National Pollinator Week is an initiative of Pollinator Partnership (P2), a nonprofit organization dedicated to pollinator conservation. It occurs in the third week of June every year and, as of 2016, all 50 states in the United States have gotten on board with this effort. I’m excited about this, because it demonstrates a commitment to pollinator awareness and conservation. When I finished my PhD in 2012, focusing on native pollinators, there were still 12 states that had not yet made the declaration.
What does National Pollinator Week mean in practical terms? It depends on the community and the involvement of people like you. Try doing a search online for “national pollinator week events” in your city to find details about what’s already planned. Are there gaps that your skillset could fill to increase pollinator awareness and conservation?
You could also check out P2s map of events all over the country to find one near you. One caveat for this: in my experience, there are MANY more events happening than what are shown on the map. I think most people don’t know the map exists, so it appears to be a sadly underused resource.
Anything that educates people, gets them talking, gets them excited, or makes them think about pollinators is a great idea for National Pollinator Week. Here are some ideas I’ve heard of and / or used myself:
- Presentations
- Garden strolls with pollinator identification
- Pollinator habitat planting / maintenance
- Film screenings
- Discussions
- Craft projects (See my Nature Journaling Activity with Optional Pollinator Focus)
- Bioblitz citizen science events
Pollinator Partnership publishes beautiful informative posters and merchandise to celebrate every year. These items make great gifts that come with the added bonus of supporting a worthy organization and spreading the word whenever someone sees them.
Featured image courtesy of Pollinator Partnership
Athena Rayne Anderson 
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