The month of June is Pollinator Month with a special focus on Pollinator Week being from June 16–22. June is the beginning of summer when flowers bloom and crops grow. Pollinator Week is a time to think about and celebrate pollinators that play a vital role in our ecosystems and food supply for both humans and wildlife. Much of our life on Earth would not survive without them. It is also a time to think about how we can help the pollinators.

One iconic pollinator is the Monarch butterfly. The Monarch butterfly is well-known for the 3000-mile-long migration journey it makes each year. The Monarch is vital to us because it plays a crucial role in the reproduction of many plant species. However, the Monarch’s population is in grave decline – such decline that it is slated to be listed on the Endangered Species List next year. Alarmingly, many of our other pollinators are also drastically declining.

What can we do to help all pollinators? We can build a pollinator garden with host and nectar plants. And for the Monarch, especially, plant your native species of milkweed. In any space that you have in your yard – a container on your patio, for instance, no matter how small — planting nectar plants as well ashost plants such as milkweed makes a difference.

So, why do we celebrate pollinators in June? Pollinator Week was created to raise awareness and celebrate the vital role that pollinators play in ecosystems, food production, human and wildlife well-being. Pollinator Week is celebrated in June because it coincides with the peak of activity of many pollinators and the blooming of many plants that they rely on for food and habitat. However, truthfully, we should be celebrating pollinators every day, all year long!

Photo and blog donated by Lori A. Cash