Crafts, Games, Contests, Prizes, Facepainting, Array of honey and other products will be available for sampling and sale. Contact: Kristi Orcutt; Ken Woodard, mrbeeva@yahoo.com, chesterfieldoutdoorprograms.com
June 25 and 26, 2011
Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, Bon Air Park; Wilson Blvd & N. Lexington St., Arlington, VA 22205
Arlington’s Bon Air Park is home to two demonstration gardens maintained by the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, in support of the Arlington County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Visit the Sunny Demonstration Garden on Saturday, June25, to learn what’s happening in the early summer garden, how to attract birds and butterflies, and how to maintain your garden during the hot days of summer.Then, visit the Shade Demonstration Garden on Sunday, June 26, to learn about summer color and texture for shady places in your yard,attractive ground covers for replacing invasive English ivy and planting for pollinators. Contact: Mary Free, mmf222@verizon.net
June 25th, 2011 - 10am-3pm
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve & Piedmont Environmental Council, 21085 The Woods Road, Leesburg, VA 20175
"Bee Local" discussions about honeybees, agriculture, and colony collapse disorder. Games, hayrides, and butterfly garden activities for kids.
Contact: Kim Winter, kwinter@pecva.org, http://www.pecva.org/
Stunning photo, Betsy!
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