Adirondack Pollinator Project Offers Exciting Activities for Families 

The Adirondack Pollinator Project (APP) is once again celebrating National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, to highlight the critical importance of pollinators to biodiversity, food availability, and the economy. Pollinators help produce approximately 1/3 of the food we eat. In New York State alone, bees and other pollinators provide some $350 million in pollination services each year. This year’s programs are being delivered digitally.

The Adirondack Pollinator Project is a project of AdkAction in partnership with The Wild Center, The Lake Placid Land Conservancy, and Paul Smith’s College, with the mission of inspiring individual and collective action to help pollinators thrive. Creative digital program offerings throughout National Pollinator Week will allow people of all ages to learn about pollinators, gardening with native plants, and more.

Each weekday during National Pollinator Week, The Wild Center will host a noon program focused on pollinators. On Monday, June 22, the Lake Placid Land Conservancy will offer a citizen science training to teach participants how to use the iNaturalist app to identify plants and pollinators. Paul Smith’s College will offer a Bee Box Building workshop to create habitat for native bees on Tuesday, and Saranac Lake Community Solar Project will share their plans for creating pollinator habitat under their solar arrays and help interested locals learn how to save on their energy bill while supporting renewable energy and promoting pollinators.

On Thursday evening, AdkAction will welcome author and pollinator-expert Kim Eierman to present her lecture, “The Pollinator Victory Garden: Winning the War on Pollinator Decline.” She will teach participants how, with simple strategies, it is easy to attract and support bees and other pollinators. Learn how to create a Pollinator Victory Garden to help win the war on pollinator decline.

In addition to the programming, Adirondack residents are encouraged to request free seed packets to help pollinators in their own yards. Pollinators need diverse pollen and nectar sources, so the Adirondack Pollinator Project is continuing to distribute thousands of free seed packets to help the Adirondacks bloom with hope for our pollinators. The seeds are a mix of over 30 different perennial native wildflowers selected for our region. Seeds will be distributed along with a colorful brochure explaining the importance of pollinators. Individuals can request seed packets at AdkAction.org/pollinators.

“Homeowners can play an important role by providing diverse floral habitat by converting part of their lawn to a pollinator garden or no-mow zone, adding nesting habitat, and avoiding plants treated with neonicotinoids.” According to Brittany Christenson, Executive Director of AdkAction. She continues, “Buying local and organic foods can also make a big difference because commercial crops are often treated with pesticides that are harmful to pollinators.” These efforts will help more than just pollinators. They help our communities harmonize with nature, combat climate change, and boost the local economy.

A full schedule of events is available online at AdkAction.org/pollinators. Please note that some workshops and events require an RSVP.

You are invited to support the Adirondack Pollinator Project by making a tax-deductible donation at AdkAction.org/contribute. Your entire donation will be used to inspire action to help pollinators thrive. AdkAction is a 501(c)(3) membership-driven non-profit that has been working to promote habitat for Monarch butterflies in the Adirondacks since 2014.

Pollinator Week 2020 Schedule

Monday, June 22nd

• 12pm–Wild Center Programming: Birds of a Feather Pollinate Together
  Join a Wild Center naturalist live on Wild Walk to visit our bird feeders and learn about the important role birds in the Adirondacks play in pollination. www.wildcenter.org/digital
• 2pm–Lake Placid Land Conservancy iNaturalist Training
  Join Kerry Crowningshield from the Lake Placid Land Conservancy live as she gives a training on citizen science and how to use iNaturalist. https://www.facebook.com/ConserveLandADK/
  Click here for help setting up iNaturalist and tips on recording observations: http://www.lakeplacidlandconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/iNaturalist_for_Beginners.pdf

Tuesday, June 23rd

• 12pm–Wild Center Programming: What’s All the Buzz About
  Join Wild Center curator Leah Valerio and visit The Wild Center’s hives to learn first hand and up close about bees and their important role in nature. www.wildcenter.org/digital
• 2pm–Paul Smith’s College Bee Box Building
  Learn how to construct your own bee box to create habitat for native bees.
  https://www.paulsmiths.edu/VIC/online-resources/
• 7pm–Saranac Lake Community Solar Project
  Support pollinators, invest in renewable energy, and save on your energy bill.
  www.wildcenter.org/digital

Wednesday, June 24th

• 12pm–Wild Center Programming: Batty about Pollination
  Join Wild Center Naturalists as they talk about a type of pollinators that only come out at night: bats! Learn how different species of bats contribute to the ecosystem and are responsible for the pollination of some of our favorite crops. www.wildcenter.org/digital

Thursday, June 25th

• 12pm–Wild Center Programming: The Secret Life of Wildflowers
  Join a Wild Center Naturalist on an exploration inside a wildflower, learning flower anatomy and why pollinators are vital to their success. www.wildcenter.org/digital
• 6pm–Kim Eierman Lecture – The Pollinator Victory Garden: Winning the War on Pollinator Decline
  Many pollinator species have suffered serious declines in recent years. It’s a serious problem for all of us since pollinators are responsible for the pollination of 80% of all flowering plants, and at least 30% of the food that we eat. Unfortunately, most of our landscapes offer little in the way of appropriate habitat and forage. With simple strategies, you can attract and support not just bees, but an array of pollinators that have different requirements. Learn how to create a Pollinator Victory Garden to help win the war on pollinator decline. AdkAction.org/pollinators

Friday, June 26th

• 12pm–Wild Center Programming: Pollinators & Predators: live encounter with a Kestrel
  Join Wild Center staff Chelsie and her feathered co-worker to explore how the impact of pollinators extends from the smallest insect to predators at the top of the food chain. www.wildcenter.org/digital

A complete listing of events and links to join can be found at AdkAction.org/pollinators.